On Wednesday, the NFL confirmed former Chicago Bears defensive lineman Steve McMichael died after a battle with ALS. He was 67.
As the sports world mourns his loss, it remembers his accomplishments. The Hall of Famer helped the Bears win their only Super Bowl during the 1985 season. He was also a member of the Four Horsemen of World Championship Wrestling from 1996-97.
His remarkable career almost didn’t happen. The New England Patriots released McMichael, a third-round pick out of Texas in 1980, after one season.
According to Dan Pompei of The Athletic, then-Patriots head coach Ron Erhardt told him he was part of the NFL’s “criminal element” before cutting him.
“I came to practice like the wild man I was portraying at the University of Texas,” McMichael said of the Patriots releasing him in an interview with the Bears website in August 2016. “Nobody appreciated it. That’s why they weren’t winning.”
The Bears signed McMichael to back up HOFer Alan Page after Brad Shearer suffered an injury. When he arrived in Chicago, he knew it would be a perfect marriage.
“Thank God New England got rid of me,” McMichael told the Chicago Tribune’s Bob Verdi in 1984 (h/t the Chicago Tribune’s Will Larkin). “Some teams, they want you to have a certain image. Other teams, like this one, they just want you to get down and dirty. I’m really proud to be a Bear.”
The Bears were happy to have him. In 13 seasons with Chicago, McMichael had 92.5 sacks, the second most in franchise history behind fellow HOFer Richard Dent (124.5).
He endeared himself to Chicago fans with his colorful personality. He was nicknamed “Mongo,” the character who knocks out a horse in the 1974 movie “Blazing Saddles.” That seemed like a fitting moniker for the brash pass-rusher.
McMichael’s bold demeanor may have turned off some teams. However, the Bears realized it wasn’t a negative. Instead, they realized they should embrace it.
“Steve, we’re all with your world champion brothers,” Dent said, via ESPN’s Courtney Cronin. “Back in Canton, we have 378 brothers that are looking for you. You’re on a team that you can never be cut from, you never can be released from. When you die on this team, you will still be on it.”
