Tributes pour in as NFL world mourns, remembers football giant and HOFer Mike Ditka — SkimNews
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- Mike Ditka died Friday at age 86, with his family announcing the passing through a statement shared by Jarrett Payton, son of the late Walter Payton.
- Ditka began his playing career as the No. 5 overall pick out of Pittsburgh, winning 1961 Offensive Rookie of the Year with 1,076 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns for the Bears, then captured Super Bowl VI with the Dallas Cowboys before retiring after 1972.
- Ditka was hired as Bears head coach in 1982 and went 15-1 in 1985, defeating the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XX — the franchise's lone Lombardi Trophy — while earning Coach of the Year honors in 1985 and 1988.
- Ditka's 106 wins rank second in Bears history behind George Halas, and he is one of only two men (alongside Tom Flores) to win a Super Bowl as a player, assistant coach, and head coach.
- Ditka wrapped up his coaching career with the New Orleans Saints, going 15-33 over three seasons, after also serving as an assistant under Tom Landry in Dallas during three Cowboys Super Bowl runs.
- NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell released a statement calling Ditka an 'ambassador for the game' whose work with the Gridiron Greats Assistance Fund made him 'a champion for taking care of those who helped build our game.'
Why it matters: Ditka's death closes a chapter on the 1985 Bears, still the franchise's only Super Bowl champions, and the 106-win coach leaves a benchmark no Bears leader other than Halas has touched in over four decades. His rare triple — Super Bowl winner as player, assistant, and head coach — ties him only to Tom Flores, underscoring how singular his cross-role success was.
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