Background and career
Stephen Douglas McMichael (October 17, 1957 – April 23, 2025), nicknamed "Mongo", "Ming", and "Ming the Merciless", was an American professional football player and professional wrestler. He was a defensive tackle for 15 seasons in the National Football League (NFL), primarily for the Chicago Bears. He played college football for the Texas Longhorns and was selected by the New England Patriots in the 1980 NFL draft. After retiring from playing football, he wrestled in World Championship Wrestling (WCW) and was part of The Four Horsemen stable. While playing for the Bears, he was a two-time Pro Bowler and four-time All-Pro, winning Super Bowl XX with the team. He ended his football career with the Green Bay Packers, before making appearances for the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) ahead of WrestleMania XI. In World Championship Wrestling (WCW), he started off as a color commentator before ultimately obtaining a career as a professional wrestler. He would be a member of the Four Horsemen stable and was a one time WCW United States Heavyweight Champion. Before retiring from public appearances, McMichael was a regular presence on Chicago sports radio and was the namesake of a restaurant in the southwest suburbs of Chicago. From 2007 to 2013, McMichael was the head coach of the Chicago Slaughter of the Continental Indoor Football League (CIFL). He ran unsuccessfully for mayor of Romeoville, Illinois southwest of Chicago. In 2021, he was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). McMichael was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2024. On April 23, 2025, McMichael was moved into hospice care. After transitioning into hospice care, McMichael died the same day at 67.
McMichael was born on October 17, 1957, in Houston. His parents separated before his second birthday, and his mother later remarried E.V. McMichael, an oil company executive whose surname McMichael adopted; his surname at birth has not been publicly reported. He had four siblings: older brothers John and Richard, and younger sisters Kathy and Sharon. The family moved to Freer, south of San Antonio, and he attended Freer High School. In his senior year, he lettered in six sports: football, basketball, baseball, track, tennis, and golf. Baseball was his preferred sport, and whilst playing as a catcher, he batted .450 in his senior year, garnering attention from the St. Louis Cardinals and Cincinnati Reds.
McMichael's accomplishments in football led to him being offered scholarships by 75 colleges and universities. He chose to go to the University of Texas at Austin. He played as a defensive tackle for the Texas Longhorns football team from 1976 to 1979, but his freshman season was marred by the death of his stepfather. In his senior season, he was a consensus first-team All-American, and he was defensive MVP at the 1979 Hula Bowl in Halawa, Hawaii. During his time playing at Texas he was an All-Southwest conference choice in 1978 and 1979, the team MVP in 1979 and the backup place kicker in 1977. In 1979 he was inducted into the Longhorn Hall of Honor. On July 17, 2010, McMichael was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.
Selected in the third round (73rd overall) of the 1980 NFL draft by the New England Patriots, McMichael was cut before his second season in 1981, then was signed by the Chicago Bears as a free agent. He became one of their starting defensive tackles and helped them to a Super Bowl win in 1985. He had a streak of 101 games started until 1990, when his playing time was reduced. He led the Bears with 111⁄2 sacks in 1988. He had 108 tackles in 1989. McMichael was named to the NFC's Pro Bowl teams for the 1986 and 1987 seasons. In a 1991 game against the New York Jets, with the Bears down 13–6 with 1:54 remaining, McMichael forced a Blair Thomas fumble and recovered it at the New York 36. Quarterback Jim Harbaugh then threw a game-tying touchdown to Neal Anderson with :18 left in the game. The Bears went on to win in overtime when Harbaugh scored on a one yard TD run. Bears coach Mike Ditka said in 2005 that McMichael was the toughest player he had ever coached. He played with the Green Bay Packers in 1994 before retiring. Aside from his "Mongo" moniker, McMichael was also nicknamed "Ming the Merciless", or "Ming" for short.
"Thank God New England got rid of me. Some teams, they want you to have a certain image. Other teams, like this one, they just want you to get down and dirty. I'm really proud to be a Bear. The Patriots, yeah, they thought I was a little weird. And I guess I am. But here they don't care, long as you play hard. The town, the coach, the team — it's Steve McMichael. I wouldn't want to be anywhere else." "For 13 years, I helped the Bears beat the Packers every year. I whupped their ass, right? So the last year, I went up there on my last leg and I wasn't any good anymore. So I stole their money and whipped their ass again!" In August 2023, he was named a finalist for the Seniors ballot of the Pro Football Hall of Fame for the class of 2024. He had previously been nominated in 2014 and 2015. On February 8, 2024, McMichael was officially selected to be inducted into the Hall of Fame. He was formally inducted on August 3, 2024, with his sister Kathy delivering a speech on his behalf. Members of the 1985 Bears, including "Samurai" Mike Singletary, Jimbo Covert and Richard Dent, traveled to his home to share the celebration with him. Walter Payton's son Jarrett would be the one who inducted McMichael into the NFL Hall of Fame.
Following the conclusion of his NFL career, McMichael appeared at ringside for Lawrence Taylor during WrestleMania XI on April 2, 1995, in Hartford, Connecticut. Taylor competed against Bam Bam Bigelow, and several football players were present at ringside to prevent interference from other wrestlers. On the March 20, 1995, episode of Monday Night Raw, McMichael provided guest commentary alongside Vince McMahon. During the broadcast, he became involved in a brawl with Kama Mustafa, an associate of Bigelow. The altercation spilled across the arena floor, knocking over the broadcast table before being broken up by event staff. Taylor ultimately defeated Bigelow in their match at WrestleMania XI.
