In Memory of Mike Ditka, the Ultimate Chicago Bear
It’s very rare that I find myself struggling with how to begin an article—but this is one of those times. In truth, I’m not even sure I should be writing this article at all. Because that would only serve to confirm that the reason I’m writing it is in fact, not a joke, but unfortunately and upsettingly real.
Alas, it is real, and so the sad truth must be faced; the sport of football, the city of Chicago, and the entire Bears franchise bid farewell to one of its true icons. Legendary Bears tight end and head coach Mike Ditka passed away this morning, at the age of 86.
Today, the flags outside Halas Hall were flown at half-mast, and tributes from every corner of the football world—and in fact, the sports world as a whole—have come almost non-stop. The common theme among them all has been simple: The NFL has lost perhaps the single most iconic figure it has ever had.
That’s certainly the case when it comes to the Bears. Indeed, with the exception of George Halas himself, very few people—if any—have embodied what it means to be a Bear more than Mike Ditka. And so, with a heavy heart—and plenty of thoughts—, I’d like to take my turn at reflecting on the life and legacy of “Da Coach.”
Before we continue, though, I have to confess that that nickname has always bothered me a little bit. Because before he ever did anything as a coach (we’ll get to that), everybody seems to forget that he was also the first great tight end in NFL history.
A native of Aliquippa, Pennsylvania, Ditka was a standout tight end and punter at the University of Pittsburgh. After he was drafted fifth overall by the Bears in 1961, he proceeded to then have one of the greatest (and arguably the most overlooked) rookie seasons of all time.
On his way to earning his first of five straight Pro Bowl selections (all with the Bears), the man they called “Iron Mike” set rookie TE records in receptions (56), receiving yards (1,076) and receiving touchdowns (12). All three of those figures also happened to lead the entire league at the position, and helped him with Offensive Rookie of the Year. Keith Jackson broke the receptions record in 1988. However, it wasn’t until 2024—63 years after Ditka’s first NFL season—that Brock Bowers would eclipse the receiving yards mark with 1,194. Currently, Ditka still has the second-most receiving yards as a rookie tight end, and his TD figure remains the high-water mark.
While he never had another season that quite reached the (at-the-time) mind-blowing totals of his rookie year, his career was still an incredibly impressive one. He won an NFL championship with the Bears in 1963 (the team’s last title until Super Bowl XX), and his 75 receptions in 1964 were the most by a tight end in a single season until 1980. After a brief stint with the Eagles, he ended his career with the Dallas Cowboys, and helped them capture Super Bowl VI against the Dolphins. (In that game, Ditka led the Cowboys in receiving yards (28) and caught the game-sealing touchdown from Roger Staubach in the fourth quarter.) Ditka retired after the 1972 season, and at the time of his retirement his 427 receptions were the most by a tight end in NFL history.
So, to recap: Offensive Rookie of the Year, three different rookie tight end records (one of which still stands, another which is still top-three all-time), five Pro Bowls and five All-Pro selections (two First-team, three Second-team), and a two-time champion. Oh, and I forgot to mention that he was the first-ever tight end with a 1,000-yard season and the first tight end inducted to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1988.
Ditka also never missed a game in his six seasons with the Monsters of the Midway, starting in all 84 games he played for the Bears (as well as the 1963 NFL Championship). On the team’s all-time receiving list, he ranks fifth overall with 4,503 yards, sixth overall with 316 receptions, and fourth overall with 34 touchdown catches; all of those numbers are first among Bears tight ends.
Of course, his playing career is only half the story. And while he may have been inducted to the Hall of Fame as a player, Ditka is, was, and always will be remembered most for what he did as a coach.
Simply put, Mike Ditka is the greatest Bears coach of all time. I know that George Halas has better numbers; more games coached/wins/championships. But Ditka’s numbers are just as impressive: 106 wins in 168 games coached (both second all-time in team history), six division championships, seven 10-win seasons (including a franchise-record five in a row from 1984 to 1988), and two AP NFL Coach of the Year awards (1985 and 1988). And, of course, Ditka led the 1985 Bears to the Super Bowl XX crown, which is what puts him over the top.
The Super Bowl win once again put him in rare company, this time on the coaching side. He became only the second person in NFL history (along with Tom Flores) to win a Super Bowl as a player, assistant coach—he won Super Bowl XII as the Cowboys’ assistant head coach—, and head coach.
But “Da Coach” was so much more than just a coach. He was a genuine, methodical, exceptional leader.
He loved the game—perhaps a bit too much, at times. He suffered a heart attack at the beginning of the 1988 season as a result of the stress brought about by coaching. But the game loved him in turn; within two weeks, he was back on the sideline in full and led the Bears to a 12-4 record while earning his second Coach of the Year award.
He loved his players, and his players loved him. Those of us who have watched the 30 for 30 on the 1985 Bears know just how deep the bonds between Ditka and his team(s) went—and still go.
He loved the fans, and the fans loved him. The name ‘Ditka’ is often the first one young Bears fans learn when they begin their journey (at least, it was for me), and fans dressed in Ditka cosplay is a signature—some might even say essential—at Soldier Field.
On the sidelines, he was a hard-ass, foul-mouthed, unflinching, and dedicated to nothing but a Bears victory each and every week. But he was also immaculately-dressed, funny, caring, fatherly, and looked out for his players each and every week.
He was humble and gracious in victory, and supremely angry when he lost. But no matter the result, he would always do whatever it took to make the team better in time for their next game. When it didn’t work, he would try again, and again, and again until it did. In short, he was everything a team could have wanted in a coach…and so much more.
He wasn’t perfect, though, and he’d be the first to tell you. He often butted heads with his staff, especially Buddy Ryan (aka, the mastermind of the 1985 Bears defense). He was stubborn in his convictions—an attitude which usually served him well, but was also the cause of what he called ‘the single biggest regret’ of his coaching career: not letting Walter Payton score a touchdown in the Super Bowl. It was a painful moment for “Iron Mike”, and something he likely carried with him forever.
But that regret is also probably the thing that best encapsulates who Mike Ditka was—he, like all of us, was only human. He made mistakes, had moments of doubt and triumph, loved cigars and a well-cooked steak.
Indeed, he laughed and made us laugh (he managed to steal the spotlight in Kicking and Screaming from Will Ferrell).
He cried, and made us cry (both his Hall of Fame and jersey retirement speeches never fail to make me tear up).
And, most importantly, he never ever stopped loving the Chicago Bears.
On November 7, 1999, the Bears and Packers met at Lambeau Field, just six days after the death of Walter Payton. The Bears blocked Green Bay’s field goal on the final play, and won the game 14-13. A bittersweet victory, in memory of “Sweetness”.
On October 11, 2026, the Bears and Packers will meet at Lambeau Field, just two days after the death of Mike Ditka. Regardless of the result, it will be an intense, emotional, deeply meaningful game. And regardless of the result, Mike Ditka will be watching.
He’ll light a cigar, put on his shades and that iconic sweater, comb his hair back, and with all his might offer up one final, heaven-sent, “Go Bears!”
And then…the Bears will play. They’ll move on—they have to. And that’s ok. Because the Bears franchise, Bears fans, and the city of Chicago will always have the memories Mike Ditka helped give them.
He was Mike Ditka, “Iron Mike”, “Da Coach”. A Hall of Famer, a Super Bowl champion, and one of the greatest Bears who ever lived. There will never be another like him.
So thank you, Coach. For everything.
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