By MATT PIKE
Legendary former Chicago Bears head coach and the first tight end inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Mike Ditka, has died at 86 years old.
Ditka's family announed his passing on Friday. No cause of death was announced. Ditka rose to national prominence after leading the 1985 Bears, a team that boasted arguably the greatest defense in NFL history, to the franchise's only Super Bowl title. He was the first tight end to be enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, being inducted in 1988. Ditka was the fifth overall pick in the 1961 NFL Draft and won Rookie of the Year becoming the first tight end to surpass 1,000 receiving yards in a season.
"It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved husband, father, grandfather, and friend, Mike Ditka," his 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. Mike will be missed beyond measure and remembered forever."
Ditka played six years for the Bears, two for the Philadelphia Eagles and four for the Dallas Cowboys. He was a member of the Bears' 1963 NFL championship team and the Cowboys' squad that won Super Bowl VI. Hired by his former coach and Bears founder George Halas in 1982, Ditka led the Bears to the playoffs seven times in his 11 seasons and reached the NFC Championship Game on three occasions. Known for his fiery temper, Ditka often clashed with members of the 1985 team but the Bears cruised to a 15-1 regular-season record and easily defeated the New England Patriots 46-10 in Super Bowl XX.
The Bears fired Ditka after the 1992 season, but he resurfaced with the Saints in 1997. He was unable to replicate the success he had in Chicago, however, going 15-33 in his three seasons in New Orleans. After his coaching career, Ditka worked as an analyst, first at NBC and then for ESPN. He was a member of ESPN's "Sunday Morning Countdown" from 2006 to 2015.
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