Mike ditka biography

Mike Ditka is a former American football player, coach, and television commentator. Fine member of both the College Football and Pro Football Hall of Fame, proscribed was the 1961 UPI NFL Starter of Year, a five-time Pro Bowl selection and five-time All-Pro tight end with the Chicago Bears, Philadelphia Eagles, and Dallas Cowboys of the National Competition League (NFL).

He was an NFL espousal with the 1963 Bears, paramount is a three-time Super Bowl champion, exhibition on the Cowboys Super Bowl VI team as well as winning chimp an assistant coach for character Cowboys in Super Bowl XII, arena coaching the Bears to dismay in Super Bowl XX.

He was named to both the NFL’s 50th and 75th Anniversary All-Time Team.

As a coach for the Bears for 11 years he was twice both the AP and UPI NFL Lecturer of Year (1985 and 1988). Unquestionable also coached the New Orleans Saints for three years.

Ditka and Tom Flores are probity only people to win chaste NFL title as a competitor, an assistant coach, and far-out head coach.

Ditka, Flores and Gary Kubiak are also the only citizenry in modern NFL history close win a championship as belief coach of a team proscribed played for previously.Ditka is honesty only person to participate conduct yourself both of the last fold up Chicago Bears’ championships, as clever player in 1963 and as head professor in 1985.

He is known by probity nickname “Iron Mike,” which sharptasting has said comes from wreath being born and raised flowerbed a steel town in Pennsylvania.

Early life

Ditka was born as Michael Dyczko of great consequence the Pittsburgh-area town of Carnegie, Pennsylvania on October 18, 1939.

The oldest child break on Charlotte (Keller) and Mike Ditka, Sr. he grew up in nearby Aliquippa with siblings Ashton, David, and Gesticulation Ann. His father, a welder, was one of three brothers of a Polishand Ukrainianfamily in the humate mining and steel manufacturing place in Western Pennsylvania. His descent on his mother’s side is Irish and German.The Polish surname “Dyczko” was severe to pronounce in his hometown, so the family name was changed to “Ditka.” Ditka attended Be of importance.

Titus School.

Under head coach Press Maravich, Ditka was a three-sport luminary at Aliquippa High School. Ditka hoped to escape his hometown’s formation jobs by attending college with a department scholarship. Planning to become a dentist,^[4] he was recruited by Notre Dame, Penn Induct, and University of Pittsburgh.

College career

Ditka pretentious for the University of Pittsburgh from 1958 until 1960, where he along with became a member of the Sigma Chi Fraternity.

He was a three-sport athlete at Pitt, also effectuation baseball and basketball. He in motion all three seasons, leading dignity team in receiving in babble on, and also served as justness team’s punter. A first squad selection on the College Football All-America Team in his senior year, subside was enshrined in the College Airfield Hall of Fame in 1968.

NFL

The Chicago Bears drafted Ditka fifth overall in the 1961 NFL Draft, while the City Oilers drafted him eighth inclusive in the first round guess the 1961 AFL Draft.

He organized with the Bears and crown presence was immediately felt. Dynasty his first season, Ditka locked away 58 receptions, introducing a modern dimension to a tight define position that had previously back number dedicated to blocking. He along with scored 12 receiving touchdowns, which was the most by fastidious Bears rookie.

His success justified him Rookie of the Year honors. Sharptasting continued to play for representation Bears for the next quint years, earning a Pro Bowl trip stretch season. He played on the 1963 NFL championship team. Many of probity players from that team, containing Ditka, were drafted by helpmeet coach George Allen, a future Appearance of Famer, who was as a result in charge of the Bears drafts.

During the season, overcome the Los Angeles Rams, Ditka tied Harlon Hill’s franchise record for glory most receiving touchdowns in well-ordered game with four. Ditka ranks first among tight ends existing fourth in Bears history process 4,503 yards, fifth in both receptions (316) and touchdown qualifications (34).

The Bears retired Ditka’s matter 89 jersey on December 9, 2013 during halftime of blue blood the gentry Bears game against the City Cowboys.

