Mike Ditka, the iconic Bears coach and Hall of Fame player who died on Friday.

Dicho peered on this program a few times over the years.

Here's Iron Mike from 1990, after a difficult 6 in 10 season.

And then later from a 2005 conversation.

>> I said earlier in the conversation and seemed to me that if you knew Ditka, you knew you either you either buy this guy or you don't buy if you don't buy it and don't play for him.

But about your own evaluation mean?

We talk about movies that you guys watch to see the opposing team when the season is over.

Do you go back and make mental movies of Ditka say how did I do?

>> Yeah, I think I did this year.

I didn't do very well.

I I give myself a failing grade but yet.

If we would have won more than we lost the probably would've gave myself a failing grade because I think in life you you know, you have to live with yourself I was very unhappy, but a lot of things I did.

John, why didn't I don't know.

You know, you want but just my actions, the pressure put on people put pressure on young players, you know, like Ed said, you know, well, they don't like it that stuff, but it is wrong.

At times.

Unless they understand why.

And maybe I did convey to him.

Exactly.

The reasons are the motives or why Russian pressure on my coaches, which I thought was You know, I put pressure on my family because you know that I'm just not a nice guy to be around all the time.

lot of people say any of the time, but I am a nice guy.

Some of the time.

>> So is that something that you think you can change now?

I think it will change immediately.

I I said last year, I don't believe in living in the past.

John, I live in the present deal with the future.

But I can change anything.

I've done it my whole life.

I've been on the good highway and that and then well, I've been on side roads and then welcome back on the highway.

So that's not a problem.

Self-discipline has never been a problem with me and I can handle that.

Could a friend.

>> Go on the air and say, you know, I loved it too.

And I think that he's a great coach.

I think that screwed up last Sunday that he remain your friend to do that question with my coaches could >> Anybody can do that.

That's never a problem.

We all school up.

I mean that to be able to accept criticism, anybody can criticize me if it's done constructively and intelligently and and maybe that's my problem to sometimes I try you know, when I criticize people's not done constructively and intelligently, but I know one thing, John of use an old saying that I believe my motives are right.

I really do always believe that I believe sometimes my methods think I do.

And that tried.

Then I guess it's up to me to change the methods Back Aliquippa, Pennsylvania, back home in Aliquippa by here that at one time.

>> You thinking about going to school to be a dentist is that your parents want do?

>> Well, that they really did.

And they want to school period.

But they thought it was a good idea because my high school coach was a great man and he thought it was good idea.

But the neat go to Pitt become a dentist, come back home and practice in elk up.

There's no on the company.

would work?

It's there's people there, but it's it's not the same as it was.

>> You're a coach.

take your high school coach that that was a guy who really in-car Wiseman.

Yeah, he was a great man, a great coach, but a great man.

He was my also my history teacher.

The number of years in high school.

just a very deep, you know, he was a devout man in many ways.

He was a religious guy, but he was a really as motive.

And I hate to use the word teacher who was a great teacher and he had great confidence in me as a youngster, I would quit.

I would put public baseball and that encourage stay with football and it worked out pretty good.

Is it true that you might have ended up playing linebacker in the NFL?

Had you not been drafted by the Bears?

Any other team, Washington, Pittsburgh, San Francisco, where 3 other teams to talk to me.

And linebacker all 3 came.

So, yeah, whole thing is coach Alex drafted me and then making it tight and then making the tight end position when he made, I didn't make it that he made that he used me in such a way that that he really profiled.

The position.

You know, glamorized before that we don't even remember what it was before.

body was a guideline that next attack on everyone throughout film, a ball.

That's all I That was what I did.

>> So until Halas to Dallas and and live jazz U.S.

really where the guys who really devised the ways to use a titan and events is and I just happen to be the lucky guy.

>> Yeah.

One of your old teammates and that championship.

63 team Big Doug Adkins recently said that the 63 team might have done pretty well against the 85 Super Bowl champs.

You agree?

Yeah.

That was a great defense.

I mean, that defense was.

I don't believe never stand the best because played against the Defense is and, you know, right?

And the fences and cowboy.

But that was good defense and 63 But are they allowed 10 points?

A game with Pier 12 games?

>> And then, you they were good.

I mean, famers to prove it.

I mean, through 4 guys in the Hall of Fame off the team, probably a couple more that could be in.

But I-85 was pretty good, too.

I on.

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