Matt Suhey
| No. 26 | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position | Fullback | ||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||
| Born | July 7, 1958 Bellefonte, Pennsylvania, U.S. | ||||||||
| Listed height | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) | ||||||||
| Listed weight | 217 lb (98 kg) | ||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||
| High school | State College Area (State College, Pennsylvania) | ||||||||
| College | Penn State (1976–1979) | ||||||||
| NFL draft | 1980 (2nd round, 46th overall pick) | ||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||
| Awards and highlights | |||||||||
| |||||||||
| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||
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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]
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 two touchdowns, 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
[edit]| Legend | |
|---|---|
| Won the Super Bowl | |
| Bold | Career high |
Regular season
[edit]| 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
[edit]| 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
[edit]- ↑ Archived February 18, 2006, at the Wayback Machine
- ↑ "Bears Trounce Patriots, 46-10, in Super Bowl". Los Angeles Times. January 27, 1986. Retrieved October 31, 2023.
- ↑ "Matt Suhey College Stats".
- ↑ "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.
Further reading
[edit]- Pompei, Dan (October 31, 2024). "Walter Payton and Matt Suhey, backfield mates turned brothers, and a bond that transcends time". The Athletic. Retrieved February 28, 2025.