The Chicago Bears drafted Matt Suhey in the 2nd round of the 1980 NFL draft. The Penn State standout knew his objective from the moment he arrived. Become the lead blocker for superstar running back Walter Payton. This would be a job he would accomplish exceptionally well. Payton had two of his four best seasons in the league at ages 31 and 32, with Suhey leading the way. Their bond became stuff they wrote stories about. Unfortunately, the franchise legend has now followed his old friend and teammate into the next life.
New broke via NBC Sports that Suhey has passed away at the age of 68. No details have surfaced on how it happened. The former player has led a quiet personal life for many years.
“Matt Suhey, a former Chicago Bears running back and member of the legendary 1985 Super Bowl championship team, died on Sunday, NBC Chicago confirmed.
He was 68 years old.”
It is unfortunate that Suhey isn’t more widely remembered by fans today. That is a byproduct of playing on teams loaded with Hall of Fame talent and outlandish personalities like Payton, Jim McMahon, Steve McMichael, Dan Hampton, Richard Dent, and Mike Singletary. Most only remember him leading the way for Payton. People never realize that Suhey was ahead of his time. In a period when fullbacks were strictly blockers, he spearheaded a renaissance that made the position a legitimate threat in the passing game. Suhey caught 260 passes in his career. That still puts him in the top 10 all-time among fullbacks.
Matt Suhey was the Cole Kmet of his day.
He was a good player who could do a little bit of everything for you. Yet he never got much acknowledgment because of the teammates around him. Not that it mattered. Suhey was a team player down to his core. He cared about winning. It probably isn’t a coincidence that Chicago’s best decade in the Super Bowl era came when he was on the roster. In many ways, while Payton was the soul of that team, Suhey was the guts. The guy fought through tons of pain without complaint and always delivered.
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Most agree that his 11-yard run for a touchdown in the Super Bowl is what essentially opened the floodgates, leading to a 46-10 Bears route of the New England Patriots. Yet, in a microcosm of his entire career, most people don’t remember that. They remember the dominant defensive performance and that Payton failed to score a touchdown. It didn’t matter. The objective was achieved. That is all Matt Suhey cared about. Let the historians debate how the game was won.
The Bears should’ve stayed focused on finding players like him.
Unselfish, determined, physical, and dedicated. All heart. Suhey was a special player. If the organization had geared its scouting efforts around finding players like him, it probably would’ve won more championships. The fullback retired following the 1989 season. Eventually, he took on the responsibility of mentoring Jarrett Payton after his father died of liver disease in 1999. Suhey was always on the young man about playing the right way. No showboating. Conduct yourself like a professional. All class.
Suhey is one of those unsung heroes of Bears history. A man lost in the shuffle during an era of giants. Yet all of those big names would’ve told you the same thing. If they were in a foxhole, Suhey would’ve been the man they wanted watching their backs. That is the highest compliment you can pay a football player. One final tip of the cap to a franchise legend.
