*** Honors Candidate***
*** Academic Honors Candidate ***

2014: Listed as the backup at strong safety onthe preseason depth chart. He had a total of nine tackles in threespring scrimmages.

2013: Missed the 2013 season after summersurgery to repair a painful hip injury. Called hip joint acetabularimpingement, the ailment required surgery to both hips and took sixmonths of rehabilitation for each. His first surgery on his lefthip took place on July 29, 2013, and also included a labral tearthat was repaired. He had the second surgery on his right hip onSept. 16, 2013.

2012: Tonani was a member of the College SportsJournal Freshman All-America squad and honorable mention All-BigSky pick. He was also named to the Big Sky Conference All-Academicteam. Tonani made his mark in 2012 as an injury replacement forsenior safety Jeff Minnerly, who suffered a broken collarboneagainst Montana (9/29/12). Tonani started seven games and finishedthe year sixth on the team with 68 tackles, and also had ateam-leading three interceptions with five passes broken up and afumble recovery. In one of many impressive performances during hisdebut season, Tonani finished with seven tackles, his thirdinterception of the season and a pass broken up in EWU’scome-from-behind 31-28 victory over UC Davis (11/10/12). One gameearlier, he had a pick and eight tackles versus Cal Poly (11/3/12),earning College Sports Madness Big Sky Defensive Player of the Weekaccolades. With EWU clinging to a 20-17 lead over Montana State(10/13/12), Tonani stepped in front of a MSU receiver on an outroute for an interception he returned 21 yards for a touchdown with11:15 to play, becoming the winning points in a 27-24 victory overthe second-ranked Bobcats. He also had eight tackles, and as aresult, was selected as the College Sports Madness National FCSDefensive Player of the Week, as well as their same honor for theBig Sky Conference. One game earlier in his first collegiate start,Tonani had a team-leading 11 tackles as the Eagles held NorthDakota (10/6/12) scoreless in the second half of a 55-17 win.Entering the game, UND had 37 plays of 20 or more yards on offense,and EWU’s goal was to hold North Dakota to three or less. TheEagles did better than that, holding UND to just one – a24-yard pass play in the third quarter after EWU had already openeda 34-17 lead. Interestingly, Tonani and Minnerly are from the samehigh school in Spokane, Wash. Tonani graduated from Ferris in 2011;Minnerly graduated in 2008, along with EWU backup safety McKenzieMurphy. Minnerly, who returned to start against UC Davis(11/10/12), was also Eastern’s leading tackler in his firstcareer start, finishing with eight tackles in a 49-24 loss atNevada on Sept. 2, 2010.

2011: Redshirted. Was selected as theteam’s defensive scout team player of the week once.

HS: Graduated from Ferris HS in 2011. Selectedto play in the 4A/3A East-West All-State Game, which took placeJuly 1, 2011, on EWU’s red Sprinturf surface at Roos Field.He helped lead his East squad to a 19-0 victory over the West as hecaught five passes for 30 yards as a starting receiver and finishedwith a tackle on defense. He had a 3-yard touchdown catch in thesecond quarter that gave his team a 12-0 advantage. He was athree-year starter at Ferris, helping the Saxons finish 35-6 inthose years. Was selected to the WashingtonPreps.com All-State teamas a wide receiver and earned first team All-Greater Spokane Leaguehonors as a wide receiver. He helped lead the Saxons to a perfect14-0 record and the State 4A Championship, defeating defendingchampion Skyline 24-16 in the title game. He caught a 17-yardtouchdown pass in the championship game. He played in the secondarythat was nicknamed the “Grady Bunch” after theschool’s defensive coordinator, Grady Emmerson. He had 41catches as a senior and 39 as a junior, giving him 105 in hiscareer to break the previous school record of 104 set by WashingtonState University starter Jared Karstetter (2005-07 at Ferris). InTonani’s junior season, Ferris finished 10-4 and lost toSkyline 45-21 in the title game as he earned second team All-GSLhonors. New EWU teammate Cole Karstetter (’14) and formerEagle teammates Jeff Minnerly (‘08) and McKenzie Murphy(’08) also attended Ferris. Tonani also played basketball forFerris, and finished his senior season 22-3 after going a perfect16-0 in the GSL.

Personal: Business administration major with a3.73 grade point average at Eastern. Born 9/23/92 in Spokane, Wash.Will turn 22 four days before Eastern plays at UC Davis. Hisparents are Timothy and Carole Phillips Tonani. Name is pronounced“tuh-naw-nee.”