- McMichael underwent a blood transfusion and an operation to drain fluid from his lungs.
- But the Hall of Famer’s wife, Misty, says he could return home in the next few days.
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Chicago Bears great Steve McMichael is improving after contracting a staph infection in a suburban hospital, and his family expects him to return home early this week, his wife said Sunday in a statement.
McMichael, who went public with his ALS diagnosis three years ago, has been hospitalized since Thursday. His family hopes to have him home Tuesday, his wife Misty McMichael said.
The 66-year-old man was admitted to intensive care. Thursday, a week after being elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, with a urinary tract infection. The family then announced Saturday that he had developed MRSA, a staph infection that can be difficult to treat because it is resistant to certain antibiotics, and was receiving a blood transfusion.
“He’s a tough guy,” Misty McMichael said. ‘He is Mongo and his DNA is different! Keep those prayers coming! Thank you!’
Bears great Steve McMichael is improving after contracting a staph infection in a hospital.
McMichael’s wife, Misty, says her husband could return home Tuesday.
The 66-year-old spent 13 of his 15 seasons with the Bears and was All-Pro in 1985 and 1987.
McMichael, who controlled the interior of the line for the Bears’ famous ’46 defense,’ was an All-Pro during the 1985 and 1987 Super Bowl championship seasons.
He played in a franchise-record 191 consecutive games from 1981-93 and ranks second behind Hall of Famer Richard Dent on the Bears’ all-time sacks list with 92 1/2. His last season was with Green Bay in 1994.
Whether he was terrorizing opponents or talking about the Bears on sports radio, the man known as ‘Ming The Merciless’ and ‘Mongo’ after the ‘Blazing Saddles’ character who knocked out a horse, remained a prominent presence. in Chicago long after his playing days were over. He also spent five years in professional wrestling in the late 1990s.
Over the weekend, McMichael’s family revealed that he was responding well to antibiotics for his UTI, writing in a statement via NBC’s Mike Berman: “He is also undergoing a procedure known as thoracentesis to remove fluid from his lungs.
He played in a franchise-record 191 consecutive games from 1981 to 1993 for the Bears.
‘Steve is expected to be released from hospital in the coming days. Continued prayers are appreciated.”
McMichael is one of 12 players whose last appearance was no later than 1998 in the mix for induction into the Hall of Fame next year.
The selection committee will narrow that list to up to three, and finalists will be part of the class of 2024 if they have the support of at least 80 percent of voters next January.