A star of Penn State's Fiesta Bowl win over Arizona State and a running back for the 1985 Chicago Bears Super Bowl championship team, Matt Suhey, has died at the age of 68.
No cause or details were immediately given.
Suhey, a fullback, was very close with Bears superstar Hall of Famer Walter Payton, who died in 1999, as well as a teammate of one-time Cardinals quarterback Jim McMahon.
It was McMahon and Payton, along with the famed defense led by Buddy Ryan, who keyed the Super Bowl title run.
Suhey scored on an 11-yard touchdown run in the first quarter of Super Bowl 20, part of his 52 yards on 11 carries that day. The Bears beat the Patriots, 46-10.
Suhey scored twice for Penn State as the Nittany Lions beat Arizona State, 42-30, in the 1977 Fiesta
Bowl at then-Sun Devil Stadium on Christmas Day.
Payton's son, Jarrett, reflected on his dad's relationship in a post on X, saying, in part:
"Their friendship showed me what real friendship looks like. Not the easy kind. The kind that lasts when the lights go off, when the stadium is empty, when life gets heavy. Brian’s Song told the story of Piccolo and Sayers. Somebody needs to tell the story of 34 and 26. Two men who trusted each other completely. Two men who became brothers."
Matt Suhey passed away yesterday.
— Jarrett Payton (@paytonsun) September 7, 2026
He was my dad’s closest friend. After we lost my dad in 1999, Matt became the biggest father figure I had. When everything felt uncertain, he was there. My dad left him in charge and Matt never let that responsibility sit lightly. He protected… pic.twitter.com/pN0I8zDTTz
Suhey's death on Sunday, Sept. 6, was confirmed to USA TODAY Sports by the Bears, with whom he played all of his 10 NFL seasons.
He was drafted in Round 2 by Chicago in the 1980 draft out of Penn State.
He played in 148 games (100 starts), gaining 2,946 yards on the ground with 20 touchdowns.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Penn State, Chicago Bears RB, part of Super Bowl title team, dies
