Mike Ditka, the Pro Football Hall of Fame tight end and coach who became one of the defining figures in Chicago Bears history, has died at 86. His family announced his death Friday.
Ditka helped redefine the tight end position as a player and later coached the Bears to the Super Bowl XX championship. In 1988, he became the first player primarily recognized as a tight end to enter the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
For Chicago, Ditka’s legacy extended beyond results. His public identity became tied to the city’s preferred image of football: physical, direct, and unapologetic.