Matt Suhey

Matthew Jerome Suhey (born July 7, 1958) is an American former professional football player who was a fullback for ten seasons in the National Football League (NFL) for the Chicago Bears. He won a Super Bowl as a member of the 1985 Bears while scoring a touchdown in the game and was named to the Pennsylvania Football All-Century Team.^[1][2]

Matt Suhey

No. 26
Position:	Fullback
Personal information
Born:	(1958-07-07) July 7, 1958 (age 66) Bellefonte, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Height:	5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)
Weight:	217 lb (98 kg)
Career information
High school:	State College (PA) Area
College:	Penn State
NFL draft:	1980 / round: 2 / pick: 46
Career history
Chicago Bears (1980–1989)
Career highlights and awards
Super Bowl champion (XX) 100 greatest Bears of All-Time 2× First-team All-East (1978, 1979)
Career NFL statistics
Rushing yards: 2,946 Rushing average: 3.6 Rushing touchdowns: 20 Stats at Pro Football Reference

Before his NFL career, Suhey played college football at Penn State from 1976 to 1979, rushing for 2,818 yards and 26 touchdowns, while also catching 39 passes for 328 yards and 2 scores, along with 21 punt returns for 252 yards and another touchdown.^[3]

Suhey was the lead blocker and friend of Walter Payton. He is also a close friend of the Payton family, and the executor of the Payton estate since the death of Walter. Although Suhey was never a leader in any statistical category, he was a fan favorite for his personality and blocking ability.

Matt Suhey is one of three sons of College Football Hall of Fame guard Steve Suhey to letter at Penn State University and a grandson of Hall of Fame Penn State player and coach Bob Higgins. His son, Joe Suhey, was a fullback at Penn State from 2007 to 2011. The Higgins–Suhey family is often referred to as the "first family of Penn State football" due to their affiliation with the program spanning four generations.^[4]

NFL career statistics

Legend
	Won the Super Bowl
Bold	Career high

Regular season

Year	Team	Games		Rushing					Receiving
		GP	GS	Att	Yds	Avg	Lng	TD	Rec	Yds	Avg	Lng	TD
1980	CHI	16	1	22	45	2.0	10	0	7	60	8.6	21	0
1981	CHI	15	14	150	521	3.5	26	3	33	168	5.1	15	0
1982	CHI	9	8	70	206	2.9	15	3	36	333	9.3	45	0
1983	CHI	16	13	149	681	4.6	39	4	49	429	8.8	52	1
1984	CHI	16	16	124	424	3.4	21	4	42	312	7.4	23	2
1985	CHI	16	16	115	471	4.1	17	1	33	295	8.9	35	1
1986	CHI	16	14	84	270	3.2	17	2	24	235	9.8	58	0
1987	CHI	12	2	7	24	3.4	6	0	7	54	7.7	12	0
1988	CHI	16	16	87	253	2.9	19	2	20	154	7.7	29	0
1989	CHI	16	0	20	51	2.6	8	1	9	73	8.1	22	1
		148	100	828	2,946	3.6	39	20	260	2,113	8.1	58	5

Playoffs

Year	Team	Games		Rushing					Receiving
		GP	GS	Att	Yds	Avg	Lng	TD	Rec	Yds	Avg	Lng	TD
1984	CHI	2	2	10	23	2.3	15	0	5	44	8.8	33	0
1985	CHI	3	3	23	108	4.7	11	1	4	36	9.0	24	0
1986	CHI	1	1	4	14	3.5	5	0	1	2	2.0	2	0
1987	CHI	1	1	4	8	2.0	5	0	1	6	6.0	6	0
1988	CHI	2	2	2	3	1.5	3	0	2	8	4.0	4	0
		9	9	43	156	3.6	15	1	13	96	7.4	33	0

References

1. Archived February 18, 2006, at the Wayback Machine
2. "Bears Trounce Patriots, 46-10, in Super Bowl". Los Angeles Times. January 27, 1986. Retrieved October 31, 2023.
3. "Matt Suhey College Stats".
4. "Ginger Suhey, Matriarch of Penn State First Family of Football, Dies". November 23, 2011. Archived from the original on June 5, 2014. Retrieved June 1, 2014.