Chicago Bears Defensive Great Steve McMichael Passes Away
One of the Greatest Bears Brave Fight with ALS Has Come to an End
The Chicago Bears family has lost one of its own this evening as former Chicago Bears defensive lineman Steve McMichael, also known as Mongo, lost his battle with ALS. McMichael was 67.
Jarrett Payton, the son of the late Walter Payton and the McMichael family spokesman, reported the news about McMichael’s passing late this afternoon via Twitter.
It was announced earlier today that McMichael was being moved to hospice care. Just a few short hours later, Payton announced his passing.
The Struggle
McMichael had been fighting this battle since he was diagnosed with the disease back in January of 2001. Ever since then, McMichael’s health declined. He was bedridden. He was unable to speak or move. McMichael had been whisked to the hospital at times with life-threatening conditions due to his diagnosis. However, like the true fighter he had always been, he made it through and pressed on.
ALS, also known as Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, causes the muscles in the body to weaken, becoming so weak that a person can’t move or talk. McMichael, being diagnosed in early 2021, ended up bedridden by August 2023. He hung on like the true fighter her was all his life. It was something you would have always expected from him.
His Career
While the post-diagnosis pictures of the former Bear great were and always will be heartbreaking, his career with the Chicago Bears was not. He was a key cog in the wheel that was the 1985 Chicago Bears Super Bowl Championship team and played an important role in the Bears’ vaunted and feared defense. His nickname was “Mongo”, and it fit him well. McMichael was fierce on the field,d and his attitude and play epitomized the Bears’ defense in 1985 and beyond.
His 1985 season was a spectacular one. He played in and started in all 16 games that year. McMichael registered a total of eight sacks and 44 total tackles with a safety to his credit. He played lights out all the time during his 13-year career with the Bears.
After his football career, McMichael went into pro wrestling, along with sharing his talents on the radio for Bears pre-game shows. Some of the other things that Mongo McMichael did were run for mayor of the town of Romeoville, Illinois, as well as earn a spot in the College Football Hall of Fame.
His greatest achievement in football came when he was selected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2024. A private ceremony was held at his home because he could not travel due to his condition. McMichael deserved his membership in the Hall of Fame.
His Legacy
McMichael will continue to be a topic of discussion amongst Bears fans, young and old, forever. As revered as that 1985 team is, no one will ever forget McMichael and what he did for that team.
He was one of the greatest Chicago Bears of all time.
McMichael’s legacy will never be forgotten, nor will his on and off the field exploits. A cog in the wheel of the Bears’ 1985 wonder season, he will always be remembered and thought highly of by Bears fans. For those of us who were lucky enough to have watched him and even met him (I got the honor to do so back in 2019 in Riverside, Iowa), we will never forget the man.
