When you think of the Chicago Bears, you think of George “Papa Bear” Halas, Gale Sayers, Dick Butkus and Mike Ditka among the franchise’s elite. The great tight end and former head coach turns 80 on Oct. 18. A look at his incredible life and times.
College years
Mike Ditka went to Pittsburgh out of Aliquippa (PA) HS. In three seasons — freshmen were not eligible — he caught 45 passes for 730 yards and seven touchdowns for the Panthers. He was a three-sport athlete at Pitt, also playing baseball and basketball. He started all three seasons, leading the team in receiving in each, and also served as the team’s punter. Ditka was enshrined in the College Football Hall of Fame in 1986.
First-round pick in two leagues
The 6-foot-3, 228-pound tight end was a top pick in the 1961 AFL and NFL drafts. The Chicago Bears made him the fifth overall selection and the Houston Oilers chose him eighth.
Rookie of the Year
Ditka chose to sign with Chicago and paid immediate dividends. He caught 56 passes for 1,076 yards — 19.2 ypc — and scored 12 TDs. The performance earned him honors as the Rookie of the Year.
Six seasons as a Bear
In all, Ditka became synonymous with Chicago. He was part of their 1963 championship team. That season, caught 59 passes for 794 yards. Overall, in six years with the Bears, “Iron Mike” played in all 84 games, catching 316 passes for 4,503 yards and 34 TDs.
Moving on
Ditka was traded to the Philadelphia Eagles in 1967 where he spent two seasons, before being shipped to Dallas in 1969. He wore number 98 in his first year with the Eagles. He then changed it back to his usual 89. He spent four seasons with the Cowboys, highlighted by a touchdown reception in the Cowboys’ 24–3 victory over the Miami Dolphins in Super Bowl VI. He is the only head coach in the history of the Super Bowl to score a touchdown in a Super Bowl as a player.
Coaching career begins
Retiring after the 1972 season, Ditka was hired as an assistant coach by the Cowboys’ Tom Landry. Ditka spent nine seasons with Dallas, which made the playoffs eight times, won six division titles, three NFC Championships and a Super Bowl in 1977 with him on the staff. While working with the Cowboys, Ditka sent a letter to George Halas, his former head coach who was still owner of the Chicago Bears. In the letter Ditka said that he would like to come back to Chicago and be the head coach of the Bears “when he was ready.”
Back with the Bears
Ditka was hired to be head coach in Chicago before the 1982 season, which was limited to nine games due to a players’ strike. The Bears went 3-6 that year. He turned the team around and by 1984 they won 10 games, beginning a run of five years with double-digit victories and seven of eight.
The Super Bowl shuffle
The 1985 Bears are considered one of the elite teams in NFL history. Ditka led Chicago to a 15-1 record and they outscored three playoff opponents, 91-10, en route to winning the Super Bowl. The championship was vintage Bears, as they crushed the Patriots, 46-10. It was not without controversy as Ditka put William Perry in the game and had the defensive lineman score a TD rather than allowing the great Walter Payton to reach the end zone.
Out in Chicago
The Bears slumped to a 5-11 mark in the 1992 season. Ditka was fired after that campaign.
Marching on to the Saints
After a long break, Ditka became coach of the New Orleans Saints in 1997. His three-year run in the Big Easy was not successful. The team went 15-33. Perhaps the most memorable event was Ricky Williams posing in a wedding dress with his coach for a magazine cover.
Hall of Fame
In 1988, his fearsome blocking and 427 career receptions for 5,812 yards and 43 touchdowns earned him the honor of being the first tight end inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Other ventures
Ditka has had numerous ventures outside the football field. He worked as a studio analyst for multiple networks and has four restaurants. He has also had several health scares, most recently suffering a heart attack while playing golf in Florida last year.
Jersey is retired
On Dec. 9, 2013, Ditka’s jersey No. 89, was retired in a halftime ceremony during a Monday Night Football game as the Bears, fittingly, played host to the Dallas Cowboys. “Thank you, thank you, thank you, and go Bears!” Ditka told the crowd
