Timothy McDonald (born January 6, 1965) is a former college and professional American 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 a two-time All-American and two-time team MVP. A second-round pick in the 1987 NFL Draft, McDonald played professionally for the St. Louis/Phoenix Cardinals (1987-1992) and San Francisco 49ers (1993-1999) of the NFL. Upon the conclusion of his playing career, McDonald entered coaching, most recently serving as the defensive backs coach for the New York Jets and the Buffalo Bills.