That was thanks to three men in Chicago. Coach Mike Ditka encouraged his players to be themselves and didn’t keep tabs on them too closely as long as they practiced hard and produced on Sundays. Dan Hampton, one of the best defensive linemen in the league and equally adept as a tackle or an end, served as McMichael’s role model on and off the field. Defensive coordinator Buddy Ryan told his players to get after it on every snap — the way McMichael liked to practice and play.