Jim McMahon, a retired NFL quarterback, and his former teammate Steve McMichael share a bond beyond football careers.
After Steve went out from public appearance following diagnosis with ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis), McMahon would visit him for welfare.
Even more with his other friends, Jim held a fundraiser for bedridden McMichael.
His affection & brotherly care for Steve made highlights in mid-2022 after he initiated a petition to induct McMichael into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Stephen Douglas McMichael, aka “Mongo,” is a retired American football player who spent 15 seasons with the NFL with the Patriots (1980), Bears (1981-93), and Packers (1994).
While playing with the Bears, he won the Super Bowl XX championship, teaming up with McMahon.
It’s been home to Pro Football Hall of Famers like Orlando Pace, Ed Sprinkle, and Brian Urlacher.
A two-time Pro Bowl player, Steve later became the head coach of the CIFL team Chicago Slaughter from 2007 to 2013.
During his post-playing career, he also dived into the wrestling world, where his storyline included a feud with Ric Flair. He became a one-time WCW United States Heavyweight champion.
After that, he spent several years with Chicago Sports Radio before retiring due to an ALS diagnosis.
Jim McMahon Visits Steve McMichael Battling With ALS
After announcing his diagnosis with ALS on April 23, 2021, Steve opted out of public appearances.
For more than a year, there were no reports/pictures on the update of his health status until April 2022, when McMichael’s teammate, Jim McMahon, visited him in April 2022.
A Facebook post by ChiCitySports.Com featured Steve being bedridden with severe weight loss, being taken care of by his wife (second wife) Misty Davenport.
On May 11, 2022, Jim, the former Bears quarterback, initiated a petition to help his teammate McMichael’s Hall of Fame cause. Despite his on-field success, he is yet to get a welcoming call in the induction.
Later, in a WGN Radio interview, McMahon praised his former teammate, pointing out his achievements during his playing career. It included his effort to help Chicago capture its only Lombardi Trophy.
By mid-May 2022, other teammates of Steve, including football players & wrestlers, held a fundraiser in a joint effort to ease Mongo’s medical expenses.
Then, by July of 2022, many helping hands were approaching the former NFL player & wrestler.
Steve McMichael Health Update: Hospitalization & Coma
On August 3, 2023, McMichael, 65, was hospitalized after he was unconscious due to sepsis, according to his wife, Misty’s Instagram post.
He was put in the ICU on ‘IV antibiotics to clear his infection’ following his diagnosis with pneumonia.
After falling into a coma for a day, he woke up on August 4, and later stated that his ‘health was improving’.
Since then, he has returned home where his wife takes care of him. He has paralysis from the neck down and cannot speak, eat, or breathe on his own.
In late August 2023, Steve was named one of three “senior” finalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2024. He joins linebacker Randy Gradishar and wide receiver Art Powell on the list.
Speaking of the achievement, McMichael’s spouse, Misty, said that it gave him hope; something to live for.
The final vote will take place in January 2024, ahead of the Super Bowl LVIII, scheduled on February 11, 2024.
