CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- Chicago Bears great Steve "Mongo" McMichael announced he is battling amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), often known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, the progressive nervous system disease that is disrupting his brain’s ability to communicate with his muscles.
According to the Tribune, McMichael was formally diagnoses with the disease a little more than three months ago and has finally decided to publicly announce his condition.
In a long-form feature published Friday, the Tribune said McMichael has lost about 50-60 pounds, weighing less than he did when he graduated from Freer High School in Texas in 1976. The disease is taking a rapid toll on his health, as he can no longer feed or bathe himself. He has lost the ability to raise his arms or grasp objects in his hands, and soon will be confined to a wheelchair, which Bears chairman George McCaskey and his family will pay for, according to the Tribune.
McMichael said one of the reasons he chose to go public about his battle with ALS is because he wants people to know the curtain has lowered on his time in the public eye. He will no longer be making any public appearances, including with with his band, “The Chicago Six.”
Former Bears offensive linemen Tom Thayer and Jay Hilgenberg visited McMichael this month.
“And you know what they did?” McMichael told the Tribune “They looked at me, then looked at each other and they got ready to double-team me. Just like, ‘I think we can take him now.’"
Thayer told WBBM Newsradio's Jeff Joniak that he was "certainly disappointed in what stages it has gotten to at this point in his life; however, the man that I was talking to at the kitchen table, the man that I hugged when I walked out of his house, is the same Steve McMichael that I admire so much from the very first day that I practiced against him in Plattville."
He told the Tribune that "mentally, he is still fit as a fiddle. But then you see the other stage of what the disease does to you. That’s the hard part to take.”
Players like Dan Hampton, Gary Fencik, Keith Van Horne, Richard Dent, Jim McMahon, and many others continue to reach out and support McMichael, his wife, and daughter as they battle through this difficult time.
According to the Tribune, McMichael remains eligible for financial aid from the NFL. His application for funding from the league’s “88 Plan” — named in honor of Pro Football Hall of Famer John Mackey — is under review and should open the door for up to $144,000 annually for medical and custodial care. The plan provides assistance for former players diagnosed with ALS, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s disease, and dementia.
A GoFundMe page has been set up to help "defray the mounting costs of Steve's daily care and medical needs," according to the fundraiser page.
This weekend, Obvious Shirts founder Joe Johnson will begin selling “Team Mongo” T-shirts on his popular website, promising to devote all proceeds to Steve and Misty. Information on future fundraising events and additional “Team Mongo” gear can be found at the official “Team Mongo” website, www.TeamMongo76.com.
Additionally, it is feared that the boisterous McMichael could ultimately lose his speech because of this condition.
The McMichaels have reached out to the Team Gleason Foundation, established by former Saints safety Steve Gleason after his ALS diagnosis, hoping to receive assistance in eventually getting McMichael an augmentative communication device, a computerized method of speaking for those who lose their vocal ability, the Tribune reported.
McMichael, 63, was a 15-year NFL veteran defensive lineman who played from 1980-1994, including 13 seasons with the Bears. He was best known as one of the most dominant players -- and personalities -- on the 1985 Bears team that won the Super Bowl.
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