Mike Ditka facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Mike Ditka

Ditka in 2008
No. 89, 98
Position:	Tight end
Personal information
Born:	(1939-10-18) October 18, 1939 (age 85) Carnegie, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Height:	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Weight:	228 lb (103 kg)
Career information
High school:	Aliquippa (Aliquippa, Pennsylvania)
College:	Pittsburgh (1958–1960)
NFL Draft:	1961 / Round: 1 / Pick: 5
AFL draft:	1961 / Round: 1 / Pick: 8
Career history
As player:
Chicago Bears (1961) Philadelphia Eagles (1967) Dallas Cowboys (1969)
As coach:
Dallas Cowboys (1973) Assistant head coach & special teams coordinator Chicago Bears (1982) Head coach New Orleans Saints (1997) Head coach
Career highlights and awards
As a player Super Bowl champion (VI) NFL champion (1963) NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year (1961) 2× First-team All-Pro (1963, 1964) 3× Second-team All-Pro (1962, 1965–1966) 5× Pro Bowl (1961–1965) NFL 75th Anniversary All-Time Team NFL 100th Anniversary All-Time Team Chicago Bears No. 89 retired 100 greatest Bears of All-Time Unanimous All-American (1960) 2× First-team All-Eastern (1959, 1960) Pittsburgh Panthers No. 89 retired 2× Super Bowl champion (XII, XX) 2× NFL Coach of the Year (1985, 1988)
Career NFL statistics
Receptions: 427 Receiving yards: 5,812 Receiving touchdowns: 43
Head coaching record
Regular season:	121–95 (.560)
Postseason:	6–6 (.500)
Career:	127–101 (.557)
Player stats at PFR
Coaching stats at PFR
Pro Football Hall of Fame
College Football Hall of Fame

Michael Keller Ditka (born October 18, 1939), also known as "Iron Mike," is a famous American football player, coach, and TV commentator. He was the first tight end in NFL history to gain over 1,000 receiving yards in his first year. Ditka was a five-time Pro Bowl player and six-time All-Pro tight end for the Chicago Bears, Philadelphia Eagles, and Dallas Cowboys.

He won an NFL championship with the Bears in 1963. He also won three Super Bowls: once as a player for the Cowboys, once as an assistant coach for the Cowboys, and once as the head coach for the Chicago Bears. He is one of only two people to win a Super Bowl as a player, assistant coach, and head coach. Ditka is also the only person to be part of both of the Chicago Bears' last two league championships, first as a player in 1963 and then as head coach in 1985. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1986 and the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1988.

Early Life and College

Mike Ditka was born Michael Dyczko on October 18, 1939, in Carnegie, Pennsylvania, near Pittsburgh. He was the oldest of four children. His family later changed their last name to "Ditka" because "Dyczko" was hard for people in their hometown to say.

Ditka went to Aliquippa High School. He was a star in three sports: football, baseball, and basketball. He hoped to go to college on a football scholarship to avoid working in manufacturing jobs like his father. He was recruited by top college teams like Notre Dame, Penn State, and Pitt.

He chose to play football for the University of Pittsburgh from 1958 to 1960. He was a three-sport athlete there, also playing baseball and basketball. In football, he started all three seasons and led the team in receiving each year. He also played as a linebacker, defensive end, and punter.

In his senior year, he was named a team captain. He was chosen as a unanimous first-team All-American player. In 1986, Ditka was honored by being added to the College Football Hall of Fame. His jersey number 89 was retired by the University of Pittsburgh in 1997.

Playing Career

Chicago Bears (1961–1966)

The 1961 Chicago Bears offensive line in action, with Ditka visible on far left

Ditka's 1963 Topps card

The Chicago Bears picked Mike Ditka fifth overall in the 1961 NFL draft. He quickly made a big impact. In his first season, Ditka had 58 receptions and 12 touchdowns. This was a new record for a Bears rookie. He was named the NFL Rookie of the Year.

Ditka played for the Bears for five more years. He went to the Pro Bowl every season during this time. He was part of the 1963 NFL championship team. Many players from that team were drafted by assistant coach George Allen.

In 1962, he had 58 catches for 904 yards. In 1963, he led the team with 59 catches for 794 yards and eight touchdowns. Ditka ranks fourth in Bears history for receiving yards (4,503) and fifth for receptions (316) and touchdown catches (34) among all players.

After the 1966 season, Ditka left the Bears. He had played out his contract and could not agree on a new one with the team's owner and coach, George Halas.

Philadelphia Eagles (1967–1968)

In 1967, Ditka was traded to the Philadelphia Eagles. He wore number 98 in his first year with the Eagles. Injuries limited him to playing in only nine games. He had 26 catches for 274 yards and two touchdowns.

In 1968, he changed his jersey back to his usual number 89. He played in 11 games but had fewer catches. He recorded 13 receptions for 111 yards and two touchdowns.

Dallas Cowboys (1969–1972)

In 1969, Ditka was traded to the Dallas Cowboys. He was a reserve player behind Pettis Norman, but still played in 12 games. He made 17 catches for 268 yards and three touchdowns.

In 1970, he remained a backup. The Cowboys reached their first Super Bowl that year, but lost to the Baltimore Colts.

In 1971, Ditka was a backup again. He set a team record for tight ends with 30 receptions. He also scored a touchdown in the Cowboys' 24–3 victory over the Miami Dolphins in Super Bowl VI.

In 1972, he became the starting tight end. He played all 14 games and had 17 catches for 198 yards and one touchdown. On March 1, 1973, Ditka announced he was retiring as a player. He then became an assistant coach for the Cowboys. At that time, his 427 career receptions were the most by a tight end in NFL history.

