Jon Vaughn
Encyclopedia
Jonathan Stewart Vaughn (born March 12, 1970) is a former professional American football
player who played running back
and served as a kick returner
in the National Football League
(NFL) for 4 seasons from 1991
to 1994
for the Seattle Seahawks
, New England Patriots
, and Kansas City Chiefs
. In his most productive season, he led the 1992
Patriots in rushing and led the NFL in kickoff returns with a 28.2 yards per return average on twenty returns. Vaughn was the tenth NFL player to accumulate four kickoff return touchdowns during his career and the second to accumulate kickoff return touchdowns for three different teams. Vaughn measured and 203 pounds (92.1 kg) during his NFL playing days.
Prior to declaring himself eligible for the NFL Draft
despite remaining eligibility, Vaughn had starred in the Big Ten Conference
for the University of Michigan
Wolverines
earning Co-Big Ten Offensive Football Player of the year honors for the 1990 Big Ten Champions during the 1990 NCAA Division I-A football season
. Vaughn had established new University of Michigan standards in 200-yard games and yards per carry. He had also previously been a record setting Missouri high school sprinter who for nearly two decades held both the Missouri State High School Activities Association
(MSHSAA) 100 metre and 200 metre records.
, and attended McCluer North High School
in Florissant. Vaughn's 1988 Missouri State High School 200 meter dash
record time of 21.28 second
s stood until 2002. His State meet 100 metres time of 10.44 seconds stood until 2007 as the Missouri High School record. Note that Terry Scott who is the track coach at Raytown South High School
ran a 10.3 seconds in 1981, but the time was clocked by hand and the handheld adjustment is .24 seconds.
Vaughn had a short collegiate career for the University of Michigan
Wolverines
, but he played for back-to-back Big Ten Conference Champions. He accumulated rushing statistics in only sixteen NCAA games for the Wolverines over the course of two seasons. However, in his redshirt
sophomore 1990 season he was selected Co-Big Ten Offensive Football Player of the year (along with University of Iowa
Hawkeyes
players Nick Bell and Matt Rodgers) by the conference's coaches when he started 11 of 12 games. Vaughn, who wore #25 for the Michigan Wolverines football
program in 1989
and 1990
, played running back after redshirting as a defensive back
who wore #46 in 1988
.
Vaughn has claims to several important distinctions in University of Michigan Football history. First, he continues to hold the University of Michigan career yards per attempt record (minimum 200 attempts). Second, he opened the 1990 season by posting 201 rushing yards on September 15, 1990 against University of Notre Dame
Fighting Irish
and following it up with 288 rushing yards against the University of California, Los Angeles
Bruins
on September 22, 1990 at the Big House
. This feat made him the first Michigan back to rush for 200 yards in consecutive games, a feat not duplicated until Mike Hart
did so in 2004. His third claim is that the 288-yard effort ranks third on the All-time Michigan single game rushing yards list (behind Ron Johnson's 347 yards in 1968 against the Wisconsin Badgers
and Tshimanga Biakabutuka's 313 yards against the Ohio State Buckeyes
in 1995). In addition to these claims, his 1,364 yards rushing that season still ranks 13th on the Michigan all-time single season rushing list. During that redshirt sophomore season he paired with freshman Ricky Powers
who set the Michigan freshman rushing record later broken by Hart and who tied with Vaughn for a team-high five 100-yard rushing games although accumulating far fewer total yards than Vaughn.
During the 1990 season Vaughn was closely watched in the press. NCAA football rushing averages are calculated on a per game basis. Since Vaughn started the season with two 200-yard efforts, he was atop the rushing charts well into the season. He entered Michigan's seventh game the weekend of October 28, 1990 as the nation's leading rusher. Entering the eighth week he was averaging over 144 yards per game and was still second in the nation and first in the Big Ten. He only gained a total of 94 yards in his ninth, tenth and eleventh games combined and entered Michigan's bowl game as #11 in the nation. He ran for 128 yards in his final game and ended the season as the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year. He also ended the season eleventh in the nation in rushing and second in the Big Ten with 112.4 yards per game.
Oddly, despite his eventual professional success as a kickoff returner, he never returned kickoffs in college. In 1990, Desmond Howard
and Derrick Alexander shared the kick return duties. In 1989, Desmond Howard and Tony Boles
shared the role.
