Mike Ditka's Greatest Bears Victories as Player and Coach Go Well Beyond Super Bowl XX

The NFL world lost a legend Friday. Former head coach of the Chicago Bears and winner of Super Bowl XX Mike Ditka died at the age of 86, according to a statement from his family.

Ditka was a larger-than-life figure with a personality that could fill Soldier Field on its own. Even to this day, over 40 years since he delivered Chicago its first and only Super Bowl title, hundreds of fans dress up like him on game day. His iconic sweater vest, aviator sunglasses and epic mustache are seen everywhere at Soldier Field on Sundays, and I don't doubt that we'll continue to see these lookalikes for many more decades to come.

Even among a franchise as storied as the Chicago Bears, a team that dates back to the very start of the NFL and has featured some of the all-time greatest players and coaches, Ditka stands out as a true legend of the game, and not just for his Super Bowl triumph. As we remember an all-time great player, head coach, and person, let's relive a few of Ditka's greatest victories.

1. Greatness from the beginning

Chicago Bears rookie TE Mike Ditka on the sideline during a game. Mandatory Credit: David Boss-USA TODAY Sports © Copyright David Boss | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The story of the NFL simply cannot be told without Ditka, who displayed greatness from the very beginning of his career. In 1961, Ditka set an NFL record for the most receiving yards (1,076) in a season by a rookie tight end, a record that stood for 63 years until Brock Bowers broke it in 2024. An asterisk is needed, however, since Ditka did it in 14 games rather than 17 like Bowers.

Additionally, Ditka caught 12 touchdown passes in his rookie season, and that record still stands to this day. Sam LaPorta and Rob Gronkowski are tied for second place with 10 touchdowns in their rookie seasons, 2023 and 2010, respectively. Again it must be noted that Ditka did this in only 14 games.

2. 1984 Divisional Playoffs vs. Washington Redskins

Washington Redskins WR Calvin Muhammad is defended by Chicago Bears DB Mike Richardson during the 1984 NFC Divisional Playoff game. Mandatory Credit: Manny Rubio-USA TODAY Sports | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

While Ditka's career as head coach of the Bears didn't start well, he brought the team back to relevancy in just his third season by picking up the Bears' first playoff win of the Super Bowl era. In the divisional round of the 1984 NFL playoffs, the Bears defeated the defending NFC champions, the Washington Redskins, at RFK Stadium. Ditka's team took a 10-3 lead into halftime and turned it into a 16-3 lead on the second play of the third quarter. Washington did trim the lead to six, but they couldn't complete the comeback.

For the Bears fans who weren't alive to witness that game, they got a taste of how important that win was to the franchise after watching the Bears' miraculous wild-card win over the Green Bay Packers last season. That win ended a drought of 15 years without a playoff win, and it came in dramatic fashion, to boot.

3. 1985 NFC Championship Game

Mike Ditka and Jim McMahon — Chicago Bears head coach Mike Ditka talks to quarterback Jim McMahon. Mandatory Credit: Manny Rubio-USA TODAY Sports | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

While the Bears' 1985 season is best remembered for their 46-10 shellacking of the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XX, it was their previous game that was potentially even more impressive. Facing the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC Championship, the Bears won 24-0, holding Rams quarterback Dieter Brock to just 10 completions on 31 pass attempts. Even more impressive, they held future Hall of Fame running back Eric Dickerson to only 46 rushing yards on 17 carries.

Holding any NFL team to zero points is an incredible feat. Doing it in back-to-back games, in the playoffs against very good teams, no less, is the stuff of legends. And that's exactly who Mike Ditka was.

4. Second Coach of the Year Award

Going back to 1957, when the AP NFL Coach of the Year award was first created, only 14 coaches have won it more than once, and Ditka joined this exclusive club in 1988. Ditka led the Bears to a 12-4 record that year, their fifth straight NFC Central division championship, and he did it all despite suffering a heart attack during the season.

The Bears' season that year ended with a brutal 28-3 loss in the NFC Championship game to the eventual Super Bowl champion San Francisco 49ers. However, that did not diminish Ditka's great accomplishments that season, and he earned his second AP NFL Coach of the Year award, just three years after winning his first one.

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