Ex-Sycamores Tonyan, Dafney stand tall as tight ends for Pack

Indiana State hasn’t had anyone drafted in nearly a quarter-century.

However, two of its former players are a game away from the Super Bowl.

Both happen to play the same position on the same team.

Packers tight end Robert Tonyan emerged as one of the league’s breakthrough performers this season. Dominique Dafney was working at a rooftop patio bar earlier this fall before catching on with the Packers and scoring a touchdown in their regular-season finale.

The two former Sycamores are trying to help the Packers (14-3) earn their first Super Bowl berth in a decade. The Packers host the Buccaneers (13-5) in the NFC championship game on Sunday.

“I don’t get to see a lot of Indiana State people in the NFL,” Tonyan said. “It’s not like a ’Bama or a Clemson where you’re seeing all these guys. So to come from where I came from, I know the grind. I know the struggle, so I welcomed him with open arms.”

Both players were undrafted free agents. The most recent draft pick from Indiana State was linebacker Dan Brandenburg, who went to the Bills in the seventh round in 1996.

Indiana State is a Football Championship Subdivision school whose most notable athletic achievement came when Larry Bird led the men’s basketball team to the 1979 NCAA Tournament final.

“You have a lot of Sycamores that are Packer fans right now,” Indiana State football coach Curt Mallory said.

Tonyan played at Indiana State from 2013-16. He started out as a quarterback, but moved to receiver and set a school record with 20 career TD catches. Mike Sanford coached Tonyan at Indiana State and believed his star wideout had the body type to develop into an effective NFL tight end.

A core injury bothered Tonyan in 2019 and caused him to miss five games. He bounced back this season by catching 52 passes for 586 yards and 11 TDs during the regular season. He tied Paul Coffman’s 37-year-old franchise single-season record for touchdown catches by a Packers tight end.

Tonyan said he relied on the “worker’s mentality” he learned while growing up and seeing his family’s construction business.

“That’s something that came from my dad and my grandpa,” Tonyan said. “You wake up every morning, you put on your hard hat, you pick up your lunch pail.”

Dafney’s rise is even more remarkable. After beginning his college career at Iowa

Western Community College and transferring to Iowa, he finished up as a walk-on who played a variety of positions at Indiana State. He rushed for 244 yards and scored five touchdowns in his final college game.

Mallory mentioned Dafney’s versatility and special-teams ability to various NFL people to get their feedback.

Although Tonyan and Dafney weren’t teammates at Indiana State, each understands the long road the other had to take to get to the NFL from an FCS program. Now they’re helping each other out while trying to get the Packers to the Super Bowl.

“Obviously we knew of each other, but I just wanted to let him know whatever he needs, whatever he needs to be comfortable, whatever it is, I’m here for you,” Tonyan said.

“Just treat him like a brother. I want him to succeed, I want him to be just as successful as me.”