National Football League Draft after his redshirt sophomore season, which began with him as the nation's leading rusher through the end of October. The season trailed off as Powers got much of the late season workload with four consecutive 100-yard efforts in Michigan wins. Vaughn was one of a relatively small class of underclassmen, headlined by Ragib "Rocket" Ismail to be approved in the NFL's second class of players allowed to declare themselves eligible for the draft despite remaining amateur eligibility. In addition to Vaughn, other headliners among the underclassmen were Herman Moore
, Todd Marinovich
and Rob Carpenter
(who also played for the 1991 Patriots). John Vaughn was drafted with the first pick of the fifth round of the 1991 NFL Draft by the New England Patriots
. Coach Dick MacPherson
used him sparingly from scrimmage in his rookie year as Leonard Russell
was the featured back for the 1991 Patriots. However, he had 34 kickoff returns, including one touchdown for an average of 21.1 yards in 1991. He also completed a 13-yard touchdown pass to Marv Cook
against the Houston Oilers on September 22, 1991 in what would be the Patriots only non-quarterback touchdown pass until Dave Meggett
repeated the feat during the 1997 NFL season
.
Although his totals were modest in New England, he led the team in rushing yards in 1992 with 451 yards on 113 carries. In addition, he had 20 kickoff returns for an average of 28.2 yards, including another return touchdown. This second kickoff return touchdown was the last by a Patriot until Derrick Cullors
repeated the feat in 1997 against the Buffalo Bills
. Vaughn had his first 100-yard rushing game in 1992 with 110 yards on 20 carries on November 22 in a 24–3 win against the New York Jets
at home
. In 1992, Vaughn had six fumble
s on only 113 carries and 13 receptions
, and five of the fumbles were lost to the other team.
After two seasons in New England, he was traded to the Seattle Seahawks
for an undisclosed draft pick. During the 1993 NFL season
, his workload was modest in the backfield with Chris Warren and John L. Williams
, but when he got the chance to play for the 1993 Seahawks he rose to the occasion with a career best 131 yards on 26 carries. This was Vaughn's second and last 100-yard rushing game.
Vaughn spent most of the 1994 NFL season with the Seahawks, but he was released after having three fumbles on only twenty-seven carries. However, in December he was signed by the Kansas City Chiefs
. In 1994 he did not accumulate statistics from the line of scrimmage either for the Seahawks or for the Chiefs, however he returned kickoffs for both teams and recorded a kick return touchdown for each, including a 91-yard runback against the Miami Dolphins
for the Chiefs in 1994.
Over the course of his NFL career he ran back a total of 4 kickoffs for touchdowns. This ranked him tenth (2 short of the record six) in NFL history through the 2006 NFL season. He had been in a three-way tie for eight upon his retirement before the 1995 NFL season
. His kickoff return touchdowns for three different teams tied Ron Smith
for the NFL record, which was broken during the 2007 NFL season
by Allen Rossum
who posted a touchdown return for his fourth different team. In 1991, Vaughn averaged 21.1 yards per return on 34 returns, which ranked 10th among those with 1.2 returns per game. In 1992, Vaughn posted a 28.2 averaged on 20 returns to lead the National Football League (Deion Sanders
was second at 26.7). Despite his success as a kick returner, he was released during training camp
in 1995.
100-Yard Games
N.B.: Home team is in bold.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
player who played running back
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
and served as a kick returner
Kick returner
In American and Canadian football, a kick returner is the player on special teams who is primarily responsible to catch kickoffs and attempts to return them in the opposite direction. If the ball is kicked into his own endzone, he must assess the situation on the field while the ball is in the...
in the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
(NFL) for 4 seasons from 1991
1991 NFL season
The 1991 NFL season was the 72nd regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl XXVI when the Washington Redskins defeated the Buffalo Bills....
to 1994
1994 NFL season
The 1994 NFL season was the 75th regular season of the National Football League. To honor the NFL's 75th season, a special anniversary logo was designed and each player wore a patch on their jerseys with this logo throughout the season...
for the Seattle Seahawks
Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle, Washington. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team joined the NFL in 1976 as an expansion team...
, New England Patriots
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...
, and Kansas City Chiefs
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. They are a member of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Originally named the Dallas Texans, the club was founded by Lamar Hunt in 1960 as a...
