While Chicago Bears legend Steve McMichael could not attend the Pro Football Hall of Fame ceremony in person, the celebration came to him in powerful scenes from his home in Homer Glen, Illinois.
Battling ALS and bedridden in the advanced stages of the neurological disease, the 66-year-old two-time All-Pro defensive tackle was the second player enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame among the seven members of the Class of 2024 on Saturday.
Surrounded by several of his Bears teammates and his wife, Misty, McMichael proudly wore his gold jacket as his bronze bust was unveiled live in a touching tribute.
“You’re on a team that you can never be cut from and never be released from. When you die, you’ll always be on this team. Welcome home, Steve. You’re in football heaven forever,” Hall of Famer Richard Dent said, patting McMichael on the head.
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Misty, wiping tears from her face, turned her husband’s head toward the bronze bust. “That’s you, baby, forever,” she said softly.
Jim McMahon, quarterback of the 1985 Bears Super Bowl championship team, watched the scene unfold on a video screen from the in-person event at Tom Benson Stadium in Canton, Ohio. Many Bears supporters shed tears watching McMichael’s moment.
Nicknamed “Mongo” and known for his brash and boisterous personality, McMichael was the most feared player on one of the greatest defenses in NFL history. He became the fourth defensive player from the 1985 team to enter the Hall, joining Dent, Mike Singletary, and Dan Hampton.
McMichael’s sister, Kathy, read a speech that she and her brother had worked on before he lost his ability to move and speak.
“I want to thank the Chicago Bears and the fans, the best city to play football in,” Kathy McMichael read. “I played 15 years in the NFL and loved every minute of every down. I played with the greatest players and the greatest defense to this day.”
Jarrett Payton, son of Bears Hall of Fame running back Walter Payton, presented McMichael, who had called Payton a “pseudo-son” in the speech read by his sister.
“The only thing bigger than his personality is his heart,” Payton said.
McMichael played in a franchise-record 191 consecutive games from 1981 to 1993 and ranks second to Dent on the Bears’ all-time sacks list with 92.5. His final NFL season was with Green Bay in 1994.
McMichael went public with his ALS diagnosis three years ago and has endured more than his fair share of health problems since. He was hospitalized again in April after returning from the ICU in February.
Despite his health struggles, the powerful ceremony highlighted McMichael’s enduring legacy and the immense respect and love from his teammates and the football community.
