Mike Ditka's legacy: a receiving pioneer and the 1985 Bears

Mike Ditka's death at 86, announced by his family Friday, leaves a football record that reaches well beyond the sideline images of the 1985 Bears. He helped make the tight end a major receiving threat, then returned to Chicago as the head coach of a team that finished its championship season with three overwhelming playoff wins.

The NFL paid tribute to Ditka on October 9.

A tight end defenses had to cover

The Pro Football Hall of Fame credits Ditka with expanding a position previously treated primarily as a blocking assignment. As a rookie in 1961, he caught 56 passes for 1,076 yards and 12 touchdowns. Those numbers explain the change: an offense could ask its tight end to block and also build its passing game around him.

In 1964, Ditka caught 75 passes. The Hall says that single-season tight end record stood until 1980, when the league was playing a 16-game schedule. His career ended with 427 catches, 5,812 receiving yards and 43 touchdown receptions. He entered Canton in 1988.

Chicago's Centennial Scrapbook account gives George Halas and assistant Luke Johnsos their share of the credit. They designed plays to use Ditka's receiving ability. The production came from a player and coaches willing to expand what the position could do.

The season that ended in January 1986

Ditka returned as Bears head coach in 1982. Three years later, Chicago went 15-1 in the regular season, then shut out the Giants 21-0 and the Rams 24-0 at Soldier Field. Super Bowl XX belonged to that 1985 season, although the game itself was played January 26, 1986, in New Orleans.

The Bears beat New England 46-10. Their defense allowed seven rushing yards and recorded seven sacks. Richard Dent forced fumbles on consecutive possessions and earned the game's MVP award. The championship restored Chicago to the top of the NFL for the first time since its 1963 title, which Ditka had helped win as a player.

Remembering Ditka's coaching means preserving Buddy Ryan's part in that result. The defensive coordinator and head coach clashed, and both were carried off the field after the Super Bowl. In a 2016 interview with the Chicago Sun-Times following Ryan's death, Ditka said: "We had a good offense, but our defense was why we won."

Ditka also gave that roster room to be itself. The Bears' historical account notes that he allowed the Super Bowl Shuffle, tolerated Jim McMahon's provocative headbands and put defensive tackle William Perry into the offensive backfield. The team carried those personalities into a championship.

CBS Chicago heard a direct explanation from former Bears tight end Emery Moorehead on Friday: "He had huge passion for the game."