The NFL world and its fans are mourning the death of former Chicago Bears coach and Hall of Fame tight end Mike Ditka, who died at the age of 86. But one memory being shared has everything to do with another team he coached: The New Orleans Saints.
The year was 1999. The New Orleans Saints had the fifth overall pick in the NFL Draft, and Texas running back Ricky Williams was coming off a Heisman Trophy year in which he had run for 2,124 yards and 27 touchdowns with the Longhorns. And with Ditka coaching the team, the Saints dealt their ENTIRE draft's worth of picks -- 1999 first, third, fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh round selections PLUS a 2000 first- and third-rounder... all to draft Williams.
In hindsight, it was a wild move then and it still
is. Williams didn't quite live up to that hype in his three years with the Saints, and then he went and led the NFL in rushing the following season.. for the Miami Dolphins.
But we'll always have that moment that was then immortalized on the cover of ESPN the Magazine, with Williams as the bride to Ditka the groom in an unforgettable photo.
Today in 1999, the cover of @espn Magazine featuring Ricky Williams and Mike Ditka. #TodayInSports #FlashbackFriday pic.twitter.com/Rg1cOKeeKh
— TodayInSports (@TodayInSportsCo) August 9, 2019
Just one of many Ditka moments fans are remembering on Friday.
This article originally appeared on For The Win: Remembering Mike Ditka trading Saints' whole draft for Ricky Williams
