Mike Ditka: Legendary coach, Hall of Fame TE dies at 86

The legendary Mike Ditka has died at the age of ​86, his family announced on ‌Friday.

The news of Dikta's death was shared on social media by Jarrett Payton, son of Hall of Fame running back Walter Payton, who played for Ditka in Chicago.

A cause of death was not immediately announced.

Mike Ditka suffered a minor stroke in 2012 at age 73 when he was playing cards at a suburban country club.

Ditka suffered a heart attack while coaching the Bears in 1988 but returned to work within a week.

Here’s a statement from the family: It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved husband, father, grandfather, and friend, Mike Ditka. 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. With love and gratitude, The Ditka Family

Ditka was the first ​tight end to be ​inducted into the Pro Football ⁠Hall of Fame and later ​led the Bears to a ​Lombardi Trophy in Super Bowl XX.

Paying tribute to the legend, a fan shared his famous quote on X:  "To succeed in life you gotta have three main things. The first is attitude: That's basically the only thing you can control. If you have a bad attitude, you're not gonna do very well when you get a chance. The second is character: what you stand for, what you believe in, knowing right from wrong. And then there's enthusiasm: You have to like what you do.

You have to make a commitment to what you're doing. If you don't like something, then heck, don't do it--don't do it! If you settle for defeat, you're gonna be defeated. If you settle for mediocrity, you're gonna be mediocre. If you're gonna play, you gotta play to win."