Not all of the football players plying their trade in the NFL came through the draft and enjoyed national attention. A good chunk of them quietly entered the league as undrafted free agents. Robert Tonyan is one of those success stories.
The former Indiana State star is familiar with how the sport can throw you for a loop. He started his career as a quarterback but was moved around. He finally settled as a tight end by the time he signed as a practice squad member for the Detroit Lions in 2017. The Lions cut him in the same year, and the Packers picked him up after that.
He shared with The Athletic's Jason Wilde that there are plenty of young players talking to him, asking for advice. He was more than happy to give his two cents to NFL hopefuls:
“Isn’t that crazy? And that’s what I tell the young guys. Don’t quit. Keep grinding. Your life can change in a year,” Tonyan said. “I went from being at home for 10, 12 weeks, being a workout warrior, flying all over the place (for tryouts), not knowing if I was good enough to play in the NFL to a year later, having a friendship with two of the best tight ends that ever played and in this position now. It’s crazy.”
Tonyan encouraged talented players to keep their head down and keep on playing their game. They must treat every preseason game they get as do-or-die matches. He had this specifically to say for the players fighting for spots in the Packers:
“This last game put it all out there. You don’t want to go into cuts with any regrets, ‘Could I have done this better? Could I have done that better?’ ” Tonyan said. “Just go out there and do whatever you can, put it on film. You’re trying out for all 32 teams – not just the Packers.
These are good tips from someone who has definitely been there and done that.
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