Class of 2024: Steve McMichael – Loved every minute of every down

Enshrinement Published on : 8/3/2024

By Barry Wilner
Special to the Pro Football Hall of Fame

STEVE McMICHAEL'S entry into the Pro Football Hall of Fame was a home game.

McMichael, who is living with ALS, was at his house in Homer Glen, Illinois, when his wife, Misty, and daughter, Macy, unveiled his Hall bust and presented him with his Gold Jacket. Also on hand were fellow Hall of Fame members RICHARD DENT, JIMBO COVERT and MIKE SINGLETARY.

“Woo, hoo. I am in the Hall of Fame,” was the introduction to a short enshrinement speech McMichael’s sister, Kathy, and he began working on before he lost the ability to speak. “I played 15 years in the NFL and loved every minute and every down.”

Enshrinement host Chris Berman read a quote from McMichaeI that summed up the new Hall of Famer:

“I don’t want ALS to be my legacy,” Berman read. “What I did on the field, that is my legacy. Pushing myself to the limit farther than anyone could.”

The heart-warming celebration of McMichael’s career was arranged by the Hall and event broadcast pafrtner ESPN and shown to the fans at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium who had waited out a delay caused by severe storms. McMichael’s longtime friend Jarrett Payton, the son of Hall of Famer WALTER PAYTON, was in Canton to present McMichael for enshrinement.

Earlier in the week, Misty McMichael represented her husband at the Hall of Fame Game, Enshrinees’ Gold Jacket Dinner and several other availabilities in Canton. She was most impressed by the actual gallery where the Hall of Fame busts reside.

“That’s my favorite part of the Hall,” she noted. “They say the busts talk to themselves at night. I would love to hear what they have to say.”

She said the same thing to Steve after the Gold Jacket and bust were presented back home.

“Love you, baby,” she said.

McMichael’s career didn’t begin as if his path would lead to Canton. Drafted in the third round by New England in 1980, he lasted only six games with the Patriots. He

landed in Chicago – and became one of the anchors of perhaps the best version of the Monsters of the Midway.

Nicknamed “Mongo” – the audience chanted it several times – McMichael was a constant presence on the defensive line, playing a franchise-record 191 consecutive games for the Bears. He not only clogged the middle against the run game but was a dangerous threat as a pass rusher, and his physical style wore out blockers. As the Bears shut down opponents, McMichael made three straight All-Pro teams (1985-87). During his first 10 Windy City seasons, Chicago allowed the fewest points, yards on the ground and total yards in the NFL, while also making the most sacks.

Indeed, when the Bears established the league mark for sacks in a season of 72, McMichael contributed 10. Only Dent had more sacks for the Bears than McMichael’s 92.5.

Certainly the sweetest moment came when the Bears won the 1985 championship in a rout – against the Patriots – in Super Bowl XX.

Misty McMichael is hopeful the attention and adulation toward Steve will help in the battle against amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, a fatal nervous system disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord, causing muscle weakness and loss of control.

“Steve was diagnosed in 2020, and he’s still here,” she said. “A lot of this week is about raising awareness of ALS.”

She mentioned not knowing anything about ALS except that it was also called Lou Gehrig’s Disease.

“I was blind-sided by it,” she said, adding she might start a foundation in the future to seek a cure.

More on the Enshrinement of each class member

Class members are listed in order of their Enshrinement speeches:

Class of 2024: Randy Gradishar – Shares credit for his legacy with teammates

Randy Gradishar crushed it. Of course he did.

Class of 2024: Dwight Freeney – Pushed himself ‘to make it happen’

The Indianapolis Colts knew what they were getting when they selected Dwight Freeney 11th overall in the 2002 NFL Draft: a sack machine.