SE: Vaughn Sets the Stage for a Big 2022
Jan 07, 2022 | Football, Sports Extra
By: D. Scott Fritchen
Shortly after sophomore Consensus All-American Deuce Vaughn issued his stunning performance on the big stage of the TaxAct Texas Bowl at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas, Kansas State head coach Chris Klieman offered big praise for his star all-purpose back heading into the 2022 season.
"He's the best player in college football, in my opinion and for a reason — a consensus first-team All-American," Klieman said.
Vaughn's teammates agree.
"I agree 100 percent," First Team All-Big 12 Conference left tackle Cooper Beebe said. "The stuff Deuce can do is insane. Sometimes, I'm thinking, 'OK, this might be a 2-yard gain,' and Deuce is taking it 60 yards. He's just a phenomenal athlete with the things he can do in the running game and also in the passing game. It's just insane."
Added linebacker Deuce Green: "He's a baller. Man, his play talks for itself. He's a great dude. On and off the field he's a great person. He's a baller. One of a kind. He's for sure the best offensive player I've ever played with."
Wide receiver Phillip Brooks called Vaughn "a bad man."
Vaughn might've worn a black Stetson, which often depicts a villain in old cowboy movies, at the K-State pep rally the day before running wild in the bowl game, but he's no Hopalong Cassidy. Just call him Hopalong Vaughn, the baddest all-purpose player since Tyler Lockett, who also earned Consensus All-American honors at the position in 2014.
Standing on stage at Miller Outdoor Theatre in Houston, Vaughn listened to Voice of the Wildcats Wyatt Thompson list off all the previous Consensus All-Americans to play for the Wildcats: Gary Spani, Sean Snyder, Jaime Mendez, Chris Canty (twice), Martin Gramatica, David Allen, Mark Simoneau, Terence Newman, Jordy Nelson and Lockett.
The K-State crowd cheered for Vaughn as he took the microphone and began to speak.
"It's unbelievable to be in this position and to have my name with those guys," Vaughn said. "It's something I'll honor for a very long time."
He added: "I can't take any credit. It's everybody in that building and everyone around me."
Vaughn went out and the 5-foot-6, 173-pound multi-faceted threat torched LSU for 146 yards on 21 carries and 3 touchdowns and caught a 2-yard touchdown pass as well during his first bowl game. Vaughn's 24 total points set a K-State bowl record, his 3 rushing touchdowns tied a school bowl record, and his 146 rushing yards ranked third by a K-State player in a bowl game.
Vaughn finished the season with 1,404 rushing yards — ninth most in the Football Bowl Subdivision and fourth most in school history. He had nine games with 100 rushing yards to tie for second in school history, which includes a current streak of six-straight games to tie for second in school history. Vaughn's 18 rushing touchdowns tied for eighth nationally. His 1,872 all-purpose yards ranked sixth nationally.
Vaughn, a native of Round Rock, Texas, is a finalist for the Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award, given annually to the most outstanding college football player from the state of Texas. Vaughn is joined by running back Sincere McCormick (UTSA), running back Abram Smith (Baylor), wide receiver Garrett Wilson (Ohio State) and quarterback Bailey Zappe (Western Kentucky). The winner will be named next Wednesday.
Vaughn shared a little bit of his story with K-State faithful at the pep rally.
"Being recruited out of high school, I didn't have any Texas schools come and offer me," Vaughn said. "Kansas State came in and offered me from an entirely different region of football. They brought me up here and allowed me to be the person I could be and put me into situations to come back and hopefully win this award for you all (teammates and fans). I appreciate it so much, because nobody really had any faith in me, everybody behind me (on stage) took me in and said, 'Let's go do this,' and I try to give back in this way."
Vaughn's selflessness and humility are nothing new for Klieman.
"Most humble kid I've been around, but he's a workhorse, and our players love him," Klieman said. "He loves K-State and he's big time. I love the kid, I love his heart and his resolve, and the fact that he wants the football."
Vaughn is grateful that he's found a home in the Vanier Family Football Complex.
"It was a big-time dream of mine to play like this this past season, but when I look back, it's all about the guys in the locker room, really," he said. "To be able to do it with that special type of group of guys is why I came here. Coach Klieman said we'll build a culture, and to be able to do that and them help me to get to this point, man, I can't even put into words how thankful I am for everybody in this program and for them bringing me in."
Senior quarterback Skylar Thompson offered high praise for Vaughn following his sophomore campaign.
"What I love about him is he's had so much success, but he's the same person every day. He's all about K-State and being a Wildcat. He puts his teammates before himself and that's what K-State is all about. I'm going to support him every step of his journey. I know his future is bright. He's just getting started, just scratching the ceiling.
