{{Short description|American football player (born 1990)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}} {{Infobox NFL biography | name = Tony Dye | image = | number = 44 | position = Free safety | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1990|2|11|mf=y}} | birth_place = San Jose, California, U.S. | death_date = | death_place = | height_ft = 6 | height_in = 0 | weight_lbs = 205 | high_school = Santiago (Corona, California) | college = UCLA (2008–2011) | undraftedyear = 2012 | pastteams = * Cincinnati Bengals ({{NFL Year|2012}}–{{NFL Year|2013}}) * Oakland Raiders ({{NFL Year|2014}})* | pastcoaching = * Norco (CA) (2013–2017)<br>Defensive coordinator * San Bernardino Valley College (2018–2019)<br>Defensive coordinator/Linebackers coach * San Francisco 49ers (2019)<br>On-field special teams assistant * Santa Margarita Catholic (CA) (2020–2022)<br>Defensive coordinator/Assistant athletic director | statlabel1 = Total tackles | statvalue1 = 1 | statlabel2 = Defensive touchdowns | statvalue2 = 1 | statlabel3 = | statvalue3 = | pfr = DyexTo00 }}
'''Anthony Scott Dye''' (born February 11, 1990) is an American former professional football player who was a free safety in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the UCLA Bruins. He was signed by the Cincinnati Bengals as an undrafted free agent in 2012, coming off a broken neck at UCLA. After missing the entire 2012 season due to ankle surgery, Dye was activated against the Cleveland Browns the following year, scoring a touchdown for Cincinnati on a 24-yard return of a blocked punt in his NFL debut.
Dye was the defensive coordinator for the Norco High School Varsity football team in Norco, California for four years. He then took the job as Defensive Coordinator at San Bernardino Valley College. He then served in a coaching fellowship with the San Francisco 49ers in 2019. He then served as the defensive coordinator for Santa Margarita Catholic High School in Rancho Santa Margarita, California for two years, while also serving as the assistant athletic director for one year.
As of 2021, Dye serves as the Co-Founder and Chief Marketing Officer of SPARQ.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://theorg.com/org/sparq-games/org-chart/tony-dye|title=Tony Dye - Chief Marketing Officer at SPARQ GAMES|website=The Org|access-date=December 30, 2023}}</ref>
==Early years== Anthony Scott Dye, commonly known as "Tony," attended Santiago High School in Corona, California. He was a PrepStar Dream Team selection in high school.<ref name="UCLA">{{cite web | title=UCLA Bruins Profile | work= uclabruins.com | url=http://www.uclabruins.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=30500&ATCLID=208194687 }}</ref> He was selected to the SuperPrep All-American team.<ref name="UCLA" /> He was selected and participated in the Under Armour All-America Game.<ref name="UCLA" /> He was ranked the 9th nationally prospect at cornerback by Scout.com.<ref name="UCLA" /> He was selected to the All-State second team by Cal-Hi Sports.<ref name="UCLA" />
==College career== Dye played college football at the University of California, Los Angeles, where he wore the number 6. He was named co-winner of UCLA's Henry R. "Red" Sanders Award for Most Valuable Player in his junior season.<ref name="UCLA" /> He was named as an Pac-10 honorable mention in his junior season.<ref name="UCLA" />
A serious injury struck Dye during his senior season, when he fractured his neck in practice.<ref name=Shpigel>{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/22/sports/football/one-nfl-game.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171122165550/https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/22/sports/football/one-nfl-game.html|title=One Game to Remember. Just One.|website=New York Times|first=Ben|last=Shpigel|date=November 22, 2017|archive-date=November 22, 2017}}</ref> The injury caused Dye to miss all but three games during his senior year, and took away any chance of being selected in the 2011 NFL draft.<ref name=Shpigel />
==Professional career== ===Cincinnati Bengals=== On May 2, 2012, Dye signed with the Cincinnati Bengals as an undrafted free agent.<ref>{{cite web | title=Cincinnati Bengals Announce Undrafted Free Agent Signings | work= cincyjungle.com| date= 2 May 2012| url=http://www.cincyjungle.com/2012/5/2/2994631/cincinnati-bengals-announce-undrafted-free-agent-signings |access-date=May 2, 2012}}</ref> On August 31, 2012, he was placed on injured reserve due to ankle injury in which causing him to miss the entire 2012 NFL season.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.kffl.com/player/26201/nfl/news/tony-dye |title=Tony Dye |work=kffl.com |access-date=August 31, 2012 |url-status=unfit |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141205133243/http://www.kffl.com/player/26201/nfl/news/tony-dye |archive-date=December 5, 2014 }}</ref> On August 31, 2013, he was released by the Bengals.
