Hall of Fame defensive tackle Steve McMichael, who was diagnosed with ALS in 2021, has died, according to Jarrett Payton, the son of Chicago Bears legendary running back Walter Payton. The NFL also announced the news.
McMichae was moved into hospice care earlier on Wednesday.
“Yes, Steve is being moved to hospice care today,” Betsy Shepherd, a spokeswoman for the former Chicago Bears star, said in response to an email inquiring about his status.
McMichael played on the Bears’ 1985 Super Bowl championship team and was an All-Pro in 1985 and 1987. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame last year. He played in a franchise-record 191 consecutive games from 1981 to 1993 and ranks second to Richard Dent on the Bears’ all-time sacks list with 92 1/2. His final NFL season was with Green Bay in 1994.
He told the Chicago Tribune in April 2021 that he was struggling with ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, which affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord, causing loss of muscle control.
McMichael’s wife, Misty, told FOX 32 Chicago that Silver Cross Hospital in New Lenox recommended to the family that he be transferred to hospice care. “He’s been unresponsive for last two weeks and in and out of the hospital,” she said.
Reporting by The Associated Press.
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