Mike Ditka, the legendary former Chicago Bears coach and first tight end ever inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, has died at the age of 86, his family announced Friday.
Ditka rose to national prominence after leading the 1985 Bears, a team that boasted arguably the greatest defense in NFL history, to the franchise's only Super Bowl title.
"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.
Known for his fiery temper, Ditka often clashed with members of the 1985 team, including quarterback Jim McMahon and defensive coordinator Buddy Ryan, but the Bears cruised to a 15-1 regular-season record and easily defeated the New England Patriots 46-10 in Super Bowl XX.
Hired by his former coach and Bears founder George Halas in 1982, Ditka led the Bears to the playoffs seven times in his 11 seasons and played in the NFC Championship Game on three occasions.
The fifth overall pick of the 1961 NFL draft by the Bears, Ditka won Rookie of the Year after becoming the first tight end to surpass 1,000 receiving yards. He played six years for the Bears, two for the Philadelphia Eagles and four for the Dallas Cowboys.
Ditka was a member of the Bears' 1963 NFL championship team and the Cowboys' squad that won Super Bowl VI.
He was the first tight end enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, being inducted in 1988.
The Bears fired Ditka after the 1992 season, but he resurfaced with the New Orleans Saints in 1997. He was unable to replicate the success he had in Chicago, however, going 15-33 in his three seasons in New Orleans.
Ditka's run in New Orleans is best remembered for the trade that brought running back Ricky Williams to the Saints. New Orleans gave eight draft picks, including two first-round selections, to Washington for the right to move up and draft Williams fifth overall in 1999.
Ditka and Williams famously appeared on a 1999 ESPN The Magazine cover. Ditka was in a wedding tuxedo alongside Williams, who wore a wedding gown, to symbolize their football marriage.
Ditka's short stint in New Orleans had no negative impact on his marketability. He became an icon in Chicago, opening several restaurants and endorsing a long list of products, including wine, cigars and sausages.
He starred in television commercials and appeared, as himself, in several television shows and in Will Ferrell's 2005 comedy "Kicking and Screaming."
"Saturday Night Live" even aired an ongoing skit titled "Bill Swerski's Superfans" that paid tribute to Ditka and "Da Bears."
After his coaching career, Ditka worked as an analyst, first at NBC and then for ESPN. He was a member of ESPN's "Sunday Morning Countdown" from 2006 to 2015.
A native of Aliquippa, Pennsylvania, Ditka, born Oct. 18, 1939, was a three-sport athlete (football, basketball and baseball) at Pitt who pursued a career in football after college.
As a tight end, Ditka led Pitt in receiving in each of his three seasons on varsity (1958-60) and was a unanimous All-America selection in 1960.
After his playing career, Ditka spent nine seasons as an assistant coach for Tom Landry in Dallas before Halas tabbed him to replace Neil Armstrong following the 1981 season.
Ditka suffered a pair of heart attacks, including one in 1988 while he was Bears coach, as well as a minor stroke in 2012.