Former 1985 Bears fullback Matt Suhey passes away

Former Chicago Bears fullback and Super Bowl champion Matt Suhey passed away on Sunday, according to NBC Chicago. He was 68 years old.

Suhey spent his entire playing career with the Bears, joining them as a second-round draft pick in 1980 and played through 1989. He was best known as the lead blocker for Hall of Fame running back Walter Payton, whom he became great friends with, but also totaled 2,946 rushing yards and 20 rushing touchdowns, as well as 2,113 receiving yards and five receiving touchdowns during his 10-year career.

Suhey also scored the first touchdown in Super Bowl XX for the Bears in their 46-10 victory over the New England Patriots. He was a fan favorite during the Bears’ sustained success during the 1980s and was a popular teammate in the locker room.

Jimbo Covert, who was elected into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2021, chose Suhey to be his presenter. “He was kind of a mentor. I learned a lot from him about what it meant to be a pro… And I think it’s a way to have Walter [Payton] a part of it as well because they were so close, and I just feel it’s appropriate to have them both with Matt as the lead,” Covert said in 2020 to Chicago Bears Senior Writer Larry Mayer.

This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Former 1985 Bears fullback Matt Suhey passes away