#17

Steve Donatell

Tight end for Western Kentucky. 2016: 13 catches, 125 receiving yards, 2 TD.

TE · Western Kentucky · #17

6′6″ · Lone Tree, CO

Western Kentucky 2016 alumnus

Recruiting

3★

PRO recruit

No. 1511 nationally · Signed with Wake Forest

No college snaps yet.

His career numbers, season by season

The story

2016 tight end for Western Kentucky. 2016: 13 catches, 125 receiving yards, 2 TD.

Signed as a 3-star recruit to Wake Forest in 2012.

His career, year by year

How it ended

Three seasons at Western Kentucky, 156 receiving yards — his college career is complete.

His career

He barely played early on. Then he did not come off the field.

2012

Signed with Wake Forest3-star out of Highlands Ranch

Career arc

Recruit

★★★

#1511 national

CFB

College

2 teams

2014–2016

NFL

NFL Draft

—

Not drafted

Coaching lineage · 2014–2016

1 coach

2014–2016

Jeff Brohm

Western Kentucky

Played his entire career under Jeff Brohm.

2016 snapshot

Season context · Team result + system

2014Wake Forest3-9HC: Dave Clawson · Balanced

2015Wake Forest3-9HC: Dave Clawson · Balanced

2016Western Kentucky11-3HC: Jeff Brohm · Balanced

Where this profile ranks vs the TE cohort

Box-score percentiles

5 metrics · season cumulative

Concern: long catch (3rd percentile).

Box-score rates (5)

Rec TDs#51 / 96 · 36th pct

Yards / catch#83 / 96 · 14th pct

9.6

Receptions#84 / 96 · 10th pct

Rec yards#92 / 96 · 5th pct

125

Long catch#92 / 96 · 3rd pct

Percentiles versus same-position peers with enough snaps this season, based on box-score rates.

Splits & context

Splits · Per-game

2016 season · 11 games

Home/Road · Season halves

Home vs Road

	REC/g	YDS/g	YPR	TD/g
Home7g	0.9	10.9	12.7	0.1
Road4g	1.8	12.2	7.0	0.2

First half vs Second half

	REC/g	YDS/g	YPR	TD/g
Weeks 1-77g	1.4	10.9	7.9	0.1
Weeks 8+4g	0.8	12.2	16.3	0.2

Supporting cast · Scheme

Staff and system around the player

2026 season

Head Coach

Tyson Helton

Scheme reads (pass share, tempo, sack rate) need at least 3 team games — 2 games in so far.

Awards

Player standing · 2016

Backup

On the two-deep and pushing for snaps.

Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex

Career stats

Season	Team
2016	Western Kentucky	13	125	9.6	2	--
2015	Wake Forest	3	31	10.3	0	--
2014	Wake Forest	--	--	--	--	--
Career		16	156	9.8	2	--

Signature game

SIGNATURE GAME · Week 17 · 2016

W 51–31

vs Memphis

1 rec · 4 yds · 1 TD

Edged out Memphis at home in a shootout.

With A. Wales — 245 rush yds (35 car) · 3 TD · M. White — 336 yds · 3 TD · 1 INT · QBR 85.8 · -4 rush yds (7 car)

Game log

Game log · Week-by-week

2016 season · 11 games

Box score · CFBD

Wk	Opp	REC	YDS	AVG	TD	LONG	Note
Wk 1	W 46-14vs Rice	1	11	11.0	0	11
Wk 2	L 10-38@ Alabama	3	20	6.7	0	10
Wk 4	L 30-31vs Vanderbilt	1	4	4.0	0	4
Wk 5	W 50-3vs Houston Christian	1	17	17.0	0	17
Wk 6	L 52-55@ Louisiana Tech	2	15	7.5	0	10
Wk 7	W 44-43@ Middle Tennessee	1	5	5.0	0	5
Wk 8	W 59-24vs Old Dominion	1	22	22.0	0	22	Season-high 22 yds
Wk 9	W 52-3@ Florida Atlantic	1	9	9.0	1	9
Wk 11	W 45-7vs North Texas	1	18	18.0	0	18
Wk 14	W 58-44vs Louisiana Tech	—	—	—	—	—
Bowl	W 51-31vs Memphis	1	4	4.0	1	4
Total		13	125	10.4	2	22

Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology