Wife of Bears great Steve McMichael represents him at Hall of Fame game amid ALS battle
The wife of former Bears All-Pro defensive tackle Steve “Mongo” McMichael proudly represented him Thursday in Canton, Ohio, ahead of his Pro Football Hall of Fame enshrinement amid his battle with ALS.
Misty McMichael appeared on the field at Tom Benson Stadium ahead of the Bears’ 21-17 victory against the Texans, waving to spectators in an orange set.
In addition to McMichael, who played 13 seasons with Chicago and won a Super Bowl, former Bears Devin Hester and Julius Peppers will be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Saturday as members of the Class of 2024.
McMichael’s wife was greeted with applause and cheers from the crowd in Canton as ESPN captured her appearance on the broadcast.
ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord — and the progression of motor neuron loss including the ability to eat, speak, move and breathe.
There is no cure for it yet.
During her on-field appearance, Misty raised her arms in the air and clapped a few times.
She stood with the Hall of Fame induction class — including Dwight Freney, Randy Gradishar, Andre Johnson and Patrick Willis — as they were honored on the field.
Although McMichael couldn’t attend the festivities in person, the Hall of Fame will bring the ceremony to him.
Hall of Fame president Jim Porter will travel to McMichael’s Chicago suburb of Homer Glen on Saturday to present the former Pro Bowl defensive tackle with his gold jacket and bust, the Bears said.
His former Bears teammates and fellow Hall of Famers, Richard Dent and Jimbo Covert, will also make the trip.
A private celebration will be held at McMichael’s home with his former teammates and members of the Super Bowl XX champion 1985 Bears, the team said.
McMichael announced he was diagnosed with ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease, in an interview with the Chicago Tribune in April 2021.
He said at the time he was no longer able to raise his arms or hold anything in his hands.
“I promise you this epitaph that I’m going to have on me now? This ain’t ever how I envisioned this was going to end,” he said.
McMichael, who was 6-foot-2 and 270 pounds during his playing days, lost 60-70 pounds, the Tribune reported at the time.
McMichael, 66, appeared in a franchise-record 191 straight games across the 13 seasons with the Bears.
He ranks second in team history with 92.5 sacks and helped the Bears win six NFC Central Division titles.
In May, Misty attended the unveiling of the class banner outside the Hall in Canton.
She also attended the unveiling of a case with McMichael’s memorabilia inside the Hall with daughter Macy.
