NFL Hall of Famer and Bears legend Steve ‘Mongo' McMichael dies at 67
An All-Pro in 1985 and 1987, McMichael was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2024. He played in a franchise-record 191 consecutive games from 1981 to 1993 and ranks second to Richard Dent on the Bears' career sacks list with 92.5. His final NFL season was with Green Bay in 1994.
McMichael's brash personality and willingness to say whatever was on his mind made him a perfect fit for pro wrestling. He began working for World Championship Wrestling in the 1990s at the height of the 'Monday Night Wars' with the World Wrestling Federation, starting as a color commentator and later joining Ric Flair in the 'Four Horsemen' group.
McMichael revealed in April 2021 that he had been diagnosed with ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease or motor neurone disease, which affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord, causing loss of muscle control.
'I promise you, this epitaph that I'm going to have on me now? This ain't ever how I envisioned this was going to end,' McMichael told the Chicago Tribune.
McMichael had been experiencing tingling in his arms for some time that he thought was a neck or spine issue stemming from his playing days or his work as a wrestler.
'He's scared to die and he shouldn't be because he's the most badass man I've ever known inside and out,' his wife, Misty McMichael, said his Hall of Fame induction in 2024. 'He's a good man. He's gonna be in heaven before any of us, so I don't know what he's afraid of. But I've told him to please hang on 'til the [induction] and then, you know, I don't want to see him suffer anymore. He's been suffering.'
McMichael was born in Houston and went on to a successful college career at Texas. The New England Patriots drafted McMichael in the third round in 1980. He didn't last long, appearing in six games as a rookie before getting released prior to his second season. McMichael would play hard on and off the field, getting in fights in practice and taking in Boston's nightlife afterward.
'They looked at me and said, 'Steve, we think you're the criminal element in the league. Get out,'' McMichael said in 2019.
The same traits that apparently led to a ticket out of New England were welcomed in Chicago. McMichael recalled walking into founder George Halas' office – 'It was like I was walking into a 1920 gangster movie and he was James Cagney' – when he signed with Chicago.
'Papa Bear' made it clear. 'You know what he said to me, guys?' McMichael said. 'I've heard what kind of dirty rat you are in practice. Don't change, Steve.'
His nasty demeanor and oversized personality made McMichael one of the most feared players on arguably the greatest defense ever assembled. But longtime friend Dave Siden remembered him as master storyteller and a generous man who would sign over his preseason paychecks to the team trainers as a token of appreciation and buy baskets of toys for children. Through McMichael, Siden met golfer Ben Crenshaw and went backstage at wrestling events.
'I knew him as one of the nicest, most giving friends you could have,' Siden said.
McMichael played alongside Hall of Famers Dent, Mike Singletary and Dan Hampton, and the 1985 Bears, led by their dominant defense, made their way to the franchise's lone Super Bowl championship. McMichael was an All-Pro that season with eight sacks.
He played 15 years in the NFL – 13 with Chicago before his final season with the rival Packers.
'Steve 'Mongo' McMichael was a Bears legend, and his courageous battle against ALS inspired us all,' the Bears posted on X. 'Our hearts go out to his family, friends and teammates.'
Pro Football Hall of Fame president and CEO Jim Porter said in a statement: 'Steve McMichael told everyone he would fight ALS with the same tenacity he showed for 15 seasons in the National Football League. And he did just that. Everyone who played with or against Steve shares the same opinion: No one battled longer or harder from the snap until the whistle than Steve the player.'
