The Chicago Bears will finally retire Mike Ditka's No. 89 on Dec. 9 during halftime of their "Monday Night Football" game against the Dallas Cowboys at Soldier Field, the team announced Friday. "Mike Ditka embodies the spirit of everything the Bears are about," Bears chairman George H. McCaskey said to the team's website. "He's an icon. The last time we won a championship Mike Ditka was our coach and the last time we won before that Mike Ditka was a player. The organization knew [that retiring his number] was the right thing to do." Ditka, a Hall of Famer, coached the 1985 Bears to the Super Bowl XX title and played on the 1963 championship team. He is credited with revolutionizing the tight end position with his pass-catching ability. He ranks first in Bears history among tight ends and fourth overall with 4,502 receiving yards, fifth with 316 catches and 34 touchdowns. The former rookie of the year was a two-time All-Pro and six-time Pro-Bowler. "To have your jersey retired, it's something that if I went through my life and it never happened, it would never change the love I had for what I had in Chicago playing for the Bears," Ditka said on "Mike & Mike in the Morning" on ESPN Radio. "But it's certainly a tremendous honor when you think about the guys who have [had their numbers] retired. And the guys I played with, the Bill Georges, the Dick Butkuses, the Gale Sayers, just those alone ... what a great honor it is." No. 89 will be the 14th jersey retired by the Bears. Ditka played for the Bears from 1961-66 and coached the team from 1982-92. He's the only person in the NFL's modern era to win a title as a player and coach with the same team. Read more http://espn.go.com/chicago/nfl/story/_/id/9307526/mike-ditka-chicago-bears-no-89-retired
