Bears legendary coach Mike Ditka’s health seems to be improving after he suffered a heart attack last month in Naples, Florida, which was first reported by Mike Sneed of the Chicago Sun-Times.
Ditka, who was released from the hospital with a pacemaker on Nov. 26, told The Athletic that he doesn’t remember exactly what happened, but he’s “feeling a lot better” now.
“I got my a– kicked pretty good there,” Ditka said. “Every day I get stronger. I’m not exerting myself. When I exert myself is when I can feel it. So things are good. If you had asked me two weeks ago, I couldn’t have said that.”
From now on, Ditka plans to “take it easy.”
“I realize that I have been riding ’em hard and putting up wet for a lot of years,” the Hall of Fame coach said. “Time to slow down. I’m not getting any younger. You’re only going to live ‘til you die anyway. So it’s been a hell of a run.”
Ditka has had issues with his health in the past. He suffered a heart attack while coaching the Bears in 1988 and returned to work 11 days later.
In 2012, Da Coach suffered a stroke while at Bob O’Link Golf Club in Highland Park, the Sun-Times reported at the time.
Ditka, who turned 79 in October, led the Bears to their only Super Bowl win in 1985.
During his NFL career, Ditka was a five-time Pro Bowl selection and five-time All-Pro tight end with the Bears, Eagles, and Cowboys. In 1988, he became the first tight end to be inducted to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.