Legendary Coach and NFL Commentator Mike Ditka To Headline Boys Town 2005 Booster Banquet

Legendary coach, Pro Football Hall of Famer and NFL commentator Mike Ditka will headline the Boys Town Booster Banquet on Thursday, May 5 in Omaha, Neb.

The Booster Banquet, which benefits and honors Boys Town student athletes, will be held at 6 p.m. at Omaha’s Holiday Inn Convention Center, 3321 S. 72 St. The event is open to the public. Tickets are $75 each or tables of 10 can be purchased for $750. For tickets, contact Shirley Gosier at (402) 498-1299 or e-mail, GBTboosters@boystown.org.

This is Ditka’s second visit to Boys Town. In his 1989 visit to Home Campus, he was made an honorary citizen of the Village of Boys Town. He also visited Boys Town Louisiana in 1997.

Ditka began his pro football career in 1961 as a first-round draft pick of the Chicago Bears out of the University of Pittsburgh. In his six seasons with the Bears, he was named Rookie of the Year and earned five Pro Bowl honors. He played two years for the Pennsylvania Eagles and played the last four years of his career with the Dallas Cowboys, winning a world championship ring in the Cowboys’ victory over the Miami Dolphins in Super Bowl VI.

After nine years as a Dallas assistant coach, Ditka coached the Chicago Bears for 11 seasons, rolling up six NFC Central titles and a Super Bowl victory in 1986. His tenure and number of victories as a Bear head coach are second only to the team’s founder and coach for 40 seasons, George Halas. Including his three seasons coaching the New Orleans Saints, Ditka holds a 127-101 career coaching record. In 1988, was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He is currently an NFL commentator for CBS.