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NFL icon and former Chicago Bears coach Mike Ditka has died aged 86.<\/b><\/p>\n
Ditka coached the Bears to the Super Bowl XX title in 1986 and was the first tight end to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.<\/p>\n
His family confirmed the news in a statement, but no cause of death was given.<\/p>\n
“It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved husband, father, grandfather, and friend, Mike Ditka,” said a Ditka family statement. <\/p>\n
“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. <\/p>\n
“Mike will be missed beyond measure and remembered forever.”<\/p>\n
Ditka was the fifth overall pick of the 1961 draft when he joined the Bears as a player and he spent six years with the franchise before spells at the Philadelphia Eagles and the Dallas Cowboys.<\/p>\n
He helped the Cowboys win their first Super Bowl in 1972, scoring the final touchdown in a 24-3 win against the Miami Dolphins.<\/p>\n
Ditka enjoyed a 12-year playing career, with 427 receptions for 5,812 yards and 43 touchdowns, before retiring at the end of the 1972 season.<\/p>\n
He was assistant coach at the Cowboys when they won the 1978 Super Bowl and went on to become Chicago Bears head coach in 1982.<\/p>\n
Ditka created a dominant side which had a 15-1 record during the 1985-86 regular season before he led them to victory against the New England Patriots to win Super Bowl XX.<\/p>\n
“Mike’s impact on the Chicago Bears organisation, over decades as a player, coach, and proud icon and ambassador for our organisation, is immeasurable,” said a Bears statement. <\/p>\n
“His integral role in bringing world championships to our city and our franchise, both as a player and as our coach, established prominence and excellence at a world-class level, but also created a lifetime of cherished memories in the hearts and minds of Bears fans that will last for generations.”<\/p>\n
Hall of Famer Walter Payton played under Ditka and his son, Jarrett Payton, paid tribute to his father’s former coach. <\/p>\n
“Da Coach. Hall of Famer. The heartbeat of the ’85 Bears and a Super Bowl champion,” wrote Payton in a social media post.<\/p>\n
“Chicago won’t be the same.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n