Mike Ditka on November Heart Attack: 'I Got My Ass Kicked Pretty Good'

Pro Football Hall of Famer Mike Ditka has opened up about the heart attack he suffered last month that put him in the hospital.

Speaking to The Athletic's Dan Pompei, Ditka noted he "doesn't really remember what happened," but admitted he's doing much better now. 

"I got my ass kicked pretty good there, but I'm feeling a lot better," he said. "Every day I get stronger. I'm not exerting myself. When I exert myself is when I can feel it. So things are good. If you had asked me two weeks ago, I couldn't have said that."

Steve Mandell, Ditka's agent, told reporters on Nov. 24 that Ditka had a pacemaker inserted during his stay in a Florida hospital after suffering a mild heart attack. 

Ditka, who turned 79 in October, told Pompei he was going to start slowing down after the incident. 

"I'm just going to take it easy," he said. "I realize that I have been riding ‘em hard and putting up wet for a lot of years. Time to slow down. I'm not getting any younger. You're only going to live ‘til you die anyway. So it's been a hell of a run."

Ditka was the first tight end inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1988. He was named NFL Rookie of the Year in 1961 after posting 1,076 yards and 12 touchdowns in 14 games for the Chicago Bears. 

After a 12-year playing career from 1961-72, Ditka spent 14 years as a coach with the Bears and New Orleans Saints. He led the Bears to their only Super Bowl title in 1985.