As a Hall of Fame tight end and later as a Super Bowl-winning coach, Mike Ditka was as tough and fiery of a competitor as the American sports world has known. Nicknamed “Iron Mike” as a player for the Bears in the 1960s, the 6-foot-3, 228-pound Ditka – who made Pro Bowls in each of his first five seasons and won an NFL Championship – helped revolutionize the tight end position in the NFL; his most famous highlights show him catching passes, barreling eagerly into defenders, and then bouncing off would-be tacklers while staying on his feet. As coach of one of the greatest teams ever, the 1985 Bears, Ditka, with his mustache, bad tamper, and furious gum-chomping on the sidelines, became an icon in Chicago. Also known as “Da Coach,” Ditka was the main topic of conversation of “The Super Fans,” a group of Saturday Night Live characters who ate Polish sausage and looked like and worshipped the Bears coach. Ditka, who later coached the Saints for three seasons before retiring, remains a pop culture hero in Chicago – someone who personifies the city’s blue-collar and every-man image.