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Steve McMichael, a valuable member of the famed 1985 Chicago Bears defense, has announced that he has been diagnosed with 36-month onset ALS. Also known as Lou Gehrig's Disease, ALS is a progressive nervous system disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord, which causes loss of muscle control. 

McMichael, 63, was first diagnosed in January. A second opinion later confirmed the diagnosis. McMichael has lost the use of his arms and hands but is still able to walk. The Bears have provided him with a customized wheelchair. McMichael's wife, Misty, has also helped him navigate through his physical limitations. 

"I'm here to tell everybody that I've been diagnosed with ALS: Lou Gehrig's Disease," McMichael told WGN's Jarrett Payton. "I'm glad, in my life, I never held back anything. I went at it full bore and did a lot of things in my life." 

One of best players on the Bears' vaunted "46" defense, McMichael earned his first of three consecutive Pro Bowl honors in 1985 while helping Chicago capture its only Lombardi Trophy. A two-time All-Pro, McMichael had 92.5 career sacks for Chicago, second in franchise history. McMichael and Dan Hampton (a 2002 Hall of Fame inductee) formed one of the greatest defensive duos in NFL history, a duo that totaled 88.5 sacks from 1984-88. 

"Those two guys at the point of attack were as good as anything I've ever been around coaching or playing," former teammate and current Washington coach Ron Rivera recently told The Athletic. 

McMichael's presence helped the '85 Bears lead the NFL in scoring defense. After shutting out the Giants and Rams in the playoffs, Chicago held the Patriots to just 123 total yards (including just 7 rushing yards) while forcing six turnovers in the Bears' 46-10 win. 

"People view that team as a life event," McMichael said during a 2019 interview with Dan Wiederer of the Chicago Tribune. "On both ends of the spectrum, good life event or bad life event, people remember everything. You remember exactly where you were sitting. You can see the tchotchkes in the room. Most of life fades. But life events? … What people experienced with that team, they will never forget."

A fan favorite during -- and long after -- his playing days, McMichael never missed a game during his 13 years with the Bears. He holds the franchise record in consecutive games played at 191. 

"That's resolve," McMichael said of his streak. "You find out who you are, my friend. And when that adrenaline is flowing, baby, that's the painkiller that can't be matched anywhere in the world. That's the juice you're going to miss when you can't do it anymore."

A GoFundMe page has been created to help cover the cost of medical care. A "Team Mongo" website has also been created to help assist McMichael and his family.