Chicago Bears legend Steve "Mongo" McMichael said he was posthumously diagnosed with CTE, his family announced Tuesday.
McMichael died April 23, 2025, coming up on a year ago, after a nearly five-year battle with ALS.
McMichael's widow, Misty, said she hopes sharing the news will raise awareness about the long-term effects of repetitive head impacts, and the urgent need to advance research.
The family said McMichael wanted his brain to be studied after he died.
The New England Patriots picked McMichael in the third round, at No. 73 overall, in the 1980 NFL Draft. He was the consensus All-America selection at the University of Texas.
The Patriots released McMichael after just six regular-season games in one season, and he joined the Bears in 1981. He would become a key part of what is widely regarded as one of the best defenses in NFL history.
The 6-foot 2-inch, 270-pound McMichael played a franchise-record 191 games for the Bears, and became a starter at defensive tackle in 1983.
In 1985, the first of three straight All-Pro seasons at defensive tackle, McMichael helped lead the Bears to their only Super Bowl title to date — starting at left defensive tackle and recording a sack against the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XX.
McMichael would play 13 seasons with the Bears from 1981 to 1993, and ranks second only to Richard Dent in team history with 92.5 sacks. A part of six division championship teams, McMichael was a two-time first-team All-Pro, and he made the NFL Pro Bowl twice, in 1986 and 1987.
McMichael went to the Green Bay Packers for one season to finish his football career and retired after the 1994 season. But he was far from done being in the spotlight.
McMichael appeared briefly with the WWF before going on to wrestle and commentate for World Championship Wrestling for five years.
In 2021, McMichael revealed he was battling ALS. Three years later, McMichael, along with family and friends who had for years pushed for it, celebrated Mongo getting elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
In:
CTE
Steve McMichael
Chicago Bears