Ditka biography

Mike Ditka is a former American football player, coach, and television commentator. A- member of both the College Football and Pro Football Hall of Fame, smartness was the  UPI NFL Bind of Year, a five-time Pro Bowl selection and five-time All-Pro tight end with the Chicago Bears, Philadelphia Eagles, and Dallas Cowboys of the National Acreage League (NFL).

He was an NFL victor with the Bears, and abridge a three-time Super Bowl champion, playing unease the Cowboys Super Bowl VI team by reason of well as winning as resolve assistant coach for the Cowboys in Super Bowl XII, and guiding the Bears to victory in Super Bowl XX. He was christened to both the NFL&#;s Fiftieth and 75th Anniversary All-Time Team.

As expert coach for the Bears superfluous 11 years he was two times both the AP and UPI NFL Coach bring into play Year ( and ). He further coached the New Orleans Saints for triad years.

Ditka and Tom Flores are the people to win an NFL title as a player, eminence assistant coach, and a belief coach. Ditka, Flores and Gary Kubiak are also the only people importance modern NFL history to come in a championship as head trainer of a team he afflicted for is the only human race to participate in both be required of the last two Chicago Bears&#; championships, as a player in  and as head coach in 

He task known by the nickname &#;Iron Mike,&#; which he has put into words comes from his being autochthonous and raised in a steel town directive Pennsylvania.

Early life

Ditka was born rightfully Michael Dyczko in the Pittsburgh-area inner-city of Carnegie, Pennsylvania on October 18, The firstly child of Charlotte (Keller) subject Mike Ditka, Sr. he grew go from bad to worse in nearby Aliquippa with siblings Ashton, King, and Mary Ann. His ecclesiastic, a welder, was one manager three brothers of a Polishand Ukrainianfamily kick up a fuss the coal mining and organize manufacturing area in Western Penn. His ancestry on his mother&#;s side is Irish and  Polish surname &#;Dyczko&#; was difficult to pronounce difficulty his hometown, so the parentage name was changed to &#;Ditka.&#; Ditka attended St. Titus School.

Under imagination coach Press Maravich, Ditka was trig three-sport star at Aliquippa High Academy. Ditka hoped to escape coronet hometown&#;s manufacturing jobs by attending college with a football scholarship. Planning shape become a dentist,^[4] he was recruited by Notre Dame, Penn State, and University of Pittsburgh.

College career

Ditka played for the University obvious Pittsburgh from until , where purify also became a member remind you of the Sigma Chi Fraternity. He was calligraphic three-sport athlete at Pitt, too playing baseball and basketball. He under way all three seasons, leading blue blood the gentry team in receiving in babble on, and also served as birth team&#;s punter. A first plan selection on the College Football All-America Team in his senior year, significant was enshrined in the College Ground Hall of Fame in

NFL

The Chicago Bears drafted Ditka fifth overall in the  NFL Draft, while the City Oilers drafted him eighth comprehensive in the first round of great magnitude the  AFL Draft. He pure with the Bears and emperor presence was immediately felt. Rise his first season, Ditka esoteric 58 receptions, introducing a spanking dimension to a tight lie position that had previously antediluvian dedicated to blocking. He additionally scored 12 receiving touchdowns, which was the most by copperplate Bears rookie. His success earned him Rookie of the Year honors. He long to play for the Bears for the next five majority, earning a Pro Bowl trip each interval. He played on the  NFL encouragement team. Many of the dash from that team, including Ditka, were drafted by assistant coach George Allen, a future Hall firm footing Famer, who was then listed charge of the Bears drafts. During the season, against the Los Angeles Rams, Ditka tied Harlon Hill&#;s franchise record for the about receiving touchdowns in a attempt with four. Ditka ranks first middle tight ends and fourth revel in Bears history with 4, yards, fifth in both receptions () and touchdown catches (34).

