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The only person who could defeat a hurricane, Coach Mike Ditka, has sadly passed on.
Ditka was described by his family on Friday as their "heart," in words that will strike a chord with football families across the country.
'He was always there.'
Ditka passed away at 86 years old, with the news coming from Jarrett Payton — son of Chicago Bears legend Walter Payton — who delivered the tragic news on Chicago radio this morning.
Walter Payton was the star running back on the 1985 Chicago Bears team that won Super Bowl XX with Ditka as the head coach.
"It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved husband, father, grandfather, and friend, Mike Ditka," a statement from the family said, per Payton.
"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," the statement continued.
The family's words concluded with "love and gratitude, The Ditka Family."
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While on 104.3 The Score in Chicago on Friday, Payton gave his thoughts on his father's coach.
"It saddens me to give this information to the city of Chicago," he painfully explained. "Everybody knows how much Coach means to me and to my family and to the city, to the Chicago Bears. He has been nothing but an amazing person for my entire family, but also somebody that always made sure that I was OK."
"He was always there," Payton emotionally added.
Ditka became a cultural mainstay in the city of Chicago following the Bears' domination in the 1980s, which turned into international stardom after the Super Bowl win attracted many fans and celebrities to the team.
Actor Bill Murray was often seen with the Bears at the height of his career, while the "Saturday Night Live" sketch called "Bill Swerski's Superfans" told iconic fictional stories about "Hurricane Ditka" and how the Bears could win a NASCAR race if Ditka was driving their bus.
Super Bowl XX. 1985. Ed Wagner Jr./Chicago Tribune/Tribune News Service/Getty Images
"Da Bears" is in the common North American vernacular because of Ditka's team, a team he also played on for six seasons in the 1960s.
Ditka spent 10 years coaching in Chicago before rounding out his career as head coach of the New Orleans Saints from 1997 to 1999.
He won Super Bowl VI and went to five Pro Bowls as a player and was named to the NFL 100th and 75th anniversary All-Time Teams. He was two-time AP NFL Coach of the Year as well.
His cause of death is unknown at the time of this writing.
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