10/12/2026
Remembering Coach Mike Ditka
In 1992, the Wichita Falls FCA group hosted Coach Ditka for a day in The Falls. It was an honor to spend the day with him and hear stories of his faith and coaching.
Mike Ditka - October 18, 1939 – October 9, 2026 was an American professional football player, coach and commentator. During his playing career as a tight end, he was UPI NFL Rookie of Year in 1961, a five-time Pro Bowl selection, and a six-time All-Pro with the Chicago Bears, Philadelphia Eagles, and Dallas Cowboys in the National Football League (NFL); he was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1986 and the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1988. Ditka was the first tight end in NFL history to reach 1,000 yards receiving in his rookie season.
Ditka was an NFL champion with the 1963 Bears and a three-time Super Bowl champion, playing on the Cowboys' Super Bowl VI team, winning as an assistant coach for the Cowboys in Super Bowl XII, and coaching the Bears to victory in Super Bowl XX. He has been named to the NFL's 75th- and 100th-Anniversary All-Time Teams.
Godspeed to the Ditka family and all his friends ... "thank you" for sharing him with us. Honored.