Mike Ditka, Hall of Fame TE and Coach of Cowboys, Bears, Dies at 86

Mike Ditka passed away at the age of 86 on Friday, his family announced.

Ditka, widely known as the iconic tight end and sweater-blazing head coach of the Chicago Bears, also spent four seasons with the Dallas Cowboys, where he first transitioned from a Hall of Fame player to an eventual Hall of Fame coach.

"It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved husband, father, grandfather, and friend, Mike Ditka," the 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."

Ditka, the player, was the first tight end ever to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He spent six seasons with the Bears, five times being named to an All-Pro team. After two seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles, Ditka spent his final four seasons with the Cowboys from 1969 to 1972.

Ditka was a member of Dallas' 1971 championship team, playing in all 14 games, starting four, and catching 30 passes for 360 yards and a touchdown. Roger Staubach found Ditka for a touchdown in the Cowboys' Super Bowl VI win over the Miami Dolphins.

As a Cowboy, Ditka totaled 72 receptions, 924 yards and five touchdowns in the regular season. He had 427 catches, 5,812 yards and 43 touchdowns in 12 seasons for his career.

He first began his coaching career as an assistant head coach and special teams coordinator in Dallas the year after he retired from playing, in 1973.

Ditka's next job was to head up his beloved Bears, where he would cement himself as an icon in the city of Chicago as the first - and still, only - player to win a league championship as a player and a head coach of the same franchise.

Coaching the Bears from 1982 to 1992, Ditka twice won the AP Coach of the Year award and added another Super Bowl to his resume by coaching the historic 1985 Bears, a squad that transcended the sport and is still acclaimed as one of the best in NFL history.

The Aliquippa, Penn., native finished his coaching career with a record of 121-95 after a stint with the New Orleans Saints.

Ditka transitioned into television and charmed fans with his extraordinary persona and signature mustache.

"'Iron Mike' brought an unrivaled level of toughness to an era already defined by physicality," said Hall of Fame president and CEO Jim Porter. "But he was also much more gifted as a pass catcher than many realized and became the ideal player for Coach George Halas to reimagine the tight end position. Mike brought competitiveness and a hard-nosed play style as he developed into a fantastic blocker and someone who could punish would-be tacklers on his receptions.

"He brought that same philosophy to his coaching, leading the famous 1985 team that paired one of the most vaunted and dominant defenses in NFL history with a top-ranked offense. Mike's captivating personality and leadership qualities will be preserved and celebrated forever in Canton."

"Mike Ditka epitomized football over so many years," said NFL commissioner Roger Goodell. "He brought intensity, authenticity, and an unmistakable personality to everything he did.

"Mike was a champion for taking care of those who helped build our game. We extend our deepest condolences to Diana and the Ditka family."