Mike Ditka’s former players have seemingly endless stories that capture the essence of who he was as a coach and a man. Those memories returned in a rush Friday when Ditka, who led the Bears to their only Super Bowl and towered as a Chicago icon, died at 86.
Hall of Fame defensive lineman Dan Hampton’s snapshot might speak the loudest, especially as the Bears are set to visit the archrival Packers on Sunday.
The teams actually played a preseason game against each other in 1984 at Milwaukee County Stadium. Logistics were challenging since it was a baseball facility, and both teams were on the same sideline. So Ditka stood at one 49-yard line and Packers coach Forrest Gregg stood at the other, and Ditka spent the entire game screaming profanities at his counterpart.
“He was the tip of the spear,” Hampton told the Sun-Times. “A lot of coaches say, ‘OK, do this, do this,’ and then they stand back and watch. Ditka was right there at the front.
“It was about us against you. Our team against you. Let’s go. It didn’t matter that it was preseason to Ditka.”
Ditka coached the Bears to a five-year run as the NFL’s most powerful force as they went 62-17 from 1984 through ’88, the peak being his 1985 championship team that won Super Bowl XX. It is the only Lombardi Trophy in franchise history, and no coach since has matched his dominance.
Playing for him was grueling, so much so that Hall of Fame linebacker Mike Singletary referred to him as “a real badass,” but it brought out their best. They learned the value of preparation, they worked relentlessly and they adopted his relentless ferocity.
“I didn’t realize how wonderful it was to be able to play for him until years after I retired and I got to see the full scope of all these different coaches,” Hampton said. “Nothing felt better than if we were playing against the 49ers and we go out and execute and we beat their ass, and then come into the locker room and he was like a proud father.”