Jim Gray: Mike Ditka did it his way. Football will never see another like him

Jim Gray honors Mike Ditka on SiriusXM NFL Radio with Tom Brady, Bill Belichick, Drew Brees and Matthew Stafford.

America knew him as a football legend. He became a symbol of NFL toughness and a symbol of Chicago. Mike Ditka was more than a Hall of Fame player and head coach who led the Bears to an unforgettable Super Bowl XX championship. He was a man who was beyond the football field. Coach Ditka was my radio partner for almost a decade.

On our show and podcast this week, "Let's Go!" Broadcast on SiriusXM NFL Radio, I paid tribute to Coach Ditka's life and honored him along with my past and present co-hosts - Tom Brady, Bill Belichick, Matthew Stafford, Drew Brees and Peter King. They joined me to talk about what Ditka means to them and the game of football. Here was our tribute.

It's been a very difficult few days since we learned of Mike Ditka's passing on October 9, at the age of 86. Men like Ditka are very rare. He was a man once in his life. He seemed indestructible. I thought he would beat everything and everyone, and that he might live forever, because a guy like Mike Ditka isn't going to die.

NFL coaches share incredible Mike Ditka stories as football world mourns Bears legend

Coach America, that's what I called him and that's what he was. He was my radio partner for many years. I really liked him. He was very entertaining. He lived his life to perfection.

Tough yet tender, generous, yet demanding. It was funny as hell and explosive. He can make you laugh, make you nervous, make you cry, and also make you feel like the most important person in the room, sometimes all in the same conversation.

Lions head coach Mike Ditka's tribute to Mike Ditka after learning of his death in a press conference question

He was never polished, never predictable, never interested in being politically correct or popular.

But perhaps there was no one in sports who was more popular with his teammates, his players, his colleagues, his opponents and even his critics.

Tributes to Mike Ditka are pouring in from around the NFL, including fans dressing up as him in GREEN BY.

He was Iron Mike. Coach Da. A man of character, who was, a character.

Jackie Robinson's tombstone reads: "A life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives." Ditka's influence on Chicago, the NFL, sports, pop culture and the entire country was immense.

I thought he would beat everything and everyone, and that he might live forever, because a guy like Mike Ditka isn't going to die.

He was larger than life. However, he was always there and personally available to me. He went to great lengths to introduce me and the day I was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. His words were sincere, useful and informative.

"I tell you what an honor it is when you really think about it. I don't know anyone else on this walk of fame, but I know you," Ditka said to me and the assembled audience. "What a great honor to be recognized by your peers for your achievements and I know that you are a professional in anything, because when you do it, you do it right. Now I know that there is an art to everything in life. And if an interview is an art, then you are Michelangelo, believe me, because you are good at it. Now why is he good? Because he asks hard, hard and fair questions that you have to answer. And the reason why you have to answer them. Give is that the interview will not work without your answer. And that's what makes him so good. Ditka continued: "We've been together for a long time.

"Let me tell you something I know for a fact about life. If you don't have critics, you won't have any success. God bless you."

This feeling is very enlightening and instructive for anyone in public life. He knew this and chose successes. Damn the critics

Ditka really had it all. Mustache, cigarettes, volatility, winning, loyalty. He was one of a kind.

And for people who knew him beyond his public persona, there was another side. One of their extraordinary acts of kindness saw the moments when Bluster disappeared. Mike Ditka helped, really helped a lot of people. Whether they were teammates in need, youth in crisis, seniors in danger, struggling families, or strangers in distress. Ditka was the most generous person I have ever known. I saw his commitment to participation, accountability and consistently giving of his time and resources. And he wanted and expected absolutely nothing in return for his countless and truly endless acts of goodwill.

This is the part you can't put in the highlight reel, and it's probably the part that matters the most.

He lived his life with the lyrics of the song "My Way".

"For what's a man? What's he got? If he's not himself, then he's not. To say what he really feels, not the words of someone who kneels. The record shows that I took the hits and did it my way."

When someone is gone like that, you just don't miss what they did. You miss his presence

Bears coach Mike Ditka and Hall of Famer Jim Gray in an undated photo. (Jim Gray)

There will never be another Mike Ditka because, as Ralph Waldo Emerson once wrote,

"When nature takes away a great man, men scour the horizon for a successor, but none comes, and none will. His class is extinguished with him."

Mike Ditka, my dear friend, America's coach, an institution and a national treasure, was in a class all his own.

Every time we ended a conversation, Mike never said goodbye. His words were always, "God bless you, Jimmy."

So, I'm not saying goodbye to Coach Ditka. I will follow him. God bless the coach

May God have mercy on your soul and give patience to your respected family.

Here's what all-time greats have said about Coach Ditka during the show. This week's episode "Let's Go!" can be heard here.

Tom Brady, 7-time Super Bowl winning quarterback:

"There's a lot that I've loved about Coach Ditka from watching and getting to know him throughout my NFL career. He was hardly the town he coached in and the first guy in the Hall of Fame. I heard Gronk on the pregame show say he owes Coach Ditka a lot. Without Coach Ditka, there's no player like Rob Gronkowski to revolutionize the tight end position. And without "Rob Gronkowski, I've lost a bunch of Super Bowls. He's won a Super Bowl as a quarterback. He's the third one I've ever thrown to."

He also created a revolution in the game with his media activity on television. He never softened with a single word. There was never a filter. There was no fluff. It was all football. Rest in peace, coach Ditka."

Bill Belichick, 6 times Super Bowl winning head coach:

As a player Mike was very tough, competitive, consummate professional, a guy you certainly didn't want to mess with and he set the tone for the teams he played for. He was like a coach. He had the same tenacity that he carried over to his team and players. And you knew whenever you went up against him, it was like you were going to be in an absolute brawl and fight to the end, because that's how he and his teams competed. He loved Mike. I loved Mike and what he meant by the game. And we miss him."

Matthew Stafford, NFL MVP Los Angeles Rams Quarterback:

"I had the pleasure of being on some NFL shows with him. You know, having him was really something else. All these guys, they play football, they coach football, then they talk about football and become a guy who talks about football. But Ditka was always the coach, right? I mean, and I remember doing these shows with him. He had this cigarette that wouldn't light under the table."

Drew Brees, Hall of Fame, Super Bowl-winning quarterback:

"Not only was he an incredible player, but he was an incredible coach. There's a type of leadership that you just see things happen before they happen. You just have a vision of how things should be, and then your participation in getting to that point. That's a rare trait. I think Mike was no question, he was certainly one of those guys and men that will be missed."