Mike Ditka, the combustible former NFL coach and player whose death was announced Oct. 9, suffered from a variety of medical issues over the years.
The ailments included a heart attack during the 1988 Chicago Bears season, a stroke in 2012 and a heart attack in 2018 that required a pacemaker.
The cause of death for the NFL legend, who was 86, was not immediately available from official channels.
The Cook County (Illinois) Medical Examiner's Office said it had not received information about Ditka’s death and raised the possibility of Ditka having been under the care of a doctor. If that were the case, the doctor would have signed the death certificate and filed it with Cook County Records, according to the Medical Examiner’s office.
The Medical Examiner's
office also referred inquiries to the Illinois Department of Vital Records, where a representative said she could provide no information by phone.
No one picked up a phone call to the Cook County Clerk's Office Bureau of Vital Records.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Mike Ditka's cause of death unclear after extended health battle
