Bears’ Steve McMichael named finalist for Pro Football Hall of Fame

Legendary Bears DT Steve McMichael is all but guaranteed enshrinement in Canton.

Legendary Chicago Bears defensive tackle Steve “Mongo” McMichael is on the doorstep of football immortality.

McMichael was officially named one of three senior finalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Wednesday. The seniors committee voted a day earlier to determine the finalists, who will almost certainly join the Hall of Fame when the full selection committee votes in February.

McMichael was a member of the Bears for 13 years and was a key component of the 1985 Super Bowl team. Mongo ranks second in team history with 92.5 career sacks, trailing only Hall of Fame defensive end Richard Dent. McMichael is third in tackles with 814. He was named first-team All-Pro twice and second-team All-Pro three times, and made two Pro Bowls.

The news of McMichael’s likely induction is special for multiple reasons. For one, a deserving member of the vaunted Bears defense of the 1980s finally gets the recognition he deserves.

But it’s also a gratifying moment for McMichael and his wife, Misty, with the former NFL star having battled ALS for more than two years. McMichael was diagnosed in the spring of 2021, and he lost his ability to speak, along with the movement of his muscles. Things almost took a turn for the worse recently, too.

A couple of weeks ago, McMichael lost consciousness while suffering from pneumonia and sepsis. He’s now back at home, and Misty credits the push for the Hall as something that extended his life.

“He would have died at home if it wasn’t for the nomination,” she told Patrick Finley of the Chicago Sun-Times. “He was dying in front of us. We ripped up the DNR [do-not-resuscitate order] because of the nomination. He has to live to see this.”

At long last, McMichael was able to see it and the induction to Canton, Ohio is all but final. The other senior finalists are Randy Gradishar and Art Powell.

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