UPDATE: Steve “Mongo” McMichael passed away just before 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday.
CHICAGO (WGN) — Chicago Bears legend Steve “Mongo” McMichael will be moved to hospice care.
A source told WGN News on Wednesday the Hall of Famer is being removed from a ventilator in the ICU and transferred to a hospice care facility.
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.
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.
Last summer, McMichael was inducted into the Hall of Fame. While he could not make the trip to Ohio, a special celebration was held at his home in Homer Glen.