Who was Matt Suhey? Chicago Bears fullback and 1985 Super Bowl champion died at the age of 68

Matt Suhey, the Chicago Bears fullback who helped the team win Super Bowl XX, has died at 68. Suhey died Sunday, Sept. 6, NBC Chicago reported. He spent all 10 of his NFL seasons with Chicago after the Bears selected him in the second round of the 1980 NFL Draft out of Penn State. He became a key part of the 1985 championship team and was also known as Walter Payton’s longtime lead blocker and close friend.Who was Matt Suhey, the Chicago Bears fullback?Matt Suhey was born on July 26, 1958, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and came from a football family. His father, Paul Suhey Sr., played football at Penn State, while his older brother, Paul Suhey, played in the NFL for the Pittsburgh Steelers and won Super Bowl XIII.Suhey followed his family’s football path to Penn State, where he played running back. The Chicago Bears selected him 39th overall in the second round of the 1980 NFL Draft.Suhey became an important part of Chicago’s backfield, especially as a lead blocker for Hall of Fame running back Walter Payton. He helped create running room for Payton while also contributing as a runner and receiver.Suhey and Payton became close friends and formed an important partnership during the Bears’ successful 1980s run. Suhey spent his entire 10-year NFL career with Chicago and retired in 1989.How did Matt Suhey’s Chicago Bears career become part of NFL history?Suhey played 148 regular-season games for the Bears, starting 100 of them. He finished his NFL career with 2,946 rushing yards and 20 rushing touchdowns on 828 carries. He also caught 260 passes for 2,113 yards and five receiving touchdowns, according to the Chicago Bears.His biggest individual moment came on the sport’s biggest stage.In Super Bowl XX in January 1986, Suhey scored Chicago’s first touchdown with an 11-yard run against the New England Patriots. The Bears went on to win 46-10, giving the franchise its first Super Bowl title.That play gave Suhey a lasting place in the story of the 1985 Bears. He was part of a team remembered for its dominant defense, strong running game and larger-than-life personalities, but his role was often about making things easier for the stars around him.Suhey never missed a game during his 10-season Bears career. He retired from the NFL in 1989 after spending his entire playing career with Chicago.Even after leaving football, Suhey stayed connected to the Bears and his former teammates. The team later included him among its top 100 players, ranking him No. 70.His death adds another loss to the group that helped create one of the most remembered teams in Bears history. For Chicago fans, Suhey’s story is tied not only to the numbers he produced, but also to the work he did for Payton and the role he played in the Bears’ first Super Bowl championship.Get the latest Sports News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.