NFL-Mike Ditka, Hall of Fame player and Bears coach, dies at 86

Oct 9 : Mike Ditka, a Pro Football Hall of Fame tight end best known as the slick-haired and mustachioed head coach who led the NFL's Chicago Bears to their only Super Bowl triumph in 1986, has died. He was 86.

Ditka's death was announced in a statement by his family on Friday. No cause of death was given.

"It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved husband, father, grandfather, and friend," Ditka's 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."

Revered in Chicago and famous nationwide as "Da Coach," Ditka was a blunt, straight-talking legend with a devoted following and restaurants bearing his name.

He also sold a number of products with his name on, including cigars, sausages and wine.

TRANSFORMED THE TIGHT END POSITION

As a player, Ditka revolutionized the tight end position and was a five-time Pro Bowl selection while playing with the Bears from 1961-66 before moving on to the Philadelphia Eagles and then the Dallas Cowboys, where he featured in the team's Super Bowl triumph in January 1972.

Selected fifth overall by the Bears in the 1961 NFL Draft, Ditka introduced a new dimension to the tight end position that once was viewed primarily as an assignment for a tough, talented blocker.

While Ditka, also affectionately known as "Iron Mike," was a superior blocker, he became one of the first tight ends to catch a large number of passes.

He earned Rookie of the Year honors after becoming the first tight end in NFL history to record 1,000 receiving yards in a season and went on to