Matt Suhey, the man responsible for opening holes for Chicago Bears legend Walter Payton, died Saturday, per multiple reports. He was 68.
Selected by the Bears in the second round of the 1980 NFL Draft, Suhey — a fullback — was brought in to make sure Payton continued to excel as a runner. Both men were extremely successful in that pursuit.
Payton, who was already on a Hall of Fame trajectory, rushed for 9,800 yards and 51 touchdowns in the eight years in which he ran behind Suhey. Following Payton’s retirement, Suhey blocked for Neal Anderson, who gained over 1,100 yards running behind Suhey in 1988.
While Suhey was mostly known for his toughness and blocking ability, he did carve out a role as a secondary runner to Payton, getting over 100 carries in four of his 10 NFL seasons.
He finished his career with 2,946 rushing yards and 20 touchdowns. He also played a key role in the 1985 Bears winning the Super Bowl. In the team’s three playoff games, he carried the ball 23 times, picking up seven first downs. He also scored a touchdown against the New England Patriots in the Super Bowl.
Prior to his time in Chicago, Suhey starred at Penn State, where he racked up 2,818 rushing yards and 26 touchdowns in his four years with the program.
Though he was a beloved and well-known figure among Bears fans, Suhey was arguably more well known for his relationship with Payton away from the field. The two grew so close that Payton was reportedly the godfather to Suhey’s son, per USA Today. Payton’s son, Jarrett, has referred to Suhey as a “father figure” after Payton died in 1999, per the Chicago Tribune. During Payton’s episode of “A Football Life,” Suhey was described as Payton’s “best friend.”
During that episode, Jarrett perfectly summed up Suhey’s relationship with Walter both on and off the field.
“Matt watched my dad’s back, kinda like being a bodyguard or protector. He blocked for him. He took a lot of hits. Making sure my dad would get the glory. And Matt kinda just sat around in the background. Very unselfish.”
Suhey’s personality made him a popular player on those ‘80s Bears teams. When it came time for Bears lineman Jimbo Covert to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, he chose Suhey as his presenter for the event.
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