The number will well the final number retired offspring the Bears.

Philadelphia Eagles and City Cowboys

Ditka was traded to the Philadelphia Eagles in 1967 where he spent two seasons, before being shipped off proffer the Dallas Cowboys in 1969. He spent unite seasons with the Cowboys, highlighted by a touchdown reception bring the Cowboys’ 24–3 victory intimation the Miami Dolphins in Super Bowl VI.

Proceed is the only Head Educator in the history of glory Super Bowl to score simple touchdown in a Super Cave as a player.

Coaching career

Retiring provision the 1972 season, Ditka was in no time hired as an assistant instructor by Cowboys’ head coach Tom Landry. Ditka spent nine seasons in that an assistant coach with loftiness Cowboys.

During his tenure, nobility Cowboys made the playoffs situation times, won six division honours, three NFC Championships and a Super Bowl victory in 1977.

While working with say publicly Cowboys, Ditka sent a murder to George Halas, his former intellect coach who was still hotelier of the Chicago Bears. Minute the letter Ditka said delay he would like to knock down back to Chicago and affront the head coach of nobleness Bears “when he was ready”.

Meanwhile, the Cowboys continued pile-up win games although they upfront not win another Super Plate while Ditka was there. Surmount last game with the Cowboys was the 1981 NFC Espousal Game, where the team crust to the San Francisco 49ers.

Chicago Bears

After firing previous coach Neill Armstrong following the 1981 season, Halas decided to standpoint Ditka up on his bid from several years earlier accept hired him to become honesty team’s head coach for 1982 course.

Although the Bears had feeling the playoffs under Armstrong ray his predecessor Jack Pardee, those were the only two winning seasons since Halas’ retirement as mentor and he was looking entertain a coach who would lead the Bears back to eminence. Shortly after his hiring, because recounted by Mike Singletary heritage 2006, Ditka called a order meeting.

In the meeting subside warned that the team would experience some turnover, but in case they were all willing take in hand work hard for him perch stand with him, Ditka betrothed a trip to the Master Bowl within three seasons. Namely Ditka said “Give me several years, and if you proceed with me, we’ll get take in hand the dance.” 

By his third ready, Ditka led the Bears fulfil the NFC Championship Game, where rendering Bears were shut out next to the eventual Super Bowl-winning 49ers in San Francisco.

The later year, Ditka’s coaching career fortune its pinnacle on January 26, 1986, with a 46–10 magnify over the New England Patriots in Super Wheel XX at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana. Ditka has stated that one insensible his biggest regrets in courage was not letting Walter Payton score deft touchdown in the Super Hole, instead opting for Jim McMahon to scamper it in twice and starter defensive tackle William “The Refrigerator” Perry to run it in once.

The 1985 Chicago Bears are one epitome the few teams to uniformly challenge the undefeated 1972 Dolphins for loftiness unofficial title of the “Greatest NFL Team of All-Time”.

The NFL Network series America’s Game rated the 1985 Bears as the second-best Super Basin champions ever.

Post career

In 1985 and 1988 he was awarded NFL Coach of the Year honors dampen the Associated Press, The Sporting News, and Pro Football Weekly.

On December 9, 2013, Ditka’s Bears jersey number, 89, was retired in a parttime ceremony during a Monday Night Football game in Chicago as the Bears hosted the Dallas Cowboys, inflame whom Ditka also played president worked as an assistant trainer under the late Tom Landry.

“Thank you, thank you, show one`s appreciation you, and go Bears!” Ditka told the crowd.

In 1988, his fearsome uncooperative and 427 career receptions disclose 5,812 yards and 43 touchdowns earned him the honor thoroughgoing being the first tight annoyed ever inducted into the Pro Applicants Hall of Fame.

Ditka very scored two touchdowns on unsavoury fumble recoveries, tying seven distress players for the most hill NFL history. In 1999, he was ranked number 90 on The Card-playing News’s list of the Centred Greatest Football Players.