Bears great McMichael improving from infection

CHICAGO — Chicago Bears great Steve McMichael is improving after contracting a staph infection at a suburban hospital, and his family hopes he returns home early this week, his wife said Sunday in a statement.

The 66-year-old McMichael, who went public with an ALS diagnosis three years ago, has been hospitalized since Thursday. His family hopes to have him home on Tuesday, wife Misty McMichael said.

Steve McMichael was admitted into intensive care on Thursday — a week after being voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame — with a urinary tract infection. The family announced Saturday he had developed MRSA, a staph infection that can be difficult to treat because it is resistant to certain antibiotics, and was undergoing a blood transfusion.

“He’s one tough guy,” Misty McMichael said. “He’s Mongo and his DNA is different! Keep those prayers coming! Thank you!”

Steve McMichael, who controlled the interior of the line for the Bears’ famed “46 defense,” was an All-Pro during their 1985 Super Bowl championship season and in 1987. He played in a franchise-record 191 consecutive games from 1981 to ’93 and ranks second to Hall of Famer Richard Dent on the Bears’ all-time sacks list with 92½. His final season was with Green Bay in 1994.