. In his most productive season, he led the 1992
1992 NFL season
The 1992 NFL season was the 73rd regular season of the National Football League.Due to the damage caused by Hurricane Andrew, the New England Patriots–Miami Dolphins game that was scheduled for September 6 at Joe Robbie Stadium was rescheduled to October 18. Both teams originally had that...
Patriots in rushing and led the NFL in kickoff returns with a 28.2 yards per return average on twenty returns. Vaughn was the tenth NFL player to accumulate four kickoff return touchdowns during his career and the second to accumulate kickoff return touchdowns for three different teams. Vaughn measured and 203 pounds (92.1 kg) during his NFL playing days.
Prior to declaring himself eligible for the NFL Draft
NFL Draft
The National Football League Draft is an annual event in which the National Football League teams select eligible college football players and it is their most common source of player recruitment. The basic design of the draft is each team is given a position in the drafting order in reverse order...
despite remaining eligibility, Vaughn had starred in the Big Ten Conference
Big Ten Conference
The Big Ten Conference is the United States' oldest Division I college athletic conference. Its twelve member institutions are located primarily in the Midwestern United States, stretching from Nebraska in the west to Pennsylvania in the east...
for the University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
Wolverines
Michigan Wolverines
The Michigan Wolverines comprise 27 varsity sports teams at the University of Michigan. These teams compete in the NCAA's Division I and in the Big Ten Conference in all sports except men's ice hockey which competes in the NCAA D1 Central Collegiate Hockey Association, and women's water polo, which...
earning Co-Big Ten Offensive Football Player of the year honors for the 1990 Big Ten Champions during the 1990 NCAA Division I-A football season
1990 NCAA Division I-A football season
The 1990 NCAA Division I-A football season ended with a split championship and the ensuing controversy led to the creation of the Bowl Coalition, a precursor to the Bowl Championship Series. The title was split between the Colorado Buffaloes and the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets...
. Vaughn had established new University of Michigan standards in 200-yard games and yards per carry. He had also previously been a record setting Missouri high school sprinter who for nearly two decades held both the Missouri State High School Activities Association
Missouri State High School Activities Association
The Missouri State High School Activities Association is the governing body for high school activities throughout the state of Missouri...
(MSHSAA) 100 metre and 200 metre records.
Early life
Vaughn was both born and raised in Florissant, MissouriFlorissant, Missouri
Florissant is a second-ring suburb of St. Louis, located in northern St. Louis County, Missouri, United States. The city has a total population of 52,158 in 2010 census.-History:...
, and attended McCluer North High School
McCluer North High School
McCluer North High School, founded in 1971, is a public school in Florissant, Missouri. The McCluer North campus is centrally located in the Ferguson-Florissant School District. Located in a residential area, the campus is bounded by Waterford Drive, St. Catherine and Parker Road. Facing the site...
in Florissant. Vaughn's 1988 Missouri State High School 200 meter dash
200 metres
A 200 metres race is a sprint running event. On an outdoor 400 m track, the race begins on the curve and ends on the home straight, so a combination of techniques are needed to successfully run the race. A slightly shorter race, called the stadion and run on a straight track, was the first...
record time of 21.28 second
Second
The second is a unit of measurement of time, and is the International System of Units base unit of time. It may be measured using a clock....
s stood until 2002. His State meet 100 metres time of 10.44 seconds stood until 2007 as the Missouri High School record. Note that Terry Scott who is the track coach at Raytown South High School
Raytown South High School
Raytown South Senior High School is a high school located in Raytown, Missouri. The school was established in 1961, and graduated its first class of seniors in 1964. The enrollment at South peaked in the late 1970s, when it had the largest public school enrollment in the state of Missouri. As...
ran a 10.3 seconds in 1981, but the time was clocked by hand and the handheld adjustment is .24 seconds.
College
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
Wolverines
Michigan Wolverines
The Michigan Wolverines comprise 27 varsity sports teams at the University of Michigan. These teams compete in the NCAA's Division I and in the Big Ten Conference in all sports except men's ice hockey which competes in the NCAA D1 Central Collegiate Hockey Association, and women's water polo, which...
