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Mike Ditka (born October 18, 1939, in Aliquippa,
Pennsylvania) is a former NFL player, coach, and
television commentator best known for his 11-year
stint as head coach of the Chicago Bears. He is
the only person to have won a Super Bowl as a
player, assistant coach, and head coach; and was
the only participant in the Chicago Bears two
championships in the modern era, as a player in
1963 and as head coach in 1985.

Player

After an All-American senior season at Pitt in
1960, Ditka was drafted to play tight end by the
Bears. His presence was immediately felt. In his
first season, Ditka had 56 receptions, introducing
a new dimension to a tight end position that had
previously been dedicated to blocking. His success
earned him NFL Rookie of the Year honors. He
continued to play for the Bears for the next five
years, earning a Pro Bowl trip each season. He
played on the 1963 NFL championship team. Many of
the players from that team, including Ditka, were
drafted by asst. coach George Allen, a future hall
of famer, who was then in charge of the Bears
drafts. Ditka was traded to the Philadelphia
Eagles in 1967, where he spent two seasons, before
being shipped off to the Dallas Cowboys in 1969.
He spent four seasons with the Cowboys,
highlighted by a touchdown reception in the
Cowboys' 24-3 victory over the Miami Dolphins in
Super Bowl VI.

In 1988, his fearsome blocking and 427 career
receptions earned him the honor of being the first
tight-end ever inducted into the Pro Football Hall
of Fame. Mike Ditka is a member of the Sigma Chi
Fraternity.


Coach
Mike Ditka as a player
Enlarge
Mike Ditka as a player

Retiring after the 1972 season, Ditka was
immediately hired as an assistant coach by
Cowboys' head coach Tom Landry. Ditka spent nine
seasons as an assistant coach with the Cowboys.
During his tenure, the Cowboys made the playoffs
eight times, won six division titles and three NFC
Championships, including the one preceding their
Super Bowl victory in 1977.

In 1982, Ditka left the Cowboys to become head
coach of the luckless Bears. Reversing the Bears'
pitiful record of only two winning seasons in the
previous nineteen, Ditka led the Bears to six NFC
Central titles and three trips to the NFC
Championship. Ditka's coaching career hit its
pinnacle in 1986 with a 46-10 trouncing of the New
England Patriots in Super Bowl XX. Football
commentators widely regard the Bears defense in
1986 as one of the best ever.

He was awarded Coach of the Year honors in 1985
and 1988 by The Sporting News, the Associated
Press, and pro football writers.

He left the Bears in 1992. Four years later, he
returned to coach the New Orleans Saints, which he
refers to as the "3 worst years" of his life.
Over a total of 14 seasons as a head coach, Ditka
amassed a record of 127-101-0.


Broadcaster

After leaving the Bears in 1992, Ditka took a
broadcasting job with NBC, working as an analyst
on NFL Live and as a color commentator for many
other NBC broadcasts. From the 2000 to the 2001
season he was a studio analyst on The NFL Today on
CBS Sports. He is currently a commentator on ESPN
NFL Live. Ditka has appeared in countless
commercials and has done guest spots and cameos on
shows from L.A. Law to Saturday Night Live. In
2005, Ditka portrayed himself in the comedy
Kicking and Screaming.


Politics

In July 2004, Ditka was reportedly considering
running against Democrat Barack Obama for an open
seat in the U.S. Senate for Illinois in the 2004
Senate election. This seat was being vacated by
Peter Fitzgerald, a Republican. On July 14,
however, Ditka announced he would not seek the
nomination, citing personal and business
considerations (his wife was against the run and
he operates a chain of restaurants). Barack Obama
went on to defeat former ambassador Alan Keyes in
the November 2004 election.


Philosophy

Ditka is known in the sports world for his gritty
approach to winning and a fiery temper. Mike leads
by his code word ACE: Attitude, Character and
Enthusiasm.

Documented Ditka witticisms include:

    * "Success isn’t measured by money or power
or social rank. Success is measured by your
discipline and inner peace."
    * "Attack always."
    * "If you’re not in the parade, you watch the
parade. That’s life."
    * "You're never a loser until you quit
trying."