HOMER GLEN, Ill. — Chicago bears legend Steve “Mongo” McMichael was finally inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
While McMichael couldn’t make it to the ceremony in Canton, Ohio, the ceremony came to him at his suburban home in Homer Glen, where he continues his battle with ALS.
In Jan. 2021, McMichael announced he was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, and has been battling the disease with the help of his wife, Misty, ever since.
“It’s been amazing. it’s been an honor and a privilege to represent for him because he’s been playing ball since he was a boy too, and it’s always been his dream to be in all the hall of fames he’s been in, and this one’s the best,” Misty McMichael said.
According to the ALS Association, ALS is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord.
”Amyotrophic” comes from the Greek language. “A” means no. “Myo” refers to muscle. “Trophic” means nourishment. So, amyotrophic means “no muscle nourishment,” and when a muscle has no nourishment, it “atrophies” or wastes away.
McMichael, a larger than life player and personality who starred along the defensive line of the iconic 1985 Super Bowl champion Chicago Bears, spent 13 seasons in the Windy City, where he accumulated the second-most sacks in franchise history (92.5) and set the club record for consecutive games played (191).
After his playing days came to a close, McMichael also spent five years in professional wrestling in the late 1990s, where he worked for World Championship Wrestling at the height of the “Monday Night Wars” with the World Wrestling Federation.
McMichael started there as a color commentator and later joined Ric Flair in the “Four Horsemen” group.
The members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2024 were enshrined in a ceremony Saturday at 11 a.m. CT at Tom Benson Stadium in Canton, but McMichael’s gold jacket and bust were presented to him by his wife Misty, and fellow Bears hall of famers Richard Dent and Jimbo Covert at his home in Homer Glen.