Super Bowl-winning player and coach Ditka dies aged 86

Los Angeles – Mike Ditka was already an NFL champion and Chicago icon when he guided the celebrated 1985 Bears to the Super Bowl crown. With Ditka’s death on Friday at age 86, his legendary role on one of the most overwhelming teams in NFL history was recalled fondly by American football fans. Coached by Ditka, led by quarterback Jim McMahon and featuring legendary running back Walter Payton and unlikely superstar William “Refrigerator” Perry,” the 1985 Bears also boasted one of the best defenses in NFL history.

They lost just one game before pounding the New England Patriots 46-10 in Super Bowl 20. Their on-field dominance was matched by an off-field swagger that earned them pop-culture fame reaching far beyond traditional NFL supporters. “They changed the laws of football,” former US President Barack Obama — who calls Chicago home — said of the team.

They were fun-loving.” For Ditka, born Michael Dyczko in the Pittsburgh-area town of Carnegie, Pennsylvania, on October 18, 1939, grit, guts and hard work had long been the keys to gridiron success. “There’s more to winning than just wanting to,” Ditka once said. “You have to prove yourself every Sunday.

“Just throwing your helmet on the field doesn’t scare anyone. “There’s no more empty feeling in the world than losing.” Drafted fifth overall by the Bears in 1961, Ditka introduced a new dimension to the tight end position long the preserve of talented blockers. He was among the first tight ends to emerge as a significant pass receiving threat, punishing opposing defenses with 56 catches for 1,076 yards and 12 touchdowns in his Rookie of the Year ’61 season.

In 1964, he caught 75 passes — a season record for tight ends that lasted until 1980. He earned All-NFL honors four straight seasons from 1961 through 1964 and was a Pro Bowl choice after each of his first five seasons. Ditka finished his 12-year playing career with 427 receptions for 5,812 yards and 43 touchdowns and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame as a player in 1988.

By then, he had left Chicago and returned in triumph. After a falling out with Chicago owner-coach George Halas, Ditka was traded to the Eagles in 1967, and finished his playing career with Dallas. His best campaign with the Cowboys came in 1971, when they won their first Super Bowl title.