Noah Hiles: There will never be another Mike Ditka

Noah Hiles, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette on Oct 10, 2026

Published in Football

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PITTSBURGH — In this business, they teach you early to avoid getting starstruck. But every now and then, you encounter an individual whose aura breaks through that conditioning.

For me, that was Mike Ditka.

I was fresh out of college, producing a remote radio show for KDKA. Ditka was one of a handful of notable guests we were scheduled to have on. I was prepared to keep my cool, to act professional and do my job.

It wasn’t a problem at first. When the time came for Ditka to join the show, I was a bit surprised by his soft-spoken, lowkey decorum. But when the show went live, a switch was flipped. This was in the summer of 2017. He was in his late ’70s, but he was still “Iron Mike.”

Seeing Ditka instantly transform into the man so many of us knew from television was surreal. He was everything one would have expected, unapologetically offering unfiltered opinions while maintaining his trademark look of intensity.

His energy, even at that age, was electrifying. If he had instructed me to drop and give him 20 pushups, I would’ve done so without thinking twice. He spoke glowingly of Western Pennsylvania throughout the interview, especially his hometown of Aliquippa.

He was kind enough to take a photo with me afterward — a big no-no in this business but a rule I allowed myself to break this one time. If I were going to lose my cool over anyone, Ditka was a worthy exception.

I hadn’t thought of that afternoon in quite some time. But I reflected on my brief encounter with the Hall of Famer quite a bit Friday, when it was announced he had died at age 86.

Whenever someone of notoriety dies, you’ll often hear that we will never see someone like them again. I do my best to avoid such cliches, but similar to my lone encounter with him in 2017, I will make an exception this time around.

There will never be anything close to another Mike Ditka.

We live in a time when media outlets are OK with certain talents pushing boundaries. Edginess, especially on sports television, is certainly in demand. But no one we see today can match Ditka’s authenticity in that department. He didn’t say things to create a stir, to generate headlines or views on social media.

He said what he wanted because he knew he could. He was Mike freakin’ Ditka.

Ditka never had to worry about someone questioning his credibility nor did he ever need to feel concern over backlash. He seemingly welcomed confrontation, and it’s easy to understand why.

Before he talked the talk, Ditka walked the walk.

A unanimous All-American tight end at Pitt, Ditka went on to redefine how his position was played at the game’s highest level. He was Rob Gronkowski decades before anyone knew how to effectively use someone with that uniquely versatile skill set. Even still, Ditka’s playing resume speaks for itself.

Five-time All-Pro. Super Bowl VI champion. A member of the NFL’s 75th and 100th anniversary all-time teams, along with spots in the college and pro football halls of fame. And the funny part is that’s probably the element of Ditka’s football life he’s least known for.

It would be wrong to say Ditka’s coaching career was more successful than what he did as a player. But his presence on the sideline was what truly turned him into a star. He famously coached the 1985 Chicago Bears, the champions of Super Bowl XX.

That group remains one of the most notable teams in NFL history, a roster that boasted numerous Hall of Fame talents and unique personalities. But now, more than 40 years later, Ditka is the first name that comes to mind.

His slicked hair, strong mustache and sweater vest remain one of the most notable looks to have donned a gridiron. His fiery spirit made any time he appeared on camera must-see television, be it from mid-game arguments with players, assistant coaches and officials to post-game spats with reporters.

He became a household name after that championship and maintained that status for decades.

Ditka’s star continued to grow when his coaching days concluded.

Three different television networks paid him to talk about football through parts of three different decades. He made regular cameos on different TV shows and movies — his performance in the Will Ferrell movie “Kicking and Screaming” remains an all-time favorite among the Hiles family.

He was the rare example of a star athlete who also went on to experience success as a coach, analyst and entertainer. And he managed to do so without ever allowing anyone to sanitize, dilute or constrain a single iota of who he was — a gritty, grouchy, quintessential Western Pennsylvania football guy.

We might see another tight end play the game like he did. We might see another Super Bowl-winning coach match his intensity. We might see a former gridiron great have equal success in the media, be it through covering sports or acting on shows or in movies.

But we will never see anyone do all of this with the unique aura of Iron Mike Ditka. He was one of a kind from start to finish, an Aliquippa-born and bred star who can never be replicated.