Penn State great Matt Suhey has died at 68, according to multiple reports.
Suhey’s name still sits near the top of the school’s rushing history nearly five decades after he finished his college career. He played at Penn State from 1976 to 1979 and left campus as the No. 2 rusher in program history behind Lydell Mitchell. Even now, he remains No. 13 on the all-time list, ahead of Penn State standouts including John Cappelletti, Charlie Pittman and Franco Harris.
That college production pushed Suhey into the NFL as a second-round pick in the 1980 draft, and he landed with the Chicago Bears. He went on to play 10 seasons in Chicago, with his career there highlighted by the 1985 team that finished with the franchise’s only Super Bowl title.
Suhey also became tightly connected to Walter Payton during their time with the Bears. When Payton was diagnosed with primary sclerosing/bile duct cancer in late 1998, Suhey drove him to his appointments at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. After Payton died in 2001, Suhey stayed close with the Payton family.
“Matt is just an amazing guy,” Walter’s daughter, Brittany, told ESPN. “He’s so quiet, but he doesn’t have to say much. He’s always checking in, wants to know how things are going, how were my classes, my grades, and now it’s with work, and he’s staying updated how the show is going.”
“(Suhey) is a sweetheart,” Payton’s widow, Connie, told ESPN. “I honestly don’t know what we would have done without him, and I’m so thankful to have him in our life. He took to heart what Walter entrusted in him, and he loves my kids like they were his own.”
Suhey also came from one of Penn State’s notable football families. His father, Steve, played guard there in the 1940s and is in the College Football Hall of Fame.
His brothers Larry and Paul both played at Penn State in the 1970s, and all three were on the 1976 team. The family connection carried on into the next generation, with Paul’s son, Kevin, playing at Penn State from 2005 to 2007 and Matt’s son, Joe, playing there from 2007 to 2011.
In Other News...
James Franklin Debate Just Got New Fuel From Former Penn State OC
Ricky Rahne has been around James Franklin long enough to know how the Penn State coach is viewed inside and outside the program, and his recent comments added a familiar voice to an argument that has followed Franklin for years. Rahne, who worked alongside Franklin and still has a long-standing relationship with him, defended Franklins impact in State College and said fans have often undervalued what he has done.
Rahne pointed to the sanctions Franklin inherited as part of the backdrop that shaped the early years of the job, while also giving Bill O'Brien credit for the recruiting foundation he left behind. He acknowledged that Franklin has not delivered a national championship, but framed his tenure around passion and steady winning, the kind of rsum that keeps the debate alive whenever Penn States bigger-picture expectations come back into focus. [Read more 🡒]
Penn State Wrestling May Have A New Middleweight Logjam
FloWrestlings preseason individual rankings have offered an early glimpse at what Penn States lineup could look like next season, and the middleweights may be the most crowded part of the room. Mitchell Mesenbrink is listed at 174 pounds instead of his usual 165, while PJ Duke is pegged at No. 1 at 165 after a sophomore season that included a Big Ten title and put him in position to step into the spot Mesenbrink has owned.
The ripple effect could be significant for the Nittany Lions. Tyler Kasak is projected to hold down 157 and is ranked No. 2 in his class, but the bigger questions sit above him, where Levi Haines may no longer be in the picture and freshman Jayden James could be left waiting for an opening. For a program that usually turns lineup debates into national title depth, this one looks like it could take a little time to sort itself out. [Read more 🡒]
Penn States Next Opponent Looks More Vulnerable Than Expected
Temple is heading into its matchup with Penn State in a far shakier spot than it wanted this early in the season. Coach K.C. Keeler said starting left tackle Giakoby Hills will miss six weeks after getting hurt in the opener, a significant blow to an offensive line that now has to adjust on the fly against one of the most demanding fronts it will see all year.
The uncertainty does not stop there. Starting right tackle Kevin Terry is a game-time decision for the Penn State game, and Keeler still has not named a starting quarterback, with Jaxon Smolik and Ajani Sheppard competing for the job. For Penn State, that makes this a matchup worth watching beyond the final score, because Temple could be piecing together key spots just to get through the afternoon. [Read more 🡒]