One of the greatest TE. "Mike Ditka revolutionized football even before coaching"
https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/2026/10/09/mike-ditka-dead-obituary-chicago-bears/10288758002/
I think they broke the mold after him.
Mike Ditka is best remembered as the head coach of the Super Bowl Champion '85 Bears. But it his years as a player, first with the Univ. of Pittsburgh and then as a Pro with the Bears that I found so interesting. In his senior year at Pitt he had an unremarkable, by today's standards, 11 receptions for 229 yards and two touchdowns. Still, a unanimous selection for all-American probably due to the fact that he was a two-way player.
Then, in his rookie season with the Bears he had 58 receptions good for 12 touchdowns "adding a new dimension to a tight end position that had previously been dedicated to blocking." And earned Rookie of the Year honors.
RIP to True Grit Mike Ditka, a great player, teammate and coach. I'll never forget his epic trade for Ricky Williams by trading an entire draft class for him at New Orleans. 😎🏈
Big Cowboys fan when he played for them great Player and great Coach.
RIP Coach Ditka. Prayers for his family 🙏🏼.
