"Iron Mike" Ditka was the first tight end to be elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and he won three Super Bowl Championship rings: one as a player (Dallas Cowboys), one as an assistant coach (Dallas Cowboys), and one as a head coach (Chicago Bears). The only other person to achieve this feat was Tom Flores. Presented is the opportunity to possess a Mike Ditka NFL Football Players Association Ring, potentially a salesman's sample. Ditka was born in 1939 in Carnegie, Pennsylvania, a small city just outside of Pittsburgh, PA. Ditka, of Polish and Ukrainian descent on his father's side and Irish and German descent form his mother's side, was born as Michael Dyczko, but as Mike was growing up in nearby Aliquippa, PA, townspeople had trouble pronouncing Dyczko, so the family changed its name to the more-easily pronounceable Ditka. Mike played college football for the University of Pittsburgh as a two-way end, linebacker, and punter. He was an All-American in his senior year. In the NFL, Ditka became the first tight end to reach 1,000 yards in receptions in his rookie season, and he was named 1961 NFL Rookie of the Year. He played for three NFL teams: Chicago Bears (1961-66), Philadelphia Eagles (1967-68), and Dallas Cowboys (1969-72). In his NFL career, Ditka caught 427 passes for 5,812 yards and 43 touchdowns. Ditka is also a member of the College Football Hall of Fame. 

The offered ring is a size 10. It contains 10K gold. The ring face has a simulated diamond in the center that is positioned over "NFL." Raised lettering around the ring face reads, "PLAYERS ASSOCIATION." The left prong has a stylized image of a football field, and a helmet with Ditka's number "89." The right prong has the image of an Eagle astride the image of a football labeled as "NFL." In very small print beneath the football is lettering that reads, "Players Association." The ring weighs 0.875 ounces and is in excellent condition. Whether or not it is a salesman's sample, it makes a fine remembrance for the NFL career of Mike Ditka, both as a player and as a coach.