Mike Ditka, the former Chicago Bears coach and Hall of Fame NFL tight end who now works as a commentator for ESPN, was in hospital after suffering a minor stroke, the network said.
In a story posted on ESPN.com, the sports network said the 73-year-old Ditka “will not be on ESPN’s weekend NFL shows, but expects to be back soon.”
The Chicago Tribune contacted Ditka in hospital.
“I feel good right now, and it’s not a big deal,” he told the newspaper.
He said he was at a country club playing cards on Friday when he realized his hands “weren’t working quite right”.
Ditka hasn’t had any serious health problems recently. In 1988, when he was 49 and coaching the Bears, he had a heart attack.
Ditka is a Bears icon. The team made him the fifth overall selection in the 1961 NFL draft. He was rookie of the year and went to five successive Pro Bowls as a Bear.
After a falling out with owner-coach George Halas, Ditka was traded to the Eagles in 1967, and finished his playing career with Dallas.
In 1982 Halas hired Ditka to coach the Bears, and he guided them to the Super Bowl in 1985.
He and Tom Flores are the only men to win Super Bowl titles as a player, assistant coach and head coach.
Former Bears coach Ditka has 'minor stroke'