"There's no ceiling for Deuce."
Shortly after sophomore Consensus All-American Deuce Vaughn issued his stunning performance on the big stage of the TaxAct Texas Bowl at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas, Kansas State head coach Chris Klieman offered big praise for his star all-purpose back heading into the 2022 season.
"He's the best player in college football, in my opinion and for a reason — a consensus first-team All-American," Klieman said.
Vaughn's teammates agree.
"I agree 100 percent," First Team All-Big 12 Conference left tackle Cooper Beebe said. "The stuff Deuce can do is insane. Sometimes, I'm thinking, 'OK, this might be a 2-yard gain,' and Deuce is taking it 60 yards. He's just a phenomenal athlete with the things he can do in the running game and also in the passing game. It's just insane."
Added linebacker Deuce Green: "He's a baller. Man, his play talks for itself. He's a great dude. On and off the field he's a great person. He's a baller. One of a kind. He's for sure the best offensive player I've ever played with."
Wide receiver Phillip Brooks called Vaughn "a bad man."
Vaughn might've worn a black Stetson, which often depicts a villain in old cowboy movies, at the K-State pep rally the day before running wild in the bowl game, but he's no Hopalong Cassidy. Just call him Hopalong Vaughn, the baddest all-purpose player since Tyler Lockett, who also earned Consensus All-American honors at the position in 2014.
Standing on stage at Miller Outdoor Theatre in Houston, Vaughn listened to Voice of the Wildcats Wyatt Thompson list off all the previous Consensus All-Americans to play for the Wildcats: Gary Spani, Sean Snyder, Jaime Mendez, Chris Canty (twice), Martin Gramatica, David Allen, Mark Simoneau, Terence Newman, Jordy Nelson and Lockett.
The K-State crowd cheered for Vaughn as he took the microphone and began to speak.
"It's unbelievable to be in this position and to have my name with those guys," Vaughn said. "It's something I'll honor for a very long time."
He added: "I can't take any credit. It's everybody in that building and everyone around me."
Vaughn went out and the 5-foot-6, 173-pound multi-faceted threat torched LSU for 146 yards on 21 carries and 3 touchdowns and caught a 2-yard touchdown pass as well during his first bowl game. Vaughn's 24 total points set a K-State bowl record, his 3 rushing touchdowns tied a school bowl record, and his 146 rushing yards ranked third by a K-State player in a bowl game.
Vaughn finished the season with 1,404 rushing yards — ninth most in the Football Bowl Subdivision and fourth most in school history. He had nine games with 100 rushing yards to tie for second in school history, which includes a current streak of six-straight games to tie for second in school history. Vaughn's 18 rushing touchdowns tied for eighth nationally. His 1,872 all-purpose yards ranked sixth nationally.
Vaughn, a native of Round Rock, Texas, is a finalist for the Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award, given annually to the most outstanding college football player from the state of Texas. Vaughn is joined by running back Sincere McCormick (UTSA), running back Abram Smith (Baylor), wide receiver Garrett Wilson (Ohio State) and quarterback Bailey Zappe (Western Kentucky). The winner will be named next Wednesday.
Vaughn shared a little bit of his story with K-State faithful at the pep rally.
"Being recruited out of high school, I didn't have any Texas schools come and offer me," Vaughn said. "Kansas State came in and offered me from an entirely different region of football. They brought me up here and allowed me to be the person I could be and put me into situations to come back and hopefully win this award for you all (teammates and fans). I appreciate it so much, because nobody really had any faith in me, everybody behind me (on stage) took me in and said, 'Let's go do this,' and I try to give back in this way."
Vaughn's selflessness and humility are nothing new for Klieman.
"Most humble kid I've been around, but he's a workhorse, and our players love him," Klieman said. "He loves K-State and he's big time. I love the kid, I love his heart and his resolve, and the fact that he wants the football."
Vaughn is grateful that he's found a home in the Vanier Family Football Complex.
"It was a big-time dream of mine to play like this this past season, but when I look back, it's all about the guys in the locker room, really," he said. "To be able to do it with that special type of group of guys is why I came here. Coach Klieman said we'll build a culture, and to be able to do that and them help me to get to this point, man, I can't even put into words how thankful I am for everybody in this program and for them bringing me in."
Senior quarterback Skylar Thompson offered high praise for Vaughn following his sophomore campaign.
"What I love about him is he's had so much success, but he's the same person every day. He's all about K-State and being a Wildcat. He puts his teammates before himself and that's what K-State is all about. I'm going to support him every step of his journey. I know his future is bright. He's just getting started, just scratching the ceiling.
"There's no ceiling for Deuce."
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