Matt Suhey, a durable fullback for 1985 Chicago Bears, has died
AP News • • sports
Key Points:
- Matt Suhey, former Chicago Bears fullback and key contributor to the 1985 Super Bowl-winning team, has died at age 68, confirmed by the Bears with no further details provided.
- Suhey played 10 seasons with the Bears after being drafted in 1980, serving as a crucial blocker for Walter Payton, helping him become the NFL’s career leading rusher at the time.
- He was a close friend of Payton, who was godfather to Suhey’s youngest son; Payton’s son praised Suhey as a protective father figure following Payton’s death in 1999.
- During the Bears’ dominant 1985 season, Suhey was the team’s second-leading rusher and scored the first touchdown in their Super Bowl victory over New England.
- Suhey played 148 games for Chicago with nearly 3,000 rushing yards and over 2,100 receiving yards in his career; he also had a notable college career at Penn State, following his father’s legacy.
