Mike Ditka, Hall of Fame tight end who coached the Bears to a Super Bowl title, dies at 86

Mike Ditka, one of the biggest names the NFL has ever produced, has died. He was 86.

His family's statement

Relatives announced his death on Friday. They said the public knew him as a Hall of Fame player, a famous coach and the leader of the Bears team that won Super Bowl XX. To them, they said, he was "the heart of our family." They added that he will be missed beyond measure.

No cause of death was given. Ditka had serious health scares over the years. A stroke hit him in 2012. Six years later he survived a serious heart attack.

A career on both sidelines

Ditka played tight end from 1961 through 1972 at a level worthy of the Hall of Fame. He then moved into coaching and became one of the best-known head coaches in league history.

His 1985 Bears won the Super Bowl. Canton welcomed him into the Hall three years later, in 1988.

Pop culture icon

Ditka was just as famous away from football. He appeared in TV ads, including a run of spots for the erectile dysfunction drug Levitra.

A recurring "Saturday Night Live" sketch made him a legend all over again. The fans were played by Mike Myers, Chris Farley, George Wendt and Robert Smigel in a bit that kept "Da Bears" in the national conversation. Ditka made a cameo appearance in it once.

He is survived by four children, three sons and a daughter.