Dallas Cowboys scout Chris Vaughn shared on social media Sunday a touching message from his son, Deuce Vaughn , ahead of the former Kansas State running back’s debut for the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday Night Football.
Apparently, the Cowboys’ sixth-round draft pick called his dad just to say, “Thanks.”
“My baby boy called me this morning and told me ‘thank you for everything'” Vaughn shared with a video of clips of the father-son duo working together in the backyard over the years. “…that was all he wanted to say. So proud of him and the work he has put in to overcome the odds. ‘If he can, you can.’ It’s about the work when no one is watching.”
The Cowboys kick off the 2023 regular season slate with a road game against NFC East rivals, the New York Giants on Sunday night. For Vaughn, it’s his very first regular season game as a member of a 53-man NFL roster.
Vaughn not just a ‘gadget player’
Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott has already found there’s a lot to like about his new rookie running back. The small-statured ball carrier made plays all preseason long and Prescott sees him carving out a role this season.
“He can bring a lot to this offense,” Prescott said, via Jon Machota. “He’s a playmaker… not just a gadget guy. He’s not just a guy you want to get out of the backfield into space. We’ve seen that he can run between the tackles.”
“He’s probably using that height to his advantage,” Prescott added. “Everybody gets criticized for something, so that’s what they’ve picked for him. But I’m sure he’s used that to be something on his armor that he wants to prove people wrong. I know he’ll do that. He’s a hell of a player. He approaches the game the right way. Young guy, but acts like he’s been in this league for a while. I’m excited for all that he’s gonna bring to this team.”
On top of his services as the Cowboys’ third-string running back behind Tony Pollard and Rico Dowdle, Vaughn is also the backup kick returner.
Dowdle, an undrafted free agent out of South Carolina, didn’t record a snap for Dallas last season. However, in 2020, he had seven carries with 15 game appearances.
Meanwhile, Vaughn rushed for over 1,000 yards in back-to-back seasons for the Wildcats, also racking up 116 career receptions for 1,280 yards in his three seasons in Manhattan.
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