, but he played for back-to-back Big Ten Conference Champions. He accumulated rushing statistics in only sixteen NCAA games for the Wolverines over the course of two seasons. However, in his redshirt
Redshirt (college sports)
Redshirt is a term used in American college athletics that refers to a delay or suspension of an athlete's participation in order to lengthen his or her period of eligibility...
sophomore 1990 season he was selected Co-Big Ten Offensive Football Player of the year (along with University of Iowa
University of Iowa
The University of Iowa is a public state-supported research university located in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. It is the oldest public university in the state. The university is organized into eleven colleges granting undergraduate, graduate, and professional degrees...
Hawkeyes
Iowa Hawkeyes
The Iowa Hawkeyes are the athletics teams that represent the University of Iowa in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. The Hawkeyes have varsity teams in 24 sports, 11 for men and 13 for women. The teams participate in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association and are members of the...
players Nick Bell and Matt Rodgers) by the conference's coaches when he started 11 of 12 games. Vaughn, who wore #25 for the Michigan Wolverines football
Michigan Wolverines football
The Michigan Wolverines football program represents the University of Michigan in college football at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level. Michigan has the most all-time wins and the highest winning percentage in college football history...
program in 1989
1989 NCAA Division I-A football season
The 1989 NCAA Division I-A football season ended with Miami winning its third National Championship during the 80s, cementing its claim as the decade's top team, winning more titles than any other program....
and 1990
1990 NCAA Division I-A football season
The 1990 NCAA Division I-A football season ended with a split championship and the ensuing controversy led to the creation of the Bowl Coalition, a precursor to the Bowl Championship Series. The title was split between the Colorado Buffaloes and the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets...
, played running back after redshirting as a defensive back
Defensive back
In American football and Canadian football, defensive backs are the players on the defensive team who take positions somewhat back from the line of scrimmage; they are distinguished from the defensive line players and linebackers, who take positions directly behind or close to the line of...
who wore #46 in 1988
1988 NCAA Division I-A football season
The 1988 NCAA Division I-A football season ended with Notre Dame winning the national championship. The Fighting Irish won the title via a 34-21 defeat of previously unbeaten West Virginia in the Fiesta Bowl in Tempe, Arizona....
.
Vaughn has claims to several important distinctions in University of Michigan Football history. First, he continues to hold the University of Michigan career yards per attempt record (minimum 200 attempts). Second, he opened the 1990 season by posting 201 rushing yards on September 15, 1990 against University of Notre Dame
University of Notre Dame
The University of Notre Dame du Lac is a Catholic research university located in Notre Dame, an unincorporated community north of the city of South Bend, in St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States...
Fighting Irish
Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Notre Dame's nickname is inherited from Irish immigrant soldiers who fought in the Civil War with the Union's Irish Brigade, , recollected among other places in the poetry of Joyce Kilmer who served with one of the Irish Brigade regiments during World War I...
and following it up with 288 rushing yards against the University of California, Los Angeles
University of California, Los Angeles
The University of California, Los Angeles is a public research university located in the Westwood neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, USA. It was founded in 1919 as the "Southern Branch" of the University of California and is the second oldest of the ten campuses...
Bruins
UCLA Bruins
The UCLA Bruins are the sports teams for University of California, Los Angeles . The Bruin men's and women's teams participate in NCAA Division I as part of the Pacific-12 Conference and the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation . For football, they are in the Football Bowl Subdivision of Division I...
on September 22, 1990 at the Big House
Michigan Stadium
Michigan Stadium, nicknamed "The Big House," is the football stadium for the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Michigan Stadium was built in 1927 at a cost of $950,000 and had an original capacity of 72,000. Before playing football at the stadium, the Wolverines played on Ferry Field...
. This feat made him the first Michigan back to rush for 200 yards in consecutive games, a feat not duplicated until Mike Hart
Mike Hart (football player)
Leon Michael "Mike" Hart is a former American football running back and current offensive quality control coach for Eastern Michigan University. Hart played college football as a running back at the University of Michigan from 2004 to 2007 and holds the Michigan Wolverines career rushing record...
did so in 2004. His third claim is that the 288-yard effort ranks third on the All-time Michigan single game rushing yards list (behind Ron Johnson's 347 yards in 1968 against the Wisconsin Badgers
Wisconsin Badgers
The Wisconsin Badgers are the collegiate athletic teams from the University of Wisconsin–Madison. This NCAA Division I athletic program has teams in football, basketball, ice hockey, volleyball, soccer, cross country, tennis, swimming, wrestling, track and field, rowing, golf, and softball...
and Tshimanga Biakabutuka's 313 yards against the Ohio State Buckeyes
Ohio State Buckeyes
The Ohio State Buckeyes are the intercollegiate sports teams and players of The Ohio State University, named after the state tree, the Buckeye. The Buckeyes participate in the NCAA's Division I in all sports and the Big Ten Conference in most sports...
in 1995). In addition to these claims, his 1,364 yards rushing that season still ranks 13th on the Michigan all-time single season rushing list. During that redshirt sophomore season he paired with freshman Ricky Powers
Ricky Powers
Richard "Ricky" Powers is a former running back in the National Football League for the Cleveland Browns, and a former University of Michigan Wolverines football co-captain. In the NFL, he had a brief career with the Browns during their final season before they relocated to become the Baltimore...
who set the Michigan freshman rushing record later broken by Hart and who tied with Vaughn for a team-high five 100-yard rushing games although accumulating far fewer total yards than Vaughn.
During the 1990 season Vaughn was closely watched in the press. NCAA football rushing averages are calculated on a per game basis. Since Vaughn started the season with two 200-yard efforts, he was atop the rushing charts well into the season. He entered Michigan's seventh game the weekend of October 28, 1990 as the nation's leading rusher. Entering the eighth week he was averaging over 144 yards per game and was still second in the nation and first in the Big Ten. He only gained a total of 94 yards in his ninth, tenth and eleventh games combined and entered Michigan's bowl game as #11 in the nation. He ran for 128 yards in his final game and ended the season as the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year. He also ended the season eleventh in the nation in rushing and second in the Big Ten with 112.4 yards per game.
Oddly, despite his eventual professional success as a kickoff returner, he never returned kickoffs in college. In 1990, Desmond Howard
Desmond Howard
Desmond Kevin Howard is a former NFL wide receiver, punt returner, and kickoff returner.He played football for the University of Michigan from 1989–1991 and won the Heisman Trophy in 1991...
and Derrick Alexander shared the kick return duties. In 1989, Desmond Howard and Tony Boles
Tony Boles
Tony Boles is a retired professional American football running back and kick returner who was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League . After starring for the Michigan Wolverines football, where he once led the Big Ten Conference in rushing, he went on to a scandal ridden...
shared the role.
Professional football
He entered the 19911991 NFL Draft
The 1991 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 21–22, 1991 at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in Manhattan, New York...
National Football League Draft after his redshirt sophomore season, which began with him as the nation's leading rusher through the end of October. The season trailed off as Powers got much of the late season workload with four consecutive 100-yard efforts in Michigan wins. Vaughn was one of a relatively small class of underclassmen, headlined by Ragib "Rocket" Ismail to be approved in the NFL's second class of players allowed to declare themselves eligible for the draft despite remaining amateur eligibility. In addition to Vaughn, other headliners among the underclassmen were Herman Moore
Herman Moore
Herman Joseph Moore is a former American National Football League wide receiver. At George Washington High School in Danville he played mostly as a kicker and also as a tight end. He went to the University of Virginia, where he was a 2-sport athlete...
, Todd Marinovich
Todd Marinovich
Todd Marvin Marinovich is a former American and Canadian football quarterback. He played for the Los Angeles Raiders of the National Football League, and also in the Canadian Football League and Arena Football League...
and Rob Carpenter
Rob Carpenter (football player)
Rob Carpenter is a retired American football wide receiver who played for the New England Patriots, New York Jets and Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League...
(who also played for the 1991 Patriots). John Vaughn was drafted with the first pick of the fifth round of the 1991 NFL Draft by the New England Patriots
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...
. Coach Dick MacPherson
Dick MacPherson
Richard F. MacPherson is a former American football player and coach. He served as the head coach at the University of Massachusetts Amherst from 1971 to 1977 and at Syracuse University from 1981 to 1990, compiling a career college football record of 111–73–5...
used him sparingly from scrimmage in his rookie year as Leonard Russell
Leonard Russell
Leonard James Russell is a former professional American football player who was selected by the New England Patriots in the 1st round of the 1991 NFL Draft. A 6'2", 235-lb. running back from Arizona State University, Russell played in 6 NFL seasons from 1991 to 1996 for the Patriots, the Denver...
