Steve ‘Mongo’ McMichael Diagnosed with CTE One Year After His Death

As noted before, Pro Football Hall of Famer and former WCW wrestler Steve “Mongo” McMichael passed away in April of 2025 at the age of 67. Prior to his passing, McMichael had been battling Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) since being diagnosed with the disease in 2021.

The Concussion & CTE Foundation announced earlier today that McMichael has been diagnosed with chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). This disease currently can only be officially diagnose after someone’s death.

Breaking: Chicago Bears legend Steve "Mongo" McMichael was diagnosed with stage 3 CTE by researchers at @bu_cte. He was a key member of the Bears’ 1985 Super Bowl championship team and a Pro Football Hall of Famer. Mongo died in April 2025 after a nearly 5-year public battle with… pic.twitter.com/hbLhHtOyOf

— Concussion & CTE Foundation (@ConcussionCTEfn) April 7, 2026

In a recent interview with ESPN, McMichael’s widow Misty issued an official statement stating that she hopes this diagnosis helps inspire more research into the connection between football, ALS, and CTE.

“Too many NFL players are developing ALS during life and diagnosed with CTE after death. I donated Steve’s brain to inspire new research into the link between them.”

Former WWE wrestler and head of the Concussion & CTE Foundation Chris Nowinski also gave an official statement and praised McMichael for participating in CTE research as a final act by him to help the sports community and help save others in the future from the effects of CTE.

“Steve McMichael was known for his strength, toughness, and larger-than-life presence, but his final act was to give a piece of himself back to the sports community so that we might have a chance to save ourselves. I appreciate all the former athletes, including many of Steve’s ’85 Bears teammates, who are raising funds and volunteering to participate in CTE research so we can create a brighter future for athletes everywhere.”