The NFL lost a giant on Friday with the passing of Mike Ditka. A Chicago icon, Ditka led the Bears to championships as both a player and a coach. He is just one of two men in history to win Super Bowls as a player, an assistant coach and as a head coach.
Ditka wasn't just a great player and coach. He was a legendary character who epitomized Chicago's tough, blue-collar spirit. He had a unique look, a fiery temper, and a humorous side that occasionally surfaced at press conferences.
That side of him famously came out in 1999, when he shared a magazine cover with Ricky Williams depicting a wedding. Ditka and the Saints' decision to trade a bounty of picks for Williams didn't work out, but most of Ditka's other football ventures did. Here's a look at his five greatest NFL moments.
Thanks for da memories, Coach 💙 pic.twitter.com/VITX0Dffzq After a meteoric rise in Chicago, Ditka's NFL career seemed to be coming to a close in 1969 following three disappointing seasons in Philadelphia. But Cowboys coach Tom Landry thought that Ditka still had some gas left in the tank. "You think you can still play football?" Ditka recalled Landry asking him over the phone.
"I think I can," Ditka said, to which Landry replied, "I hope you can, because I just traded for you." In hindsight, Landry did more than add years onto Ditka's playing career. Ditka ended his playing career on a high note, catching a touchdown pass in Super Bowl VI, the Cowboys' first Super Bowl win. He retired the following season and immediately joined Landry's staff as special teams and receivers coach.
Mike Ditka, Super Bowl VIThe legendary tight end hauled in a 7-yard touchdown from Roger Staubach to salt away the Dallas Cowboys' first Super Bowl championship.Iron Mike later made a nice 21-yard leaping snag on a crosser, and nearly scored again on a 17-yard end around. pic.twitter.com/ZPIezlZxvr Ditka won a second Super Bowl with the Cowboys in 1977, and in 1982, then-Bears owner George Halas felt that Ditka was ready to return to Chicago as the Bears' new head coach. Ditka's role on the Bears' 1963 championship team undoubtedly paved the way for his future success as both a player and a coach. That was the Bears' eighth and final NFL title under Halas, who passed away in 1983, a year after he hired Ditka as coach.
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