Dittrich was born John Francis Dittrich on May 7, 1933 in Sheboygan, Wisconsin.[2] His family later moved to Cudahy, a suburb of Milwaukee, where he attended Cudahy High School. He then attended the University of Wisconsin (now University of Wisconsin-Madison).
Dittrich was drafted in 1956 in round 6, pick 9 (70th overall) by the Chicago Cardinals. He played 12 games that season. In 1959, he played 12 games for the Green Bay Packers. In 1960, he played in 11 games for the Oakland Raiders, and in 1961 he played in 12 games at Buffalo.