Steve 'Mongo' McMichael receives blood transfusion, diagnosed with MRSA
Chicago Bears legend Steve "Mongo" McMichael received a blood transfusion after he was admitted to the intensive care unit for a urinary tract infection earlier this week.
CHICAGO - Chicago Bears legend Steve "Mongo" McMichael received a blood transfusion after he was admitted to the intensive care unit for a urinary tract infection earlier this week.
On Thursday night, McMichael's family said he would be taking three antibiotics to help treat the infection. They were also requesting prayers for a speedy recovery.
On Friday, the family pushed out an update around 2 p.m. saying McMichael is responding to the antibiotics and is also undergoing a procedure known as thoracentesis to remove fluid from his lungs. They also said he is expected to be released from the hospital in the coming days.
Wife of Steve Mongo McMichael speaks out after his recent hospitalization
The family of Steve "Mongo" McMichael on Friday provided an update on the Chicago Bears legends condition after he was admitted to the intensive care unit the day before.
"Continued prayers are appreciated," the family said in a statement.
The family issued a statement Saturday in the early afternoon saying McMichael is getting a blood transfusion and has MRSA.
Earlier this month, McMichael was inducted into the Hall of Fame, achieving his dream after advocating for induction for more than two decades.
RELATED: Former Bear Steve 'Mongo' McMichael reacts to Hall of Fame induction
Former Bear Steve 'Mongo' McMichael reacts to Hall of Fame induction
It was an exceptional moment for Chicago Bears legend Steve "Mongo" McMichael as the official word of his induction into the Hall of Fame was announced Thursday night.
His wife, Misty, said the way he was acting on Thursday reminded her of last August when he was rushed to the hospital.
"He had pneumonia last time, he was almost coma, unresponsive, so then when he was dripping sweat and he was hot and he had a fever and I asked him, blink once for yes, twice for no. Do you want to go to the ER? And he could barely do the one. I said, yeah we'll call them. They gave him some antibiotics, multiple kinds and they are working and like I said, I got back here this morning and he was ready to go home," Misty said. "But yeah, he’s fighting, hes still fighting."
Now, all the energy is getting him to Canton in August for the Hall of Fame induction ceremony.
McMichael has been battling Lou Gehrig's disease, or ALS, since he was diagnosed in 2021.
"I promise you, this epitaph that I’m going to have on me now? This ain’t ever how I envisioned this was going to end," McMichael told the Tribune in April 2021.
The disease has taken away his ability to walk and talk, but he has found other ways to communicate. Misty is also his voice.
McMichael, who controlled the interior of the line for the Bears’ famed "46 defense," was an All-Pro during the 1985 Super Bowl championship season and in 1987. He played in a franchise-record 191 consecutive games from 1981 to 1993 and ranks second to Hall of Famer Richard Dent on the Bears’ all-time sacks list with 92 1/2. His final season was with Green Bay in 1994.
Whether he was terrorizing opponents or discussing the Bears on sports talk radio, the man known as "Ming The Merciless" and "Mongo" after the character in "Blazing Saddles" who knocked out a horse remained a prominent presence in Chicago long after his playing days ended. He also spent five years in professional wrestling in the late 1990s.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
