Steve McMichael, a former great of the Chicago Bears and Hall of Fame selection, received a blood transfusion on Saturday after his longtime publicist revealed that he had been diagnosed with MRSA, a staph infection resistant to several medications.
His family requested that they be prayed for. McMichael, 66, was suspected of having pneumonia when he was taken to the hospital on Thursday. Later on, an infection of the urinary system was identified in him, and antibiotics worked well for it.
Before it was discovered that he had methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, he was anticipated to be discharged from the hospital in a few days.
After receiving an ALS diagnosis in 2021, McMichael has struggled with pneumonia and sepsis among other illnesses. Known to friends and teammates as “Mongo,” the veteran defensive tackle for the Chicago Bears played in 191 games over the course of 13 seasons. In 1980, he started his NFL career with the New England Patriots, and in 1994, he concluded it with the Green Bay Packers.
In the interim, McMichael was a two-time All-Pro and a member of the storied 1985 Bears Super Bowl winning squad. Over the course of his career (213 games), he racked up 95 sacks, 847 tackles, 13 forced fumbles, and 17 recovered fumbles.
In August, McMichael will join Devin Hester and Julius Peppers, two other prominent Bears players, at the Canton, Ohio, Hall of Fame induction ceremony.
