Legendary Chicago Bears tight end and coach Mike Dikta had a 63-year run with ... That record was one Ditka had held since 1961, when he set an NFL record for receiving yards by a rookie tight ...

The rookie year Mike Ditka enjoyed was like no other for an NFL rookie tight end for 63 years. Now, the rookie record set by Ditka for tight end receiving yards that year has fallen to Las Vegas ...

After all, it was on Jan. 20, 1982 that the Bears hired a former tight end named Mike Ditka, then the special teams coordinator with the Dallas Cowboys, as the 10 th coach in franchise history.

Bowers’ seven catches for 77 yards give him 108 receptions for 1,144 yards in 16 games this season, eclipsing Mike Ditka’s 1961 rookie tight end mark of 1,067 yards receiving and Puka Nacua ...