In September 2013, Dye re-signed with Bengals, joining the team's practice squad.<ref>{{cite web | title=Bengals sign S Tony Dye to practice squad | work= ESPN | date= 24 September 2013 | url=https://www.espn.com/blog/cincinnati-bengals/post/_/id/1076/bengals-tony-dye-safety-practice-squad |access-date=September 24, 2013}}</ref> On November 16, 2013, Dye was promoted to the active roster for a Week 11 game against the Cleveland Browns.<ref>{{cite web | title=Bengals promote Tony Dye, cut Chris Lewis-Harris | work= sports.yahoo.com | date= 16 November 2013 | url=https://sports.yahoo.com/news/bengals-promote-tony-dye-cut-162800379--nfl.html |access-date=November 16, 2013}}</ref>
Playing on special teams in the Cleveland game, Dye was charged with obstructing the speedy "gunner" at the outside of the line of the punting team near the line of scrimmage.<ref name=Shpigel /> During the second quarter, Dye's Bengals teammate Jayson DiManche got his hand on a Browns punt, sending the ball sideways towards Dye.<ref name=Shpigel /> Dye managed to scoop up the ball and return it 24 yards down the sideline to score a Cincinnati touchdown, en route to a 41-20 Bengals victory.<ref name=Shpigel /> Dye was again deactivated for the Bengals' next game and never saw NFL game action again.<ref name=Shpigel />
On December 12, 2013, the Bengals waived Dye.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://twitter.com/Bengals/status/411225855881658368|title=Roster move: We have signed CB Chris Lewis-Harris from the practice squad and waived S Tony Dye. #Bengals}}</ref>
===2014 season=== After his release by the Bengals, Dye visited the New York Giants in an effort to sign on with the club, but team physicians discovered a previously undiagnosed heart condition which prevented the Giants from offering him a contract.<ref name=Shpigel /> Dye returned home to Los Angeles, only to be the called the next day by the Oakland Raiders, who invited him to try out with Oakland.<ref name=Shpigel />
Dye was signed by the Raiders as a reserve/future free agent on January 14, 2014,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.raiders.com/news/article-1/Raiders-Sign-Tony-Dye-to-ReserveFuture-Contract/a6b30c6c-a858-4db1-b9b1-06e831f0b149|title=Raiders attempted to re-sign Dye to a Reserve/Future Contract|website=raiders.com}}</ref> but on May 14 he opted to medically retire, ending his NFL career as a player.
==Coaching career== After leaving the NFL, Dye made the acquaintance of the head coach of the Norco High School team while picking a younger brother up at practice.<ref name=Shpigel /> Dye was ultimately hired to a coaching position as defensive coordinator of the Norco squad and remained for four years.<ref name=Shpigel /> He then took the job as Defensive Coordinator with San Bernardino Valley College for one year. He then served in a coaching fellowship with the San Francisco 49ers in 2019. He then served as the defensive coordinator for Santa Margarita Catholic High School in Rancho Santa Margarita, California for two years, while also serving as the assistant athletic director for one year.
==Personal life== His brother, Travis Dye, played running back at Oregon and USC.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.oregonlive.com/recruiting/2017/04/travis_dye_3-star_rb_and_broth.html|title=Travis Dye, 3-star RB and brother of LB Troy Dye, commits to Oregon Ducks|date=April 9, 2017|website=oregonlive}}</ref> His brother, Troy Dye, plays linebacker for the Los Angeles Chargers.
==Footnotes== {{reflist|2}}
==External links== *[http://www.uclabruins.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=30500&ATCLID=208194687 UCLA Bruins football bio] *[http://www.bengals.com/team/roster/Tony-Dye/5dd3d34f-5e8b-4167-a010-c311038c106a Cincinnati Bengals bio] *[https://sbvcathletics.com/sports/fball/coaches/Tony_Dye San Bernardino Valley College coaching profile]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dye, Tony}} Category:1990 births Category:Living people Category:Players of American football from Riverside County, California Category:American football safeties Category:Cincinnati Bengals players Category:Oakland Raiders players Category:UCLA Bruins football players Category:High school football coaches in California