was the featured back for the 1991 Patriots. However, he had 34 kickoff returns, including one touchdown for an average of 21.1 yards in 1991. He also completed a 13-yard touchdown pass to Marv Cook
Marv Cook
Marvin Eugene Cook is a former professional American football player who was selected by the New England Patriots in the third round of the 1989 NFL Draft. A 6'4", 234-lb. tight end from the University of Iowa, Cook played in 7 NFL seasons from 1989 to 1995 for the Patriots, the Chicago Bears, and...
against the Houston Oilers on September 22, 1991 in what would be the Patriots only non-quarterback touchdown pass until Dave Meggett
Dave Meggett
David Lee Meggett is a former professional American football running back in the National Football League for the New York Giants , New England Patriots , and the New York Jets . He played college football at Morgan State University and Towson University...
repeated the feat during the 1997 NFL season
1997 NFL season
The 1997 NFL season was the 78th regular season of the National Football League. The Oilers relocated from Houston, Texas to Nashville, Tennessee...
.
Although his totals were modest in New England, he led the team in rushing yards in 1992 with 451 yards on 113 carries. In addition, he had 20 kickoff returns for an average of 28.2 yards, including another return touchdown. This second kickoff return touchdown was the last by a Patriot until Derrick Cullors
Derrick Cullors
Derrick Shane Cullors is a former American football player in the NFL. He played two years for the New England Patriots, primarily as a special teams kick returner. In 1998, he finished tied for third in the AFC, with 1085 yards on 45 returns....
repeated the feat in 1997 against the Buffalo Bills
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
. Vaughn had his first 100-yard rushing game in 1992 with 110 yards on 20 carries on November 22 in a 24–3 win against the New York Jets
New York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional football team headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, representing the New York metropolitan area. The team is a member of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
at home
Home (sports)
In sports, home is a term referring to both the city and stadium, arena, or field where an athletic team plays games at their venue, whilst when the team plays elsewhere then they are considered the away team. The home term can refer to either the sponsoring institution or the place where it is...
. In 1992, Vaughn had six fumble
Fumble
A fumble in American and Canadian football occurs when a player, who has possession and control of the ball loses it before being downed or scoring. By rule, it is any act other than passing, kicking or successful handing that results in loss of player possession...
s on only 113 carries and 13 receptions
Reception (American football)
In American football, a reception is part of a play in which a forward pass from behind the line of scrimmage is received by a player in bounds, who, after the catch, proceeds to either score a touchdown or be downed. Yards gained from the receiving play are credited to the player as receiving...
, and five of the fumbles were lost to the other team.
After two seasons in New England, he was traded to the Seattle Seahawks
Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle, Washington. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team joined the NFL in 1976 as an expansion team...
for an undisclosed draft pick. During the 1993 NFL season
1993 NFL season
The 1993 NFL season was the 74th regular season of the National Football League. For the first time in league history, all NFL teams played their 16-game schedule over a span of 18 weeks. After the success of expanding the regular season to a period of 17 weeks in 1990, the league hoped this new...
, his workload was modest in the backfield with Chris Warren and John L. Williams
John L. Williams
John L. Williams is a former American college and professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League for ten seasons during the 1980s and 1990s...
, but when he got the chance to play for the 1993 Seahawks he rose to the occasion with a career best 131 yards on 26 carries. This was Vaughn's second and last 100-yard rushing game.
Vaughn spent most of the 1994 NFL season with the Seahawks, but he was released after having three fumbles on only twenty-seven carries. However, in December he was signed by the Kansas City Chiefs
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. They are a member of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Originally named the Dallas Texans, the club was founded by Lamar Hunt in 1960 as a...
. In 1994 he did not accumulate statistics from the line of scrimmage either for the Seahawks or for the Chiefs, however he returned kickoffs for both teams and recorded a kick return touchdown for each, including a 91-yard runback against the Miami Dolphins
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
for the Chiefs in 1994.
Over the course of his NFL career he ran back a total of 4 kickoffs for touchdowns. This ranked him tenth (2 short of the record six) in NFL history through the 2006 NFL season. He had been in a three-way tie for eight upon his retirement before the 1995 NFL season
1995 NFL season
The 1995 NFL season was the 76th regular season of the National Football League. The league expanded to 30 teams with the addition of the Carolina Panthers and the Jacksonville Jaguars...
