The sports world just lost one of its true titans. Steve “Mongo” McMichael — Super Bowl champ, Pro Football Hall of Famer, and all-out, no-holds-barred warrior of the gridiron “and” the wrestling ring — has passed away at the age of 67 after a brutal battle with ALS. And let’s be real: Mongo didn’t just “play” the game. He lived it, breathed it, and bulldozed through it like a man on a mission.
This wasn’t just a former Bear we’re talking about — this was the “heart” of that legendary 1985 Chicago squad. You remember that team, right? Monsters of the Midway, one of the most dominant defenses in NFL history, crushing quarterbacks like beer cans.
McMichael was right in the thick of it — a defensive tackle who brought the pain every single Sunday. Two Pro Bowls. Four-time All-Pro. 92½ career sacks — and let’s not forget, the dude was “relentless”. He didn’t take plays off. He didn’t coast. He wrecked offenses like it was personal.
But wait — that was just one act in this man’s wild life. After football, McMichael threw on a different kind of gear and stepped into the squared circle. From 1995 to 1999, Mongo went full pro wrestler, lighting up WCW and joining the iconic Four Horsemen stable.
The man “won” the U.S. Heavyweight Championship. He wasn’t just a sideshow. He brought the same intensity to the ring that he did to Soldier Field. The crowd loved him, the wrestlers respected him — and if you didn’t? Well, he’d let you know “real quick”.
His wife Misty gave us the heartbreaking update just days ago — Steve had been unresponsive for weeks, in and out of hospitals with infections, finally placed in hospice.
And then, like the warrior he was, he took his final bow. The NFL made the announcement official, but let’s face it — fans had been bracing for this gut punch.
It’s especially tough when you consider that McMichael was just inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame this year.
That golden moment was a long time coming. He went in alongside legends like Julius Peppers, Dwight Freeney, Andre Johnson, and Devin Hester — a class for the ages. But Mongo earned that spot with sweat, grit, and a whole lot of bruises.
Let’s not forget — this guy played 15 years in the league. Chicago. Green Bay. New England. He never mailed it in. He never backed down. He “earned” that bust in Canton with every snap, every sack, every stare down in the trenches. So here’s to Mongo McMichael — a legend in cleats, a brawler in boots, and a man who made sure every arena he stepped into “felt” his presence.
