Former Bears center Mike Pyle dead at 76

Former Chicago Bears center Mike Pyle died Wednesday at 76, a family friend confirmed to the Sun-Times. The cause of death was not immediately released.

Pyle was the captain of the 1963 Bears that won the NFL championship. He played all nine years of his career in Chicago.

He became a broadcaster for WGN radio after his playing career ended in 1969. He hosted the Bears pre- and post-game shows and also hosted a Sunday sports talk show.

Pyle began suffering from dementia and chronic traumatic encephalopathy later in his life. He was among the 245 former Bears to take part in the concussion lawsuit against the NFL.

“I haven’t seen Mike in a while, but I used to spend a lot of time with him,” former Bears coach Mike Ditka said of Pyle last year. “I could see the rapid loss of memory then. He was a Yale guy. He was one of the smartest guys I’ve ever been around. He was my roommate for years. All of a sudden, he was a different guy. He didn’t really know where he was. I’m pretty sure he’d still know who I am, but that’s about it.”