Chicago Bears legend Steve “Mongo” McMichael has been released from the hospital, his family announced Friday. He was admitted Feb. 15 with what was initially feared to be pneumonia.
McMichael – currently battling ALS – was diagnosed with a urinary tract infection and received treatment for MRSA while in a suburban Chicago hospital. He went to the hospital exactly one week after getting the call that he was selected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
When he gets home, he will receive treatment via IVs and have around-the-clock care of a nurse, according to ESPN.
“The outpouring of love, support and prayers have helped Steve get through this latest battle,” McMichael’s publicist Betsy Shepherd said in a statement. “All he wanted was to get home to [wife] Misty and [daughter] Macy where he feels most comfortable.”
McMichael was diagnosed with ALS in 2021 and is in his third year battling the disease. At long last, though, he received the call to the Hall of Fame earlier this month after a lengthy wait – and multiple health issues along the way.
The latest hospital stay saw more health setbacks for McMichael, but his wife Misty said he continues to fight and asked for more prayers.
“He’s one tough guy,” Misty McMichael said. “He’s Mongo and his DNA is different! Keep those prayers coming! Thank you!”
More on Steve McMichael’s career
McMichael was a centerpiece of the vaunted 1985 Bears defense and ranks fourth on the NFL’s all-time sacks list by a defensive tackle. His nickname “Mongo” came from the character portrayed by the late Alex Karras in “Blazing Saddles,” the big villain who knocked out a horse. It was appropriate, too, considering McMichael stood at 6-foot-2 and 270 pounds.
Before he became a Hall of Famer at the professional level, he was a star defensive lineman at Texas, putting together a storied career with the Longhorns from 1976-79 to become a College Football Hall of Famer. He was a two-time All-Southwest Conference selection and a Consensus All-American before the New England Patriots drafted him in 1980.
McMichael spent the majority of his career in Chicago, though, playing for the Bears from 1981-93. He earned two first team All-Pro and three second team All-Pro selections as he totaled 95 sacks over his career. But he made his mark alongside Mike Singletary, Otis Wilson and Richard Dent on arguably the greatest defense in NFL history.
During the 1985 season, McMichael finished third on the Bears with 8.0 sacks that season, trailing Dent’s 17.0 and Wilson’s 10.5, while also adding 44 total tackles. Chicago went 15-1 that season to win the only Super Bowl in franchise history.
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