One of the greatest football coaches in history may address the Republican National Convention in July.
Mike Ditka, the legendary coach of the Chicago Bears and a Super Bowl Champion, is a supporter of Donald Trump. But "Da Coach" didn't realize that he was supposed to make an appearance at the convention in Cleveland until friends had texted him with the story by Bloomberg Politics which first reported his attendance, according to The Chicago Tribune.
Ditka did say that he would be willing to speak.
Still, Ditka said that "If (Trump) asks me, I'd be happy to do it. I've said before that I like him." He added, "I'm not the type of guy to give a big speech. My speeches are short and to the point."
He offered a take-it-or-leave-it defense of Trump that would likely appeal to existing supporters but may not sway undecided voters. "If you want good things to happen you can vote for him, and if you don't, you don't," he said. "But don't bitch about it after the fact."
"America's pretty resilient," he said, adding, in a dig against President Barack Obama: "We've survived the last seven years, haven't we?"
Ditka is no stranger to politics.
He considered a run for the U.S. Senate in 2004 in Illinois as a Republican. The eventual winner of the election. Many, including Obama, believe that Obama would have lost the 2004 race if Ditka had run.
Coach Ditka is well known for his fiery temper and candid speaking style, not to mention his strained relationship with the press.
He angered ESPN when he offered his opinion that Obama is the "worst president we've ever had."
Ditka both played and coached for the Bears and as coach, led the Bears to victory in Super Bowl XX in January 1986. The 1985 Bears have become one of the most well-known teams in NFL history.
Ditka also became a bit of a pop culture figure as he has served as an inspiration for Saturday Night Live's Bill Swerski's Super Fans.