Mike Ditka, the quintessential Chicago Bear and a Pro Football Hall of Famer, dies at 86
In this Jan. 26, 1986, file photo, Chicago Bears coach Mike Ditka is carried off the field by Steve McMichael, left, and William Perry after the Bears defeated the New England Patriots 46-10 in NFL football's Super Bowl XX in New Orleans. Willie Gault (83) and Maury Buford (8) join the celebration. (AP Photo/Phil Sandlin, File)
CHICAGO (AP) — Mike Ditka, who personified the toughness and grit of Chicago in a Hall of Fame career as a player and coach of the Bears and the leader of arguably the most dominant team in NFL history, has died. He was 86.
Ditka's family announced the death on Friday in a statement.