'Iron Mike' Ditka hailed as 'gold standard' NFL legend

Mike Ditka, a legendary NFL player and coach, has died at the age of 86. According to Punch and Punch Nigeria, his family announced his death. Ditka was a Hall of Fame player and coach who led the Chicago Bears to a Super Bowl title.

As reported by Japan Today, Ditka's death was mourned across the NFL, with colleagues and rivals recalling his toughness and tenacity as a player. Yahoo Sports noted that Ditka was a first-round draft pick in both the NFL and AFL in 1961, and played for the Chicago Bears, Philadelphia Eagles, and Dallas Cowboys.

Ditka had a long and storied career, playing for several teams including the Bears, Eagles, and Cowboys, and was known for his hard-nosed and gritty presence on and off the field.

Brief written by urgent.news from Japan Today, Punch, Punch Nigeria, Yahoo Sports — 4 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.