Steve Suhey

Steve Suhey
Date of birth January 8, 1922 (1922-01-08)
Place of birth Jamesville, New York, U.S.
Date of death January 8, 1977(1977-01-08) (aged 55)
Place of death State College, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Career information
Position(s) Guard
College Penn State
NFL draft 1948 / Round:
Career history
As player
1948–1949 Pittsburgh Steelers
Career stats

Steven Joseph Suhey (born January 8, 1922 in Jamesville, New York died January 8, 1977 in State College, Pennsylvania) is a former professional American football player, playing guard for two seasons in the National Football League for the Pittsburgh Steelers. He was an All-American at Penn State. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1985. His son Matt Suhey, also played at Penn State and in the NFL.

Penn State

Suhey's college career was interrupted by three years of service in the United States Army Air Corps during World War II.[1]

Suhey was the MVP of the 1948 Cotton Bowl Classic. It has been suggested Penn State's now-famous "We Are Penn State!" stadium cheer has its origins in a statement made by team captain Suhey prior to that game. Suhey is said to have declared, “We are Penn State. There will be no meetings,” in response to SMU's request for a meeting to protest the participation of Penn State's two black players (Wallace Triplett and Dennie Hoggard).[2]

While at Penn State, Suhey became a member of Sigma Pi fraternity.[3]

Personal

After playing two seasons in the NFL with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Suhey coached high school football before joining the L.G. Balfour Company.[1]

"First family of Nittany Lion football"

Suhey married Virginia "Ginger" Higgins, a daughter of Bob Higgins, a former All-American at Penn State and Suhey's college coach.[4] Three of their sons, Larry, Paul, and Matt, were letterman at Penn State from 1975–1979.[5] Matt would go on to play 10 seasons in the NFL with the Chicago Bears. One grandson, Kevin Suhey, was a quarterback and special teams player for the Nittany Lions from 2005–2007 and another grandson, Joe Suhey, was a running back for Penn State from 2007–2010.[5] The Higgins-Suhey family has been called the "first family of Nittany Lion football", with 90 years of involvement with the Penn State football program.[4]

References

  1. 1 2 "Hall of Famers: Steve Suhey". National Football Foundation College Football Hall of Fame. Retrieved 2009-02-16.
  2. ↑ Boyer, Lauren (2009-02-15). "We Play All Or None: Triplett, PSU helped change history". Centre Daily Times.
  3. ↑ http://www.enivation.com/SigmaPi/archive/Emerald/2002/SP_EMERALD_VOL_88_NO_1_WINTER_2002.pdf, Pg. 27
  4. 1 2 "Ginger Suhey, Matriarch of Penn State First Family of Football, Dies". 2011-11-23. Retrieved 2014-06-01.
  5. 1 2 "Profile: Joe Suhey". Penn State Intercollegiate Athletics. Retrieved 2009-02-16.


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