When the Cowboys selected Kansas State running back Deuce Vaughn in the sixth round of the 2023 NFL Draft, his father Chris Vaughn was understandably emotional.
The elder Vaughn was caught on camera trying to hold back tears as he was told that Dallas was going to select his son.
However, there was something unique about his role in the process. He was in the Cowboys' war room as it happened.
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Who is Deuce Vaughn's father?
Chris Vaughn has worked as a scout for the Cowboys since 2017. He currently serves as a Southeast Area scout, so he was overjoyed to find out that his son would be joining the organization for which he works.
Vaughn's reaction was captured and aired on both NFL Network and ESPN after the pick was announced. Below is a look at his unbridled joy, which brought him to tears as his coworkers applauded him.
Here’s the emotional reaction in the Cowboys’ war room when the team used the 212th overall pick in the sixth round on Kansas St. RB Deuce Vaughn, son of Cowboys’ assistant director of college scouting, Chris Vaughn. pic.twitter.com/wC5dWw7IJp
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) April 29, 2023
The Cowboys released the full audio of Chris' call with his son, as well as the emotional calls from Jerry Jones and Mike McCarthy.
#CowboysNation, get your tissues ready 🥹🤧
— Dallas Cowboys (@dallascowboys) April 30, 2023
Chris Vaughn of the scouting department made the call to his son, @C_Vaughn22, to tell him he’s officially a member of the #DallasCowboys 📞#CowboysDraft | @ATT pic.twitter.com/MszgQpRmhl
It was revealed on the NFL Network broadcast that Vaughn had excused himself from the Cowboys' war room when it was time to debate selecting his son. He also wasn't allowed to compile a scouting report on his son as part of the team's directive.
It's easy to understand why the team would want to avoid putting the elder Vaughn in the position where he had to break down his son's game.
Now, he won't have to worry about that process as much and can instead enjoy watching his son compete alongside him with the Cowboys.
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How tall is Deuce Vaughn?
Part of the reason that Deuce Vaughn lasted until the sixth round of the 2023 NFL Draft is that he only measured 5-5, 179 pounds at the 2023 NFL Combine. That will make him one of the smaller players in the NFL.
That said, the younger Vaughn was a dynamic playmaker at Kansas State. He generated a whopping 1,936 scrimmage yards and 12 touchdowns on 335 touches during his final year with the Wildcats. He proved that he could carry a full workload and was tough for opposing tackles to bring down.
Plenty of smaller players have found success in the league, much like former Kansas State running back Darren Sproles. As such, there's reason to believe that Vaughn can become an explosive role player at the NFL level.
And his father will be right alongside him as he looks to become a quality pro.
