DAYTON – Two University of Dayton football players – punter Sean Smith and long snapper Matt Tunnacliffe – have signed Non-Drafted Free Agent contracts and have been invited to NFL minicamps.  Smith signed with the Baltimore Ravens, while Tunnacliffe is with the Cincinnati Bengals.

This brings the number Flyer NDFA's to five in the last six years, and is the first time since UD went non-scholarship in 1977 that two players singed with NFL teams.

Smith was named First Team All-Pioneer Football League for the fourth time this season.  The left-footer set a school and league record for career punting average (42.5).  This season he averaged 45.4 yards per punt, which would have been third in FCS football if he had enough attempts to qualify.  This season 18 of his 30 punts were inside the 20-yard line, with only one touchback.  

In fact, Smith had more touchbacks this season on kickoffs (PFL-best 29) than he had in 204 career punts (20).  In addition to his punting and placekicking duties, Smith was also Dayton's holder for the last three seasons.  He is from Avondale, Pa.

Tunnacliffe was Dayton's long snapper the last three seasons.  As a senior in 2018, he was the Flyers' special teams captain and First Team All-PFL as a long snapper. A two-year starter at wide receiver as well, Tunnacliffe averaged 16.2 yards per catch on 25 receptions last season.  He was also First Team Academic All-PFL.

In 2017, Tunnacliffe was named the recipient of the Lt. Andy Zulli Award, a character-driven award that is considered the most prestigious in the Dayton football program (players can only win this award once in their careers.)  In 2016, he was named UD's Most Improved Player.  "Tuna" walked on to the Flyer football team in 2015.  He is from West Chester, Ohio, a suburb on the north side of Cincinnati.