Dominique Dafney (born June 3, 1997) is an

American football American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team with ...

tight end The tight end (TE) is a position in American football, arena football, and Canadian football, on the offense. The tight end is often a hybrid position with the characteristics and roles of both an offensive lineman and a wide receiver. Like ...

who is a free agent. He played

college football College football (french: Football universitaire) refers to gridiron football played by teams of student athletes. It was through college football play that American football rules first gained popularity in the United States. Unlike most ...

Iowa Iowa () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States, bordered by the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west. It is bordered by six states: Wisconsin to the northeast, Illinois to the ...

and

Indiana State Indiana State University (ISU) is a public university in Terre Haute, Indiana. It was founded in 1865 and offers over 100 undergraduate majors and more than 75 graduate and professional programs. Indiana State is classified among "D/PU: Doctor ...

, and signed with the

Indianapolis Colts The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. The Colts compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) South division. Since the 2008 ...

as an

undrafted free agent In professional sports, a free agent is a player who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under contract at present but who is a ...

in 2020. He has also played for the

Green Bay Packers The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. It ...

Collegiate career

Dafney began his career at Iowa Western Community College, spending one season as a reserve wide receiver before transferring to the

University of Iowa The University of Iowa (UI, U of I, UIowa, or simply Iowa) is a public university, public research university in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. Founded in 1847, it is the oldest and largest university in the state. The University of Iowa is org ...

as a preferred walk-on. Dafney played two seasons, mostly on special teams, with the Hawkeyes. He transferred to Indiana State after his junior year as a graduate transfer. In his only season with the Sycamores, Dafney rushed for 439 yards and caught 15 passes for 196 yards and scored seven touchdowns and was named second-team All-

Missouri Valley Football Conference The Missouri Valley Football Conference (MVFC), formerly the Gateway Football Conference, is a collegiate athletic conference which operates in the Midwestern United States. It participates in the NCAA's Division I Football Championship Subdivi ...

at fullback.

Professional career

Indianapolis Colts

Dafney was signed by the

as an undrafted free agent August 26, 2020. He was waived by the Colts on September 8, 2020, during final roster cuts.

Green Bay Packers

The

signed Dafney to their practice squad on October 12, 2020. He was elevated to the active roster on December 5 for the team's week 13 game against the

Philadelphia Eagles The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. The team plays ...

, and reverted to the practice squad after the game. He was promoted to the active roster on December 12. On December 27, he recorded his first NFL catch, a 13-yard reception from Aaron Rodgers, during a Week 16 victory over the

Tennessee Titans The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee. The Titans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division, and play their h ...

. On January 3, 2021, Dafney caught his first NFL touchdown during a Week 17 win against the

Chicago Bears The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) North division. The Bears have won nine NF ...

. On September 25, 2021, Dafney was placed on injured reserve. He was reactivated on October 28, 2021. He signed his tender offer from the Packers on April 18, 2022, to keep him with the team. He was waived/injured on August 16, 2022 and placed on injured reserve. The Packers reached an injury settlement with Dafney on August 22, 2022, making him a free agent.

Denver Broncos

On September 13, 2022, Dafney was signed to the

Denver Broncos The Denver Broncos are a professional American football franchise based in Denver. The Broncos compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division. The team is headquart ...

practice squad. He was released on October 10, 2022.

Indianapolis Colts (second stint)

On December 20, 2022, Dafney was signed to the

practice squad. He was released on December 29.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

On January 23, 2023, Dafney signed a reserve/future contract with the

Tampa Bay Buccaneers The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football team based in Tampa, Florida. The Buccaneers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South divisio ...

. He was waived on August 28.

NFL career statistics

Regular season

References

External links

Iowa Hawkeyes bioIndiana State Sycamores bioGreen Bay Packers bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dafney, Dominique Living people Players of American football from Iowa American football tight ends Indiana State Sycamores football players Indianapolis Colts players Green Bay Packers players Iowa Western Reivers football players People from West Des Moines, Iowa Iowa Hawkeyes football players 1997 births African-American players of American football Players of American football from North Carolina 21st-century African-American sportspeople Denver Broncos players Tampa Bay Buccaneers players