Steve McMichael Says He's Bearing Down to Become Romeoville's Next Mayor

Steve "Mongo" McMichael has been many things in his life: Chicago Bears defensive tackle and Super Bowl champion, World Championshp Wrestling commentator and wrestler, Professional Indoor Football League head coach, ESPN 1000 radio football analyst, and owner of Mongo McMichael's sports bar and restaurant.

Now he wants to add another line to the resume: Mayor of .

McMichael went on "The Waddle & Silvy Show" on ESPN 1000 this morning to announce his candidacy, stressing that he is "dead serious" about making a run against incumbent Mayor John Noak in the April 2013 election.

McMichael, 54, said he's been approached by several people about making the run.

"They've been mentioning to me that they're not happy, and they want me to run for mayor," he said. "And by God, when I came to be a man, I put away childish things, I'm going to do it."

(To listen to the McMichael's radio interview, click here.)

McMichael said he was making the formal announcement sooner than he had been planned because he'd been "outed" by WJOL-AM radio show host Scott Slocum Tuesday morning. However, he refuted a comment reportedly made by Slocum about one of his goals being to reopen Crazy Rock, the strip club on Route 53 that was recently purchased by the village for future economic development.

He called it an "eyesore" that most people in Romeoville wanted to see gone.

"(The Crazy Rock sign) has got to come down," McMichael said.

His goal, he said, is to be a mayor who serves the will of the people.

"What do the people of this town want me to do (as mayor)? That's what I should do," McMichael said. "(The mayor) works for the people. In other words, he's a mediator. He does what they want done in that town."

Another impetus in his decision is his 4-year-old daughter, who will soon be starting school in Romeoville, he said.

He's prepared to be a full-time mayor, he said, because other than his analyst duties on ESPN radio shows before and after Chicago Bears games, he's "virtually retired."

"I want you to realize, and you guys can hear this in my voice, I'm dead serious about this," he said. "This is not a joke. I don't take people's futures and their families' futures lightly, baby."