Timothy McDonald (born January 6, 1965) is a former American college and professional football player who was a strong safety in the National Football League (NFL) for thirteen seasons during the 1980s and 1990s. McDonald played college football for the University of Southern California (USC), and was honored as an All-American. A second-round pick in the 1987 NFL Draft, he played professionally for the Phoenix Cardinals and San Francisco 49ers of the NFL. Upon the conclusion of his playing career, McDonald entered coaching, most recently serving as the defensive backs coach for the Buffalo Bills.