. His kickoff return touchdowns for three different teams tied Ron Smith
Ron Smith (defensive back)
Ronald "Trousers" Smith is a former professional American football defensive back and return specialist in the National Football League...
for the NFL record, which was broken during the 2007 NFL season
2007 NFL season
The 2007 NFL season was the 88th regular season of the National Football League.Regular-season play was held from September 6 to December 30....
by Allen Rossum
Allen Rossum
Allen Bonshaca Lamont Rossum is an American football cornerback and return specialist who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the third round of the 1998 NFL Draft...
who posted a touchdown return for his fourth different team. In 1991, Vaughn averaged 21.1 yards per return on 34 returns, which ranked 10th among those with 1.2 returns per game. In 1992, Vaughn posted a 28.2 averaged on 20 returns to lead the National Football League (Deion Sanders
Deion Sanders
Deion Luwynn Sanders , nicknamed "Prime Time" and "Neon Deion", is a former National Football League cornerback and Major League Baseball outfielder who currently works as an NFL Network analyst...
was second at 26.7). Despite his success as a kick returner, he was released during training camp
Training camp
A training camp is a place, usually with an army-camp-type environment, where people go to learn skills, usually skills involving physical action rather than book subjects, usually for an armed force or an action sport...
in 1995.
Career statistics
| Year | Team | Games | Rushes | Yards | Avg. | TD Touchdown A touchdown is a means of scoring in American and Canadian football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone.-Description:... s |
Receptions Reception (American football) In American football, a reception is part of a play in which a forward pass from behind the line of scrimmage is received by a player in bounds, who, after the catch, proceeds to either score a touchdown or be downed. Yards gained from the receiving play are credited to the player as receiving... |
Yards | Avg. | TDs | Kickoffs | Yards | Avg. | TDs |
| 1989 | Michigan Michigan Wolverines football The Michigan Wolverines football program represents the University of Michigan in college football at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level. Michigan has the most all-time wins and the highest winning percentage in college football history... |
4 | 10 | 57 | 5.7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1990 | Michigan | 12 | 216 | 1364 | 6.3 | 9 | 20 | 123 | 6.2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 16 | 226 | 1421 | 6.3 | 9 | 20 | 123 | 6.2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Year | Team | Games | Rushes | Yards | Avg. | TDs | Receptions | Yards | Avg. | TDs | Kickoffs | Yards | Avg. | TDs |
| 1991 | New England New England Patriots The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National... |
16 | 31 | 146 | 4.7 | 2 | 9 | 89 | 9.9 | 0 | 34 | 717 | 21.1 | 1 |
| 1992 | New England | 16 | 113 | 451 | 4 | 1 | 13 | 84 | 6.5 | 0 | 20 | 564 | 28.2 | 1 |
| 1993 | Seattle Seattle Seahawks The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle, Washington. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team joined the NFL in 1976 as an expansion team... |
16 | 36 | 153 | 4.3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 280 | 17.5 | 0 |
| 1994 | Seattle | 10 | 27 | 96 | 3.6 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 5 | 1 | 18 | 443 | 24.6 | 1 |
| 1994 | Kansas City Kansas City Chiefs The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. They are a member of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Originally named the Dallas Texans, the club was founded by Lamar Hunt in 1960 as a... |
3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 386 | 25.7 | 1 |
| Totals | 61 | 207 | 846 | 4.1 | 4 | 23 | 178 | 7.7 | 0 | 103 | 2,390 | 23.2 | 4 | |
100-Yard Games
| Week | Day | Date | Result | Team | Opponent | Score | Rushes Rush (American football) Rushing has two different meanings in gridiron football .-Offense:The first is an action taken by the offensive team that means to advance the ball by running, as opposed to passing. A run is technically any play that does not involve a forward pass... |
Yards | TDs Touchdown A touchdown is a means of scoring in American and Canadian football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone.-Description:... |
Avg. |
| 12 | Sun | 1992-11-22 | W | NWE New England Patriots The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National... |
NYJ New York Jets The New York Jets are a professional football team headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, representing the New York metropolitan area. The team is a member of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League... |
24–3 | 20 | 110 | 1 | 5.5 |
| 17 | Sun | 1993-12-26 | W | SEA Seattle Seahawks The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle, Washington. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team joined the NFL in 1976 as an expansion team... |
PIT Pittsburgh Steelers The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC... |
16–6 | 26 | 131 | 0 | 5 |
N.B.: Home team is in bold.