He and his first wife, Debra, divorced in 1998. He married the former Misty Davenport in 2001, and their daughter, Macy, was born in 2008.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
28 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Shirtless Tom Brady shows off ripped physique on yacht in Ibiza as NFL legend, 47, enjoys offseason vacation
Fox Sports analyst and seven-time Super Bowl champion quarterback Tom Brady was spotted enjoying himself in the sun off the coast of Spain. Brady was seen enjoying the rays and the waves on a yacht off the coast of the Spanish nightlife hotspot of Ibiza on Saturday. A shirtless Brady unknowingly flaunted his physique as he was seen with ripped muscles and wet hair on a gorgeous afternoon. On his Instagram story on Sunday, Brady showed a video of his friends jumping into a pool onboard the yacht while trying to dunk a basketball. Brady tagged entrepreneur Will Makris in the video. On Saturday, Makris shared a gallery of photos of himself along with Brady, the quarterback's son Jack, and Fanatics CEO Michael Rubin. The summer has been full of travels and relaxation for Brady as he prepares for another long football season. This time, it'll be his first full-season as a part-owner of the Las Vegas Raiders. Last year, Brady's purchase of a partial stake in the team was confirmed by NFL owners. The owners also put in guardrails to prevent the Fox Sports color commentator from gaining access to practices and privileged information that could help the Raiders. Earlier this month, Brady was spotted in the luxury box of President Donald Trump at MetLife Stadium for the Club World Cup Final between Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain. The NFL icon could be seen walking on the MetLife Stadium sideline before the game with Patriots owner Robert Kraft and Fanatics founder Michael Rubin. But he also made his way into Trump's suite at one point, with the Commander-in-Chief seen in the background of one photo as Brady had a conversation. Brady caused controversy in 2015 when a 'Make America Great Again' hat was spotted in his locker, and he later called Trump a 'good friend' during an appearance that year on WEEI. However, he declined to answer in a press conference when asked if he was in support of Trump's first run for office. In 2022, he told Variety that the pair hadn't spoken in 'a lot of years,' and that the nature of their relationship had been 'mischaracterized' by the media. Kraft, meanwhile, has said that he was previously a 'social friend' of Trump's and donated to his first inauguration. However, he revealed on The Breakfast Club last year that he had also ceased contact with the president. 'I will say this: I was very upset [with] what happened January 6,' Kraft said. 'And I haven't talked to him since then.'
Reuters
an hour ago
- Reuters
49ers DE Tarron Jackson hospitalized after camp collision
July 27 - San Francisco 49ers defensive end Tarron Jackson was taken to a local hospital for evaluation after a collision during a training camp practice Sunday. Per reporters at the practice, Jackson was blocked by an offensive tackle, went to the ground and did not move for a few moments before he was able to move his hands. His teammates took a knee as he was tended to, and Jackson eventually had to be taken off on a backboard. Niners coach Kyle Shanahan said after practice that Jackson was conscious, talking and had movement in his extremities. "We were close to him so we could hear him talking and we could see everything moving," Shanahan said. "I just told the guys that, which eases them up a little bit with the biggest fears and asked them if they were OK to continue to go. They all yelled yes and we finished the last period." Jackson, 27, is entering his first sea
Daily Mail
2 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Skip Bayless makes bizarre 'arrogant white person' claim as he weighs in on Trump's NFL Redskins controversy
Sports analyst Skip Bayless has performed a U-turn over Washington's NFL name change after Donald Trump 's demand to the franchise. Known as the Commanders since 2022, Washington's football team dropped the controversial 'Redskins' moniker five years ago amid uproar over the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police. However, the president last week called for the franchise to return to its former divisive name in a baffling Truth Social rant. And Bayless, despite previously branding the 'Redskins' name 'racist', suggested he would embrace Trump's name change on one condition. 'If someone can conclusively demonstrate that a majority of tribal leaders across America are all for the return of Redskins and Indians as team nicknames, then I would be all for it,' Bayless said in a video shared to his X platform. 'We went through this a number of years ago back in my First Take days. Some tribal leaders would speak out pro and some would speak out con. I just don't know. But if you showed me that a consensus were now pro, you know, I'm just hoping this will at least spark a new wave of debate.' 'I'm hoping tribal leaders everywhere will just stand up and speak out on this starting now. Whatever their consensus opinion is, if there is a consensus, and maybe there isn't, but I'll stand behind the majority. Maybe I'm just being just another naively arrogant white person, but I must admit I do miss Washington DC's NFL team being called the Redskins,' he concluded. Bayless added earlier in his podcast that the 'Commanders' nickname 'sounds dumber than ever,' especially after quarterback Jayden Daniels led Washington to the NFC Championship game. The former Fox Sports host's argument was a major change in tune from his past opinions on the old moniker. However, he did still maintain that he believed the 'Redskins' name stirred controversy. 