NFL icon and former Chicago Bears coach Mike Ditka has died aged 86.
Ditka coached the Bears to the Super Bowl XX title in 1986 and was the first tight end to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
His family confirmed the news in a statement, but no cause of death was given.
“It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved husband, father, grandfather, and friend, Mike Ditka,” said a Ditka family 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 was the fifth overall pick of the 1961 draft when he joined the Bears as a player and he spent six years with the franchise before spells at the Philadelphia Eagles and the Dallas Cowboys.
He helped the Cowboys win their first Super Bowl in 1972, scoring the final touchdown in a 24-3 win against the Miami Dolphins.
Ditka enjoyed a 12-year playing career, with 427 receptions for 5,812 yards and 43 touchdowns, before retiring at the end of the 1972 season.
He was assistant coach at the Cowboys when they won the 1978 Super Bowl and went on to become Chicago Bears head coach in 1982.
Ditka created a dominant side which had a 15-1 record during the 1985-86 regular season before he led them to victory against the New England Patriots to win Super Bowl XX.
“Mike’s impact on the Chicago Bears organisation, over decades as a player, coach, and proud icon and ambassador for our organisation, is immeasurable,” said a Bears statement.
“His integral role in bringing world championships to our city and our franchise, both as a player and as our coach, established prominence and excellence at a world-class level, but also created a lifetime of cherished memories in the hearts and minds of Bears fans that will last for generations.”
Hall of Famer Walter Payton played under Ditka and his son, Jarrett Payton, paid tribute to his father’s former coach.
“Da Coach. Hall of Famer. The heartbeat of the ’85 Bears and a Super Bowl champion,” wrote Payton in a social media post.
“Chicago won’t be the same.”
