Bears great defensive tackle Steve McMichael is one step closer to being enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
McMichael was named one of three senior finalists for the Hall of Fame following a vote on Tuesday. While McMichael still needs to be voted through into the Class of 2024 — which will happen in February — the three semifinalists, also including Randy Gradishar and Art Powell, are all but guaranteed to be voted into the Hall.
McMichael, known as “Mongo,” was a force during his 13-year career with Chicago, where he played a huge role in the dominance of the 1985 Bears. McMichael was a two-time First Team All-Pro, three-time Second Team All-Pro and two-time Pro Bowler. His 92.5 career sacks ranks second in franchise history, behind only Richard Dent (124.5).
Many of McMichael’s former teammates, including Richard Dent, have argued he should already be in the Hall of Fame.
Unfortunately, McMichael has been battling ALS for the last couple of years. He revealed his diagnosis in April 2021, and he’s now fully paralyzed and lost his voice. But his wife, Misty, revealed that his push for the Hall of Fame has helped extend his life. Now, he’s one step closer to joining his Bears brothers in Canton.
As you can imagine, Bears fans were quite excited by the news that McMichael is now on the precipice of being enshrined in the Hall of Fame.