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Legendary Chicago Bears defensive tackle Steve "Mongo" McMichael is now paralyzed and unable to talk as he continues his battle with Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).
The 65-year-old former NFL and WCW star revealed his ALS diagnosis, also known as Lou Gehrig's Disease, in April 2021.
The illness is a rare neurological condition that affects motor neurons, which are the nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord that control voluntary muscle movements like chewing, walking and talking.
McMichael's wife, Misty, has been documenting his battle on social media since the diagnosis and has praised his resilience in fighting the disease.
She wrote on social media: "This man is the toughest man I've ever met in my life. He's hanging in there. He's actually better now that he's decided never go back to the hospital because we were going pretty much every month for different things."
There have been a number of fundraisers for the former defensive tackle, who was part of the Bears' formidable defense when they won the Super Bowl in 1985 by demolishing the New England Patriots.
Speaking about the importance of these injections of cash, Misty said: "The NFL has been really helpful but not helpful enough. It doesn't cover everything. So that's why we're fundraising, to help cover that gap."
McMichael, who is affectionately known as Mongo, is being treated at his home, where he requires 24/7 nursing care.
During his football career, McMichael played in a franchise-record 191 consecutive games in 13 seasons from 1981-93.
He currently ranks second in Bears history behind Hall of Famer Richard Dent with 92.5 career sacks.
McMichael was a two-time first-team All-Pro, a three-time second-team All-Pro and a two-time Pro Bowler.
After retiring from the NFL, McMichael jumped sports to become a professional wrestler in the WCW and made up a fearsome foursome known as the Four Horseman.
He competed in the WCW from 1996 to 1999 and for the final year of his pro career McMichael joined Ric Flair, Chris Benoit and Dean Malenko with Arn Anderson as their manager, to take on all-comers in the ring.
McMichael hasn't made any public appearances since revealing his ALS diagnosis, but his wife has updated fans on Instagram with a number of photos of the former NFL great with friends and family.
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