Vaughn perfecting new skill before NFL Draft
MANHATTAN, Kan. -- Deuce Vaughn's cleats dug into the plastic turf inside of Bill Snyder Family Stadium on Friday as his head tilted back and his eyes tracked the football flying through the air. A strong gust of wind darts the ball to his left before he tracks down the punt, giving it home safely in his arms before returning to the original spot to catch another punt.
Friday's pro day at K-State offered Vaughn a second opportunity to perform before scouts from all 32 NFL organizations. The two-time All-American running back performed at the NFL Combine only a few weeks ago. The hope? Convincing one NFL team to take him in April's NFL Draft.
There's a saying in the NFL Draft process that your tape is your resume. If that was solely the case, Vaughn's resume is good enough to be a first-round selection. In his three seasons at K-State, Vaughn rushed for over 3.600 yards and 34 touchdowns. He also amassed 1,280 receiving yards and nine touchdowns. In total, he's just over 100 yards away from 5,00 career yards and 43 touchdowns.
But there's an ink smear on Vaughn's impressive resume, it leaves a noticeable stain. To some, it's too much to overcome. Others look right past it. Vaughn stands only 5-feet-5 and weighs about 180 pounds.
"It's always been there," Vaughn said of his height contributing to his narrative. "But it's never determined the way that I work, the way I go about my business and never determined exactly how I step onto the football field."
It's important to note Vaughn's size makes him unique. But his size isn't a one-off. There are other small tailbacks who have found success in the NFL. Another former K-State running back, Darren Sproles, is the poster child of small backs finding success in the NFL. But in the most modern sense, Vaughn looks at players like Tarik Cohen and Devin Singletary as inspiration.
"One of the most encouraging things for me is hopping on these phone calls with these running back coaches and special teams coaches and them telling me, 'You're not too small," Vaughn said. "They're telling me that they wouldn't be on the phone with me if I was too small.
"That's been huge for my confidence because they have belief in me. These are teams that may not even take me, but these are coaches telling me that I"m not too small. You see the guys like Tarik Cohen, Devin Singletary, Danny Woodhead and all the guys that have done it at a high level, it gives me confidence. I just need to keep attacking it like I have these past few years."
That's why leaving K-State was so difficult for Vaughn, who elected to leave head coach Chris Klieman after just three seasons. He's one of the most successful players in Wildcat history and is a lock to be selected into the K-State Ring of Honor in the future. Leaving early, though, means Vaughn won't get to play in Bill Snyder Family Stadium again.
It was (hard). A lot of people think that leaving after three years is a dream come true," he says. "But I really did love this pace. I loved being inside Bill Snyder Family Stadium, I loved these guys inside this locker room, loved these coaches."
But Vaughn felt that it was best for him to end his college career early. He said his NFL Draft stock wouldn't have increased after another season at K-State, no matter how successful. And the 335 offensive touches Vaughn had this season for Klieman's offense forced him to battle through "a lot of stuff" to play in all 14 games as a junior.
Playing at the next level likely won't mean as many snaps for Vaughn who played 684 offensive snaps last season for K-State. That's why Vaughn has spent every chance possible in the last three months perfecting his punt-catching skills, an attribute Sproles said would help him get on the field early in his potential NFL career.
"That's one way to put yourself in space and showcase what you can do on offense, is to catch punts," Vaughn said. "It's probably one of the biggest pieces of advice for myself the past three months."