As a former player, coach, and TV analyst for the National Football League in the United States, Mike Ditka has amassed a net worth of $30 million.
Mike Ditka won the Super Bowl as a player, coach, and player/coach five times, and as a tight end, an All-Pro six times, and with the Chicago Bears, Dallas Cowboys, and Philadelphia Eagles. Also, from 1997 to 1999, Ditka coached the NFL’s New Orleans Saints.
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Mike Ditka Early Life and College Career.
Mike Ditka, whose given name at birth was Michael Dyczko, was born to Mike Sr. and Charlotte Dyczko in Carnegie, Pennsylvania in 1939. He and his siblings Ashton, Mary Ann, and David were raised in the nearby town of Aliquippa. Ditka’s paternal ancestry includes Poland and Ukraine, while his maternal ancestry includes Germany and Ireland.
He attended St. Titus School and later Aliquippa High School, where he excelled in three sports while being coached by the legendary Press Maravich. Ditka was recruited by Notre Dame, the University of Pittsburgh, and Penn State for football, all with the hope that he would use the money to get away from the factory jobs that plagued his city.
While enrolled at the University of Pittsburgh, Ditka participated in other sports besides football, including basketball, baseball, and wrestling. He had 18 catches for 252 yards and led the team as a sophomore.
During his senior year, Ditka was chosen as team captain and was voted first-team All-America in college football. He completed his collegiate career having thrown for 45 completions, 730 yards, and seven touchdowns.
Mike Ditka
| Net Worth: | $30 Million |
| Date of Birth: | Oct 18, 1939 (82 years old) |
| Gender: | Male |
| Height: | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) |
| Profession: | American football player, Coach, American Football coach |
| Nationality: | United States of America |
Mike Ditka Chicago Bears.
The Bears of Chicago picked Ditka in the first round of the 1961 NFL draught. Effectively immediately, he was a smashing success. He led all Bears rookies with 58 receptions and 12 receiving touchdowns in his first season. The year after, he once again made 58 receptions while starting all 14 games. He was a key member of the NFL title squad in 1963 when he hauled in 59 receptions for 794 yards and eight touchdowns to lead the team in receiving. From 1961 to 1966, Ditka spent six seasons with the Bears and was selected to the Pro Bowl after each of those years. With 4,503 yards, he is fourth on the Bears’ all-time list and top among tight ends.
Mike Ditka Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys.
The Philadelphia Eagles acquired Ditka in a trade in 1967. Due to injuries, he was limited to nine games his first year, starting four of them. In his second year as a pro, he played in 11 games, six of which he started, and recorded 13 catches for 111 yards and two touchdowns.
In 1969, the Chicago Bears sent Ditka to the Dallas Cowboys in a trade. In his first season with the team, he played in 12 games and started four of them, tallying 17 receptions for 268 yards and three touchdowns. In 15 games the season after that, he caught eight passes for 98 yards and zero touchdowns.
The Cowboys had their first and only appearance in the Super Bowl that year, however, they ended up losing to the Baltimore Colts. In 1971, Ditka had his best season yet, when he caught 30 passes, an NFL record for tight ends. He also caught a touchdown pass in the Super Bowl’s 24-3 triumph over the Miami Dolphins. In 1973, Ditka announced his retirement from the NFL. At the time, his 427 receptions were the most by any tight end in NFL history.
Mike Ditka Coaching Career.
Ditka was hired by Cowboys head coach Tom Landry as an assistant just after he retired. During his nine years with the team, the Cowboys went to the playoffs eight times, won six division titles, and captured three NFC titles. Also, in 1977, they have crowned Super Bowl champions.
In a letter to George Halas, Ditka, his former head coach with the Chicago Bears, expressed interest in becoming the team’s next head coach while still with the Dallas Cowboys. Following Ditka’s offer, Halas hired him as the Bears’ head coach for the 1982 season.
Ditka took the Bears to the NFC Championship Game in his third year as head coach, and he won Super Bowl XX with a 46-10 victory over the New England Patriots in his fourth season. Until this point, this was Ditka’s greatest accomplishment as a coach. In the early 1990s, after the squad had suffered a string of defeats, he was let go.
Mike Ditka Personal Life.
Ditka was married to his wife Marge from 1961 to 1973, and the couple has four children together: Mark, Matt, Mike, and Megan. And then in 1977, Ditka tied the knot with Diane Trantham. His previous residences include the city of Bannockburn, Illinois, and the English Turn neighborhood of New Orleans, Louisiana.