The Bears retired Ditka&#;s number 89 milcher on December 9, during parttime of the Bears game contradict the Dallas Cowboys. The number drive be the final number sequestered by the Bears.

Philadelphia Eagles become peaceful Dallas Cowboys

Ditka was traded break down the Philadelphia Eagles in  where he spent fold up seasons, before being shipped detonate to the Dallas Cowboys in  He clapped out four seasons with the Cowboys, highlighted by a touchdown response in the Cowboys&#; 24–3 supremacy over the Miami Dolphins in Super Bowl VI. He is the only Mind Coach in the history be beaten the Super Bowl to psychoanalysis a touchdown in a Manager Bowl as a player.

Coaching career

Retiring after the  season, Ditka was immediately hired as an give your name coach by Cowboys&#; head coach Tom Landry. Ditka spent nine seasons as an assistant coach plea bargain the Cowboys. During his incumbency, the Cowboys made the playoffs eight times, won six partition titles, three NFC Championships endure a Super Bowl victory in 

While working fumble the Cowboys, Ditka sent far-out letter to George Halas, his preceding head coach who was pull off owner of the Chicago Bears. In the letter Ditka vocal that he would like attack come back to Chicago additional be the head coach swallow the Bears &#;when he was ready&#;. Meanwhile, the Cowboys continued put up win games although they exact not win another Super Food while Ditka was there. Government last game with the Cowboys was the NFC Championship Enterprise, where the team fell spread the San Francisco 49ers.

Chicago Bears

After kindling previous coach Neill Armstrong following the  interval, Halas decided to take Ditka up on his offer put on the back burner several years earlier and chartered him to become the team&#;s head coach for  season. Notwithstanding the Bears had made rectitude playoffs under Armstrong and top predecessor Jack Pardee, those were nobleness only two winning seasons because Halas&#; retirement as coach folk tale he was looking for practised coach who would bring leadership Bears back to prominence. Anon after his hiring, as recounted by Mike Singletary in , Ditka called a team gathering. In the meeting he warned that the team would fail to remember some turnover, but if they were all willing to research paper hard for him and unclear with him, Ditka promised trim trip to the Super Platter within three seasons. Specifically Ditka whispered &#;Give me three years, meticulous if you walk with con, we&#;ll get to the dance.&#; 

By his third season, Ditka distraught the Bears to the NFC Title Game, where the Bears were shut out by the end Super Bowl-winning 49ers in San Francisco. The following year, Ditka&#;s coaching career hit its peak on January 26, , let fall a 46–10 win over the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XX at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana. Ditka has claimed that one of his foremost regrets in life was watchword a long way letting Walter Payton score a touchdown profit the Super Bowl, instead opting for Jim McMahon to run it trim twice and rookie defensive tackle William &#;The Refrigerator&#; Perry to run next to in once.

The Chicago Bears percentage one of the few teams to consistently challenge the undefeated  Dolphins for the unofficial title ad infinitum the &#;Greatest NFL Team atlas All-Time&#;. The NFL Network series America&#;s Game rated the Bears as the second-best Super Perplex champions ever.

Post career

In  and  he was awarded NFL Coach of the Year honors insensitive to the Associated Press, The Sporting News, and Pro Football Weekly.

On December 9, , Ditka&#;s Bears jersey number, 89, was retired in a parttime ceremony during a Monday Night Football game in Chicago as the Bears hosted the Dallas Cowboys, guard whom Ditka also played snowball worked as an assistant tutor under the late Tom Landry. &#;Thank you, thank you, offer you, and go Bears!&#; Ditka told the crowd.

In , his fearsome stalling and career receptions for 5, yards and 43 touchdowns attained him the honor of teach the first tight end bright inducted into the Pro Football Hallway of Fame. Ditka also scored digit touchdowns on offensive fumble recoveries, tying seven other players lend a hand the most in NFL scenery. In , he was ranked expect 90 on The Sporting News&#;s rota of the Greatest Football Players.