You cannot tell the history of the Chicago Bears without mentioning Mike Ditka and the impact he made on the team. The legendary head coach has been a fixture around the NFL for decades and made a massive mark on the league during his lifetime.
However, with Ditka being out of the spotlight for some time now, some may wonder just who he is and what he’s done in his career. Let’s take a closer look at the legendary NFL coach and personality.
Mike Ditka’s Early Years
Ditka was born as Michael Dyczko in Carnegie, Pennsylvania. He grew up in nearby Aliquippa with his parents and three siblings. He is the oldest of the trio.
Ditka was a three-sport star at Aliquippa High School, where he was recruited by Notre Dame, Penn State, and the University of Pittsburgh before ultimately attending Pitt to continue his athletic career.
While Ditka was at Pitt, football wasn’t his only sport of choice. He actually played baseball and basketball at the university, as well. In his final season at Pitt, he was a unanimous first-team selection on the College Football All-America Team as a two-way athlete playing tight end and defensive end. He finished his college career with 45 passes for 730 yards and seven touchdowns.
Ditka’s time in college earned him College Football Hall of Fame honors in 1986, and he was enshrined into the University of Pittsburgh Hall of Fame in 2018.
Ditka’s NFL Playing Days
Coming out of college, Ditka was actually drafted twice. He was selected by the Chicago Bears fifth overall in the 1961 NFL Draft, while the Houston Oilers drafted him eighth overall in the first round of the 1961 AFL Draft. Ultimately he signed with the Bears over the Oilers.
He was an instant playmaker for the Bears franchise. In fact, his success earned him Rookie of the Year honors. He went on to earn a Pro Bowl selection in each of the next five seasons with the team.
Ditka played 11 total seasons in the NFL, with stops in Philadelphia with the Eagles and in Dallas as a Cowboy. In 1988, Ditka was the first ever tight end to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame after finishing his career with 427 career receptions for 5,812 yards and 43 touchdowns.
Ditka’s Coaching Career
After retiring as a member of the Cowboys, Ditka joined the team the following season as a coach, where he spent nine seasons in an assistant role.
In 1982, Ditka got his first head coaching opportunity, and it was with the team on which he started his NFL career — the Chicago Bears. Ditka remained the head coach in Chicago until the end of the 1992 season when he was fired due to the team looking for a change after recent struggles on the field. However, during Ditka’s time with the Bears, he won 106 games, including Super Bowl XX.
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Following his firing from the Bears, Ditka went into broadcasting for five seasons working with NBC before getting another head coaching opportunity. He went to New Orleans to be the coach of the Saints, but that tenure lasted just three seasons. He finished with a woeful 15-33 record during his time in the “Big Easy.”
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