Family, Friends, Teammates and Former Players Discuss the Passion and Intensity of “Iron Mike”
“Was I too hard on them? Yeah, I probably was. Would I change it? No, I wouldn’t.” – Mike Ditka
As a Hall of Fame tight end and Super Bowl-winning head coach, Mike Ditka defined blue-collar grit and possessed an unyielding passion for the game of football. His career as a player, coach and ESPN broadcaster is chronicled in Mike Ditka: A Football Life Thursday, October 27 at 10:00 PM ET on NFL Network.
The first tight end to be enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Ditka brought a toughness and hard-nosed work ethic to the football field that few could match. As a head coach, that same intensity appeared on the sidelines and was a driving force behind the great Chicago Bears teams of the 1980s. Featuring interviews with Ditka, his wife Diana, former teammates, players and media personalities, the story of “Iron Mike” is examined and discussed.
To view the trailer for Mike Ditka: A Football Life, please click on the following link:
http://www.nfl.com/videos/a-
Mike Ditka: A Football Life, produced by NFL Films, features sit-down interviews with Ditka, as well as individuals close to him, including:
Diana Ditka – Ditka’s wife
Dan Britza – Childhood friend of Ditka from Aliquippa, PA
Gary Fencik – Bears All-Pro safety under Ditka
Jim Harbaugh – Current 49ers head coach and Bears quarterback under Ditka
Jim McMahon – Bears quarterback under Ditka
Johnny Morris – Bears All-Pro running back/wide receiver and Ditka teammate
Tom Waddle – Bears wide receiver under Ditka
Ricky Williams – Saints running back under Ditka
Mike Ditka: A Football Life details Ditka’s personality born from his upbringing in Aliquippa, Pennsylvania and how it translated to the football field as a Bears player and coach. The documentary also covers his time as head coach of the New Orleans Saints and the selection of running back Ricky Williams with the fifth overall pick of the 1999 NFL Draft. Additional footage includes his post-football involvement with the Gridiron Greats Assistance Fund and his role as a football analyst.
Following are select quotes from Mike Ditka: A Football Life –
“Was I too hard on them? Yeah, I probably was. Would I change it? No, I wouldn’t.” – Mike Ditka
“He’d yell at me, I’d yell back at him and everything was fine.” – Jim McMahon, Bears quarterback under Ditka
“He expected you to be hard. He expected you to be a football player.” – Jim Harbaugh, Bears quarterback under Ditka
“He was a throwback. He could have played in any era.’” – Don Pierson, former Chicago Tribune writer
“Mike Ditka came in with a personal force and changed the culture of our team.” – Gary Fencik, Bears safety under Ditka
Emmy-nominated actor Josh Charles (CBS’ The Good Wife), lends his voice to the series.
Airing exclusively this fall, NFL Network debuts A Football Life – a new biography series offering a look inside the untold stories of NFL icons. Each installment focuses on the life and career of provocative subjects intertwined in the fabric of NFL history. Bill Belichick: A Football Life, which premiered on September 15, became the most-watched documentary in the eight-year history of NFL Network. The next episodes of A Football Life include a look into the Hall of Fame career of former Dallas Cowboys head coach Tom Landry, and the life of the legendary Al Davis. Additional video highlights of previous A Football Life shows are on NFL.com at www.nfl.com/footballlife.
– NFL MEDIA –
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