Lifetime achievement award winner: Mike Ditka

Mike Ditka is identified with the Chicago Bears far more than any other football team, given his history with the franchise as a player and a coach. Yet no list of the greatest sports figures in Pittsburgh history is complete without Ditka's name, and Ditka has never forgotten his roots in Beaver County and the University of Pittsburgh.

During a visit to Aliquippa High School -- his alma mater -- in August, Ditka made it clear that he still identifies himself with Western Pennsylvania. ¶ "This is who I am. My identity is Aliquippa, Pennsylvania, and Pittsburgh, and I'm proud of that," he said. "I wouldn't be the person I am if I hadn't come from Aliquippa. If I wouldn't have had the parents I had, or the high school coach, or the discipline within the community, I wouldn't be me.

"I had a lot of opportunities in life, but I did something with the opportunities, and I tried to tell these kids that they're going to have opportunities," he said of the Aliquippa students he talked to during his visit Aug. 15. "Sometimes you get an opportunity in life, and it's either a stepping stone or an obstacle -- make something of it."

Ditka's visit to his hometown was another example of how, despite his travels and success, he has never forgotten where he comes from. ¶ "He's truly an Aliquippa guy," Aliquippa football coach Mike Zmijanac said. "And that's one of the things that we preach to our kids -- don't forget where you're from -- and he obviously hasn't forgotten that."

Ditka is one of only two men -- the other being Tom Flores -- to win the Super Bowl as a player, assistant coach and head coach. He also is an accomplished broadcaster and a fan favorite because of his no-nonsense approach and tough guy persona. He owns a chain of restaurants and two Orlando-area resorts and is co-owner of the Chicago Rush of the Arena Football League.