Super Bowl-winning player and coach Ditka dies aged 86

NFL icon Mike Ditka, who coached the Chicago Bears to the Super Bowl XX title in 1986, dies aged 86. Ditka was head coach of the Chicago Bears when they won Super Bowl XX 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. 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