The legendary Chicago Bears player Steve McMichael will be in the hospital for at least one more night, according
to publicist Betsy Shepherd. His family had anticipated that he would go home on Thursday.
McMichael, 66, who revealed his ALS diagnosis to the public three years ago, was hospitalized in critical care for a
urinary tract infection this past Thursday at a suburban facility. A week after being elected to the Pro Football
Hall of Fame, he was admitted to the hospital.
The family made the announcement on Saturday that he was receiving a blood transfusion and had contracted
MRSA, a staph infection that can be challenging to treat due to its resistance to several treatments. They had
originally planned for him to return home on Tuesday, but they had to postpone that until Thursday.
As the coordinator of the Bears’ renowned “46 defense,” McMichael managed the interior of the line and was an
All-Pro in 1987 and the 1985 Super Bowl winning season. His 191 consecutive games played from 1981 to 1993 set
a franchise record. With 92.5 career sacks, he is second only to Hall of Famer Richard Dent on the Bears’ all-time
tally of sacks. 1994 was his last season with Green Bay.
Long after his playing career ended, McMichael continued to be a well-known figure in Chicago, whether he was
bullying rivals or talking about the Bears on sports talk radio.
In the late 1990s, McMichael also competed in professional wrestling for five years.
