Steve 'Mongo' McMichael diagnosed with CTE after death following battle with ALS

Chicago Bears legend Steve “Mongo” McMichael, who died last year following a five-year battle with ALS, has been diagnosed with chronic traumatic encephalopathy. The Concussion & CTE Foundation announced his diagnosis on Tuesday.

CTE can only be diagnosed posthumously. The foundation said that researchers at Boston University’s CTE Center found that McMichael was at stage 3 of the condition, per The Athletic. There are four stages of CTE, which is caused by repeated head injuries and causes the death of nerve cells in the brain, according to Mayo Clinic.

“Too many NFL players are developing ALS during life and diagnosed with CTE after death,” his wife, Misty McMichael, said in a statement. “I donated Steve’s brain to inspire new research into the link between them.”

A 2021 study by the Harvard Medical School and the Boston University CTE Center found that NFL players are over four times more likely to develop ALS than the general male population. About 6% of individuals with CTE also have ALS.

“There is strong evidence linking repetitive brain trauma and ALS,” said Dr. Ann McKee, director of the Boston University CTE Center and chief of neuropathology for the VA Boston Healthcare System. “In our CTE brain bank, about six percent of individuals with CTE also have ALS.”

Steve McMichael had a storied NFL career

McMichael, who was 67 years old when he died April 23, 2025, was a centerpiece of the vaunted 1985 Bears defense. He ranks fourth on the NFL’s all-time sacks list by a defensive tackle (95). McMichael was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2024.

Before he became a Hall of Famer at the professional level, McMichael was a star defensive lineman at Texas, putting together a storied career with the Longhorns from 1976-79 to become a College Football Hall of Famer. He was a two-time All-Southwest Conference selection and a Consensus All-American before the New England Patriots selected him in the third round of the 1980 NFL Draft.

McMichael spent the majority of his career in Chicago, playing for the Bears from 1981-93. He earned two First-Team All-Pro and three Second-Team All-Pro selections. He spent one final season with the Green Bay Packers in 1994 before announcing his retirement.

After retiring from football, McMichael entered the world of professional wrestling. He was present at ringside for the WrestleMania XI main event between Lawrence Taylor and Bam Bam Bigelow. He joined WCW in 1995 and became a member of the iconic Four Horsemen stable in 1996. He wrestled his last match for WCW in 1999.