Mike Ditka Research Papers

A Year To Remember 1985 is truly a year to remember for the United States. It had some of the greatest moments in sports history. Mike Ditka and his Chicago Bears took home a Super Bowl against Dan Marino (arguably one of the best quarterbacks ever to play the sport) in a blow out game. 1985 had influential singers like Madonna, who changed how women acted and gave them hope that their lives would improve. However, all good things bring some bad. 1985 had one of the deadliest earthquakes ever recorded and was a time period in the Cold War. Through the good, the bad, and the ugly 1985 was a year to remember by its sports, music, catastrophic events, and role models.

Madonna -the “Queen of Pop” as fans would call her- was one of the most influential

In his days as a player, he became one of the most successful tight ends of all time and a player with great morals that kids looked up to. He played for the Dallas Cowboys; then he played for the Chicago Bears where he eventually went on to coach for them in the 1980’s. Ditka made “427 receptions, had 5812 receiving yards, and scored 43 touchdowns” in his career, which were unprecedented totals for a tight end at the time (“Mike Ditka” 1). When his career was over, Ditka went into coaching. His “wildly popular” 1985 Chicago Bears included the legendary running back “Walter Payton and one of the best defenses in NFL history” (“Mike Ditka” 2). His team went on to lose only one game in the regular season and stomped the competition in the playoffs. The Bears cruised through Super Bowl XX by a score of 46-10 over the Patriots. In 1985, the United States was a football-hungry nation and the Bears were an inspiration and role model for all the little kids around the world. Just three years after his Super Bowl victory, Mike Ditka was put into the hall of fame as “the first tight end to ever receive the honor” (“Mike Ditka” 2). Ditka was one of the most successful players and coaches of the century and in 1985 everyone knew him and wanted to be like him on and off the

Dan Marino was one of the most popular and unanimously one of the best athletes in the United States at the time. He set records almost every year and even would break some of his own records. Marino is a “three-time All-Pro selection and a nine-time Pro Bowl honoree” making him one of the most successful quarterbacks in the 1980’s (“Dan Marino” 1). Considered an elite quarterback by many around the nation, Dan Marino was a true role model for kids. Fans around the United States had his poster in their room or went out trying to find autographed footballs by him. By the end of his final year in the NFL, Dan Marino had set colossal records of “passes completed (4453 in 7452 attempts), yards passing (55,416), and touchdown passes (385)” which set the tone for all the other quarterbacks who claimed they are elite (“Dan Marino” 2). Although Marino had an amazing career, his playoff runs were dismal. Dan Marino never was able to advance further than “the conference championship game in 1985 and 1992… during his 17 year career” (“Dan Marino” 1). Some argue without a Super Bowl win you are not an elite quarterback, but in 1985 Dan Marino won the hearts of the Americans and showed them how good he really