Anyone remember this interview?

I remember seeing an interview with Mike Ditka like 15/20 years ago and he told an amazing story (below). I've tried looking for it online and can't find anything on it. Does anyone remember it and can you help me locate it?

Ditka said that during the 70s it was his custom before every game to walk over to the other team's sideline and spit in the face of the opposing players. Ditka was known as a real badass, someone you didn't want to mess with. So when they play the Steelers, he does his usual routine. At the end of the bench, he gets to a rookie, who suddenly grabs Ditka by the neck (or lifts him up or something) and says that if ever does that again he'll break his neck in 2.

The rookie was a kid named Joe Green.

Could be the details aren't exact but it's something like this.

Any help from Steelers nation?

 

Not familiar with that one. He may have gotten away with that in the 60s but would have gotten his azz kicked in the 70s.

 

Definitely never heard that one before. Sounds like a story someone made up, but if it's true, that's doesn't make someone a bad***, it makes them a disgusting jerk.

 

Never heard that story. Ditka is a legit tough guy, but I couldn't see him doing that. That sounds more like something Conrad Dobler would have done.

 

Heard something like it. That when got tackled he had a bad habit of spitting on the Tacklers. Until he did it 2 Mean Joe. Its something like that. I believe I heard Mean Joe talk about it in an interview.

 

back in the 60's that would have resulted in a full on team brawl after the first spit. Didn't happen

 

Someone mentioned it . Like I said I didn't hear it the way he did, but I did hear about Ditka, Mean Joe , and spitting.

 

Oh, the days when you could spit in someone's face and not make them sick. Good times. Good times.

 

Rookie or not...… I don't think anyone's suicidal enough to spit on mean joe

 

Damn, I’m disappointed no one knows about this.

FYI, I’m sure it was in an interview with ditka himself (unless I’m dreaming)

Maybe someone can DM me his phone number and I’ll just call him?

 

Lambert would have whipped his ass.

 

That would’ve been impossible.

 

I know he played in the 60's. I just always compared them two for some reason. Don't like talking bad about Dikta since he is a Burgh boy and was always happy he played at Pitt when he could have went to ND.