Steve McMichael

Steve McMichael was a hard-nosed defensive tackle who anchored the Chicago Bears' dominant 1985 Super Bowl-winning defense and was posthumously inducted into the Hall of Fame after a battle with ALS.

Steve "Mongo" McMichael was born on 17 October 1957 in Houston, Texas, and moved with his family to Freer, Texas, where he lettered in six different sports as a senior, preferring baseball and drawing interest from Major League clubs before his parents insisted he attend college. The New England Patriots selected McMichael in the third round of the 1980 NFL Draft, and he developed into one of the most feared and colourful defensive tackles of his era after joining the Chicago Bears, becoming a central figure on the legendary 1985 Super Bowl-winning defence. McMichael earned two Pro Bowl selections and recorded 95 career sacks, the fourth-most by a defensive tackle in NFL history, and his 92.5 sacks with the Bears rank second in franchise history behind teammate Richard Dent. McMichael was diagnosed with ALS in April 2021, and fought the disease with the same tenacity he had shown across 15 NFL seasons, being inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2024 with his enshrinement streamed live to his bedside. He died on 23 April 2025, at age 67, remembered by teammates and the wider football community as one of the sport's most beloved and hard-fighting figures.

Aggressive, powerful defensive tackle known for his strength and ability to disrupt opposing offensive lines

One of the most feared defensive tackles of the 1980s and integral part of one of NFL's greatest defenses

• Pro Football Hall of Fame (2024)
• Super Bowl XX champion
• 2x Pro Bowl
• 2x First-team All-Pro