“Nobody fought harder”
Super Bowl winner died after serious illness
04/24/2025 – 8:28 a.m.Reading time: 2 min.
At first his style of play made him famous and later his fight against his illness. However, Steve McMichael has now succumbed to this.
The news of Steve McMichael’s death triggered deep grief in the football world. The long -time Chicago Bears service provider died at the age of 67. As a spokesman for the family announced, McMichael succumbed to his years of illness on amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). As early as 2021, the incurable nerve disease had been diagnosed with him.
McMichael was one of the formative faces of the legendary Bears defensive, which won the Super Bowl in 1986. The team lost only one game that season – a success in which McMichael also had a large part with his uncompromising playing style. In total, he completed 191 games in a row for the Bears-a club record. He did it on 95 sacks against opposing quarterbacks.
Jim Porter, President of the Hall of Fame, praised McMichael’s tireless efforts: McMichael had announced that to combat with the same persistence as his opponents once on the field – and that was exactly what he did. Porter emphasized: “Nobody fought longer and harder than Steve as a player from the first moment to the final whistle.”
“It is cruel irony that the iron man of the Bears has succumbed to this dreaded illness,” said Bears boss George H. McCaskey. “Steve showed us during his struggle that his true strength lies in him, and he demonstrated his class, dignity and humanity every day.”
In 2024, McMichael was included in the Football Hall-a late but deserved honor for one of the most steadfast players in the NFL story. After his active career, he moved to the wrestling ring, where he became known as part of the Four Horsemen alongside Ric Flair. Later he also worked as a coach at the indoor football team Chicago Slaughter.