'To me, Redskins remains a racist nickname,' Bayless also said in the 12-minute clip. 'What if an NFL team had been nicknamed the "Blackskins"?' Bayless's remarks come after Trump claimed that there was a 'clamoring' for the 'Redskins' nickname to make a return. 'The Washington 'Whatever's' should IMMEDIATELY change their name back to the Washington Redskins Football Team,' Trump wrote on social media. 'There is a big clamoring for this.' While Trump may be slightly off about the team name (they were the 'Washington Redskins' and then the 'Washington Football Team' but never the 'Washington Redskins Football Team'), he is right about uproar over the changes. The president took to social media last week to claimed there was a 'clamoring' for the change Fans and even some Native American groups have voiced support for the team's new ownership group to revert to 'Redskins.' Several public opinion polls of self-identified Native Americans have found most were not offended by the term, while critics have pointed to academic research by the University of Michigan and UC Berkeley that found the opposite was true. Trump appeared to reference the public polling in favor of a name change last weekend. 'Our great Indian people, in massive numbers, want this to happen,' he claimed. 'Their heritage and prestige is systematically being taken away from them. Times are different now than they were three or four years ago. We are a Country of passion and common sense. OWNERS, GET IT DONE!!!' He also demanded the same from MLB's Cleveland Guardians, née: 'Indians.' 'Likewise, the Cleveland Indians, one of the six original baseball teams, with a storied past,' he wrote. It's unclear where Trump is getting 'six original baseball teams' from. The NHL famously has six original teams and MLB's National League was once limited to a half dozen clubs. However, the Guardians franchise is in the American League, where it has been known as the Broncos, Naps and Indians before adopting its current moniker in 2022. Of course, 'Indians' is not quite the same as 'Redskins' – a traditionally pejorative term detested by some Native Americans and tolerated by others. Trump later underlined his demands on social media, writing in a second post: 'My statement on the Washington Redskins has totally blown up, but only in a very positive way. 'I may put a restriction on them that if they don't change the name back to the original 'Washington Redskins,' and get rid of the ridiculous moniker, 'Washington Commanders,' I won't make a deal for them to build a Stadium in Washington. 'The Team would be much more valuable, and the Deal would be more exciting for everyone. Cleveland should do the same with the Cleveland Indians. The Owner of the Cleveland Baseball Team, Matt Dolan, who is very political, has lost three Elections in a row because of that ridiculous name change. 'What he doesn't understand is that if he changed the name back to the Cleveland Indians, he might actually win an Election. Indians are being treated very unfairly. MAKE INDIANS GREAT AGAIN (MIGA)!' NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and Commanders owner Joshua Harris met Trump at the Oval Office in May to announce plans to bring the league's draft to the National Mall in 2027. Washington was selected as draft hosts just days after DC mayor Muriel Bowser announced a plan to bring the team back to the city with a new field on the site of the old RFK Stadium, where the team then known as the Redskins played until 1996. Currently, RFK Stadium stands on the site on the banks of the Anacostia River in the eastern part of the city. The building has been in the process of a prolonged demolition that has been delayed multiple times. The building was closed back in September 2019, but structural demolition has only begun this year. It hasn't just been the name that led to division among Native Americans. A year ago, the family of the man depicted in the former Redskins logo urged the team to bring his image back to the helmet after years of controversy over the image. A football and a jersey sit on top the Resolute desk in the office of President Donald Trump as he announces a plan to bring the NFL Draft to the National Mall in the spring of 2027 'The fans want him back and we want him back,' Thomas White Calf, a great nephew of late Blackfeet Nation chief John Two Guns White Calf, told Fox News after meeting with Senator Steve Daines (Republican, Montana ). Thomas' pleas came four years after the team began its rebranding, first becoming the Washington Football Team on a temporary basis before adopting 'Commanders' and dropping the feathered John Two Guns White Calf emblem. 'Our ancestor was the most famous and most photographed native in history,' Thomas told Fox alongside his mother, Delphine White Calf, a niece of the late Blackfeet chief. 'Two Guns was also the face on the Indian head nickel. I'm proud of him. The Blackfeet are proud of him.' The club began as the Boston Braves in 1932 before changing its name to 'Redskins' a year later and moving to the US Capital in 1937. But it wasn't until 1971 that Blackfeet leader Blackie Wetzel created a portrait of John Two Guns White Calf that ultimately became the team's logo.
