Suhey, 68, was found on Sunday at his home in Deerfield, Illinois. A spokesperson for the Lake County Coroner’s Officer told The California Post that the initial police investigation “revealed that there were no suspicious circumstances” in his death.
“Our preliminary investigation indicated that Mr. Suhey had a significant medical history and was being treated by a primary care physician (PCP),” Lake County Coroner’s Office chief deputy Steve Newton told the Post. “Therefore, our investigation was limited, and the PCP will be completing the death certificate for him, as it will be natural causes.”The Daily Herald reported that Suhey died in his sleep Saturday night.“I am shocked,” former Bears defensive tackle Dan Hampton told the outlet.
Suhey, the son of former Penn State star Steve Suhey, played high school football at State College. The 5-foot-11, 217-pound running back then played for the Nittany Lions from 1976 through 1979. He rushed for 2,818 yards and 26 touchdowns across that stretch while also catching 39 passes for 328 yards and 2 touchdowns.
He was also remembered by many former Penn State stars following his death.
The Chicago Bears selected Suhey in the second round, 46th overall, of the 1980 NFL Draft.
Suhey became a beloved member of the Bears as the fullback and lead blocker for legendary running back Walter Payton.
He also scored the first touchdown in Chicago’s Super Bowl XX win over the New England Patriots.
“Matt had an awful lot of great runs early in that game when it was still in question,” Hampton told The Daily Herald. “All through the year, when it was third-and-4, everybody would be thinking Walter was going to get it and then — pop — there goes Suhey for 8 right up the middle.
He finished his career with 2,946 rushing yards and 20 touchdowns and was named one of the 100 greatest Bears of all time.“Quality of character, there was no one superior to Matt,” Hampton said. “He was truly a gentleman. He wasn’t like a bunch of the rest of us who were cutting up. He was, I don’t want to say more adult, but he was real responsible. He played around with Walter and everyone else but he wasn’t a guy going out to the bar after the game. He was a businessman.”
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