Mike Ditka
Who could forget the “coach”? Mike Ditka was more than a coach however as he was also a player who player remarkably for the Bears in the 1960’s.
The Bears drafted Ditka fifth overall in 1961. Ditka was a tight end through and through and showed it with his ability to play the position. During his six seasons with the Bears, he caught 315 passes for 4503 yards and 43 touchdowns. He was a wrecking ball when he had the ball in his hands and was a great pass catcher.
Ditka played six seasons with the Bears and then went on to play for two other teams, the Philadelphia Eagles and the Dallas Cowboys before calling it quits.
The Bears brought him back as a head coach and he took the team to the Super Bowl. The Bears enjoyed several winning seasons under Ditka.
His number 89 is the last number to be retried by the Bears. Ditka was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1988.