BUFFALO, N.Y. — A familiar name is returning to the Rust Belt.
Max Tomczak, a record-setting wide receiver for Youngstown State University, signed an undrafted free-agent contract with the Buffalo Bills.
Tomczak’s uncle is former NFL quarterback Mike Tomczak, who played 15 seasons in the league with stints in Chicago, Green Bay, Cleveland and Pittsburgh.
While Max Tomczak does not throw the ball like his uncle, he is certainly adept at catching it.
At Youngstown State, he set school records for career receptions (225) and consecutive games with a catch (46). He ranks second on the school’s all-time list in career receiving yards with 3,024.
Max Tomczak had 70 receptions for 1,021 yards and eight touchdowns during the 2025 season, the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle reported. He also earned All-American honors and first-team All-Missouri Valley Football Conference recognition.
Mike Tomczak has had a part of his nephew’s development, according to the newspaper. He serves as a volunteer adviser to the head coach at Youngstown State, the Democrat and Chronicle reported.
The elder Tomczak, 63, played in the NFL from 1985 to 1999 and made 73 starts, according to Pro-Football-Reference.com. The Ohio State alumnus threw for 16,079 yards and 88 touchdowns and won a Super Bowl ring as a rookie with the Chicago Bears.
He went 42-31 as a starter and led the Pittsburgh Steelers to the second round of the AFC playoffs in 1996.