Mike Ditka, Hall of Fame tight end and Bears’ Super Bowl-winning coach, dies at age 86

Mike Ditka, a Hall of Fame tight end and the coach of the Chicago Bears' only Super Bowl championship team, has died at the age of 86, his family announced on Friday.

Ditka's long list of accomplishments includes being a member of both the College and Pro Football Hall of Fame, the 1961 NFL Offensive Player of the Year and a two-time NFL Coach of the Year. The first tight end inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Ditka's No. 89 has been retired by the Bears.

"It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved husband, father, grandfather, and friend, Mike Ditka," his family said in a statement. "While the world knew Mike as a Hall of Fame football player, legendary coach, and leader of the Chicago Bears' Super Bowl XX championship team, we knew him as the heart of our family.

"Mike will be missed beyond measure and remembered forever."

Ditka was raised in Aliquippa, Pennsylvania, the same area that produced fellow Hall of Famers Tony Dorsett, Ty Law and Darrelle Revis. He went to the University of Pittsburgh, aspiring to be a dentist. It quickly became clear, however, that football would become…

Original source: https://www.cbssports.com/