DALLAS — When the Cowboys take the field this season, there's a new player who might stand out to you.
He's noticeably smaller than his teammates and counterparts, standing at a 5 feet, 6 inches. Deuce Vaughn, the Cowboys' newest running back, was drafted in the 6th round. His NFL Draft call with his dad was arguably the moment everyone talked about. Vaughn's father, Chris, is the director of college scouting for the Cowboys.
But Deuce Vaughn's selection is far from a case of nepotism or a charity pick. Vaughn possesses lightning in a bottle and has shown it in training camp. Check out this play caught by WFAA's Mike Leslie:
Cowboys fans may not know much about Vaughn just yet, so here is some background on him.
Who is Deuce Vaughn?
Even though he played college football for Kansas State, Vaughn is actually a Texas guy, through and through. Vaughn played high school football in Central Texas for Round Rock Cedar Ridge, where he earned honorable mention all-state honors from the Texas Sports Writers Association as a junior. At Cedar Ridge, he racked up 5,472 career all-purpose yards and 50 total touchdowns.
Vaughn had offers from Arkansas, North Texas, Air Force, Missouri, USF and Kansas State. He ultimately chose the Wildcats and made an instant impact as a true freshman. Vaughn led Kansas State his freshman season in rushing yards, receiving yards and all-purpose yards (1,221).
Vaughn followed up his freshman season with 1,872 all-purpose yards (1,404 rushing, 468 receiving) and 22 touchdowns (18 rushing, four receiving) his sophomore year. In his junior season, Vaughn totaled 1,936 all-purpose yards (1,558 rushing, 378 receiving) and 12 touchdowns (nine rushing, three receiving).
He was a consensus All-American his junior season before declaring for the 2023 NFL Draft.
How tall is Deuce Vaughn?
Vaughn is officially listed on the Cowboys' website at 5 feet, 6 inches tall, but numerous reports over the years note him as being 5 feet, 5 inches tall. At either height, Vaughn is among the shortest players in the NFL. He'll draw comparisons to former Chargers and Eagles running back Darren Sproles, who stood 5 feet, 6 inches tall.
Dallas Cowboys reporter Nick Harris tweeted a photo of Vaughn (who he notes as 5-5) standing next to the tallest player on the roster, Alex Taylor-Prioleau, who stands 6 feet, 8 inches tall.
Here are more highlights of Vaughn from Cowboys training camp, shot by WFAA's Mike Leslie:
More Texas headlines: