Dan Campbell didn’t need long to show how much Mike Ditka meant to him.
When told Friday that the legendary Chicago Bears coach had died at 86, the Detroit Lions head coach stopped in his tracks during a media session ahead of Detroit’s game against the Arizona Cardinals.
"No, I didn't know that. Wow," Campbell said before he was asked if he ever had any interactions with Ditka.
"Someone I just loved growing up, and Ditka was it. You know, huge fan. ...
Hell of a player. Hell of a coach."
Campbell then went back to an NFL Draft Combine memory that clearly stuck with him. He said the New Orleans Saints wanted to meet with him, and the conversation happened in a small room with smoke in the air and the lights turned down. Ditka, who was coaching the Saints then, was sitting there.
"It was one of the best times of my life and most intimidating times of my life sitting across from Mike Ditka. It was awesome, man," Campbell shared.
"Man, thoughts and prayers go out to his family. You know?
He's a legend."
Ditka’s football footprint was enormous. He played for the Bears, Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles before taking over as Chicago’s head coach from 1982 to 1992. That run included Super Bowl XX, where the Bears rolled past the New England Patriots 46-10.
After stepping away from coaching for four years, Ditka returned to the sideline with the Saints in 1997. His New Orleans tenure lasted three seasons and ended with a 15-33 record, while his Bears coaching mark finished at 106-62.
He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1988 for his playing career, becoming the first tight end ever enshrined.
For Campbell, who played tight end in the NFL from 1999 to 2009 with the New York Giants, Cowboys, Lions and Saints, Ditka’s influence hit close to home. Like Ditka, Campbell moved from playing to coaching, and the connection clearly ran deep.
The Lions and Bears haven’t met yet this season. Their first matchup is set for Thanksgiving in Detroit, with the rematch scheduled for Jan. 3, 2027, in Chicago.
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