Hall of Fame

In 1988, Mike Ditka was the first tight end to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He was honored for his strong blocking and his 427 career receptions, 5,812 yards, and 43 touchdowns. In 1999, The Sporting News ranked him number 90 on their list of the 100 Greatest Football Players.

NFL Career Statistics

Regular Season

Postseason

Coaching Career

After retiring as a player in 1972, Ditka became an assistant coach for the Dallas Cowboys. He spent nine seasons with the Cowboys. During this time, the team made the playoffs eight times and won Super Bowl XII in 1977.

Chicago Bears Head Coach (1982–1992)

In 1982, George Halas, the Bears' owner and Ditka's former coach, hired him as the head coach. Ditka promised the team a Super Bowl trip within three seasons.

In 1984, the Bears reached the NFC Championship Game. The next year, in 1985, Ditka's coaching career reached its peak. The Bears won Super Bowl XX with a 46–10 victory over the New England Patriots. Ditka led the Bears to a 15–1 record that season. He was named NFL Coach of the Year.

The 1985 Bears defense is considered one of the best ever. The defensive coordinator was Buddy Ryan. Ditka and Ryan often disagreed, but they worked together to win the Super Bowl. After the Super Bowl win, players famously carried both Ryan and Ditka off the field.

In 1986, Ryan left to coach the Philadelphia Eagles. Ditka continued to lead the Bears to success. They won their division title in 1986, 1987, and 1988. In 1988, Ditka suffered a heart attack but quickly returned to coaching. He led the Bears to a 12–4 record and earned his second Coach of the Year award.

The Bears made the playoffs as a wild card in 1990 and 1991. After a tough 5–11 season in 1992, Ditka was fired on January 5, 1993. His 106 wins are the second-most in Bears history, after Halas. In 2013, the Bears retired Ditka's number 89 jersey during a game.

New Orleans Saints Head Coach (1997–1999)

After a few years as a TV analyst, Ditka returned to coaching in 1997. He became the head coach for the New Orleans Saints. The Saints had not had a winning season since 1992.

In Ditka's first season (1997), the Saints finished with a 6–10 record. In 1998, they started 3–0 but couldn't keep up the winning. They ended the season 6–10 again.

In 1999, Ditka made a big trade. He traded all of the Saints' 1999 draft picks and their first-round pick in 2000 to get running back Ricky Williams. This trade was criticized, especially after a magazine cover showed Ditka and Williams in a wedding dress.

The 1999 season was Ditka's toughest as a coach. The Saints finished with a 3–13 record. Ditka was fired on January 6, 2000. Overall, as a head coach, Ditka had a regular-season record of 121 wins and 95 losses.

Head Coaching Record

Broadcasting Career

After leaving the Bears in 1993, Ditka became a football analyst for NBC. He worked on NFL Live and was a color commentator. After being fired by the Saints, he joined CBS Sports. He was a studio analyst for The NFL Today in 2000 and 2001.

He is currently a commentator for ESPN's NFL Live and Sunday NFL Countdown. He also works on CBS Radio–Westwood One's Monday Night Football pregame show. He is known as "America's Coach" on his radio show.

In 2016, Ditka moved to a new role with ESPN. He now does remote analysis for SportsCenter. This allows him to work from home.

Other Ventures

Ditka presenting a keynote speech in Chicago in 2010

Mike Ditka has written several books since 1986. These include his autobiography, Ditka: An Autobiography, and The 85 Bears: We Were the Greatest. He has also been the subject of other books.

In 1987, Ditka released a music video called "The Grabowski Shuffle." It was inspired by his comment that his team were "Grabowskis," meaning hard workers.

He also worked on computer games like Mike Ditka Ultimate Football (1991) and Mike Ditka Power Football (1991). In 1995, he starred in a video game called Quarterback Attack with Mike Ditka.

Ditka has appeared as himself in TV shows like Cheers, According to Jim, L.A. Law, and Saturday Night Live. In the 2005 movie Kicking & Screaming, he played himself as a little league soccer coach.

He has also appeared in many commercials. In 2015, he was in McDonald's ads. He even wore a Green Bay Packers sweater vest in one, which some fans joked "jinxed" the Packers.

In 2001, Ditka was inducted into the National Polish-American Sports Hall of Fame. He has also been involved in charity work, especially for former NFL players needing financial and medical help.

Ditka owns a chain of restaurants called "Ditka's" in Illinois and Pennsylvania. He also partnered with Terlato Wines to create his own collection of wines. In 2013, he partnered with Vienna Beef to make "Ditka Sausages."

Personal Life

Mike Ditka was married to his first wife, Marge, from 1961 to 1973. They had four children: Mark, Matt, Mike, and Megan. He married his current wife, Diane, in 1977.

He suffered a heart attack during the 1988 football season. In 2012, he had a minor stroke. In November 2018, he was hospitalized after another heart attack while playing golf.

Ditka is a practicing Roman Catholic. He is also a member of the Knights of Columbus.

Political Views

Ditka is known for his conservative political views. In 2004, he considered running for a U.S. Senate seat in Illinois. He decided not to run, partly because his wife was against it. The seat was eventually won by Barack Obama. Ditka has since said he regrets not running. He has also been a vocal supporter of Donald Trump.

Some of Ditka's comments about social issues have caused discussion. In 2017, he criticized Colin Kaepernick's national anthem protests. He said, "Anybody who disrespects this country and the flag... get the hell out." He also said he didn't see "all the atrocities going on in this country." In 2018, he stated he didn't believe there had been "any oppression in the last 100 years." He later clarified his remarks, apologizing if he offended anyone and stating he is against discrimination.