Stroke can’t silence Bears legend Ditka

Legendary Chicago Bears coach Mike Ditka, who suffered what was diagnosed as a “minor stroke” on Friday, was released from hospital on Sunday and made a triumphant return to the airwaves when he appeared on ESPN Radio yesterday.

Ditka, 73, said: “I was kinda driving down the highway of life really fast, and I had a flat tyre. (But) I’m okay. You won’t expect those things to happen, and they come up on you... it really opens your eyes. I knew everything that was happening, but I couldn’t do anything about what was happening. I feel pretty good right now — I really do — so I think everything’s going to be okay.”

Ditka suffered the stroke at a suburban Chicago country club on Friday — he said later that he knew something was wrong when he had trouble using his hands correctly and couldn’t speak the way he wanted to. He suffered a heart attack in 1988, but had no known recent heath issues before Friday.