Mike Ditka, the Hall of Fame tight end who returned to Chicago and coached the Bears to their commanding Super Bowl XX victory, has died at 86, according to Jarrett Payton of 104.3 The Score.
Few figures left a bigger mark on the franchise. Ditka helped change how tight ends played before taking charge of a Bears team that delivered one of the most dominant championship runs in NFL history.
His defining coaching achievement came with the 1985 Bears, whose punishing defense and offense powered by Hall of Fame running back Walter Payton overwhelmed opponents. Chicago finished the job by crushing the New England Patriots 46-10 in Super Bowl XX.
That championship was the payoff for a return Ditka had pursued himself.
While serving as an assistant under Dallas Cowboys coach Tom Landry, Ditka wrote to Bears owner George Halas seeking a chance to lead his old team. Chicago hired him in 1982, beginning an 11-season run as head coach.
Ditka earned NFL Coach of the Year honors in 1985 and 1988. The Bears’ title was his second Super Bowl championship as a coach, following Dallas’ victory in Super Bowl XII with Ditka on Landry’s staff.
Long before he worked the sideline, Mike Ditka had made his name catching passes.
Chicago selected him fifth overall in the 1961 NFL draft. Over six seasons and 84 games with the Bears, he caught 316 passes for 4,503 yards and 34 touchdowns, helping turn a position largely associated with blocking into a major receiving threat.
The Bears traded Ditka to Philadelphia in 1967. He played two seasons with the Eagles before joining Dallas for the final four seasons of his playing career, from 1969 through 1972.
His playing résumé included two NFL championships, five Pro Bowl selections, two first-team All-Pro honors and three second-team selections. He also earned spots on the NFL’s 75th and 100th Anniversary All-Time Teams.
After retiring as a player following the 1972 season, Ditka spent nine seasons working under Landry before getting his shot in Chicago.
In 1988, he became the first tight end inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, securing his place in Canton while he was still leading the Bears.
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