Matt Suhey photo courtesy Chicago Bears.
Chicago is mourning the loss of Matt Suhey, the dependable fullback whose toughness, loyalty and unselfish play helped define the legendary 1985 Chicago Bears.
Suhey died in his sleep at his home in Deerfield, Illinois, over Labor Day weekend at age 68. The cause of death has not been publicly disclosed.
For Bears fans, Suhey will forever be remembered as an important piece of the team that captured Chicago’s only Super Bowl championship. He scored the first touchdown of Super Bowl XX, an 11-yard run in the first quarter, as the Bears went on to demolish the New England Patriots 46-10.
But Suhey’s greatest contribution often came without the spotlight. For much of his 10-year Bears career, from 1980 through 1989, he was the lead blocker for Walter Payton, opening holes and taking the punishment that helped “Sweetness” become one of the greatest running backs in NFL history. The two became exceptionally close friends, both on and off the field.
Their friendship became especially meaningful during Payton’s final years. Suhey remained fiercely protective of his friend, including being by his side during Payton’s battle with cancer. A famous 1985 photograph of the two joking around at practice captured the lighter side of a relationship that went far beyond football.
Suhey was drafted by the Bears in the second round out of Penn State in 1980 and never played for another NFL team. He appeared in 148 games, rushing for 2,946 yards and 20 touchdowns while adding 260 receptions for 2,113 yards and five receiving touchdowns. His durability was remarkable: he played in 148 of a possible 152 games during his career.
He was also part of a remarkable football family. His father, Steve Suhey, and grandfather, Bob Higgins, both played football at Penn State, where Matt also starred before joining the Bears.
The Chicago Sun-Times ranked Suhey No. 78 among the 100 Greatest Bears of All Time, a fitting recognition for a player whose value was sometimes easier to see in the success of the men around him.
Suhey was never the loudest or flashiest member of the ’85 Bears. He didn't need to be. He was the guy doing the dirty work, protecting his quarterback, clearing the way for Payton and helping turn one of the most colorful teams in sports history into champions.
And in a city that still talks about the ’85 Bears with almost mythical affection, Matt Suhey will be remembered as one of the good ones: tough, unselfish, dependable and, above all, a true friend to Walter Payton.
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