Jon Vaughn facts for kids

Jonathan Stewart Vaughn (born March 12, 1970) is a former American football player. He was a running back and return specialist in the National Football League (NFL). He played for four seasons from 1991 to 1994. His teams included the Seattle Seahawks, New England Patriots, and Kansas City Chiefs.

In 1992, Jon Vaughn had his best season. He led the Patriots in rushing yards. He also led the NFL in kickoff returns, averaging 28.2 yards per return. He was one of only ten NFL players to score four touchdowns from kickoff returns. He was also the second player to score a kickoff return touchdown for three different teams.

Before playing professionally, Vaughn was a star in college football. He played for the Michigan Wolverines. There, he set records for games with over 200 rushing yards and for yards per carry. In 1990, he was named the Big Ten Co-Offensive Player of the Year.

In high school, he was also a talented sprinter. He set Missouri State High School Activities Association (MSHSAA) records for the 100-meter and 200-meter dashes. These records stood for more than ten years.

Early Life and High School Sports

Jon Vaughn was born and grew up in Florissant, Missouri. He went to McCluer North High School in his hometown. He was a very fast runner in high school.

In 1988, he set a Missouri State High School record in the 200-meter dash. His time was 21.28 seconds. This record was not broken until 2002. He also set a state record in the 100-meter event with a time of 10.44 seconds. This record stood until 2007.

College Football Journey

Vaughn's 1989 Big Ten Champions played in the Rose Bowl.

Jon Vaughn played for the University of Michigan Wolverines for two years. During his time there, the team won back-to-back Big Ten Conference Championships. He played in only 16 NCAA games for the Wolverines.

He spent his first year, 1988, as a "redshirt" player. This means he practiced with the team but did not play in games. This allowed him to gain experience without using up a year of his college eligibility. He started as a defensive back before switching to running back.

Setting Records at Michigan

In 1990, his second year of playing, he was named the Co-Big Ten Offensive Football Player of the Year. He shared this award with two players from the University of Iowa. He started 11 out of 12 games that season.

As of 2007, Vaughn still holds a University of Michigan record. He has the highest career yards per attempt for players with at least 200 attempts.

He had an amazing start to the 1990 season. On September 15, 1990, he rushed for 201 yards against the University of Notre Dame. A week later, on September 22, he gained 288 rushing yards against the University of California, Los Angeles Bruins. This made him the first Michigan player to rush for over 200 yards in two games in a row.

His 288-yard game is the third-highest single-game rushing total in Michigan history. Only Ron Johnson (347 yards in 1968) and Tshimanga Biakabutuka (313 yards in 1995) had more. In that season, he rushed for 1,364 yards. This is the 13th highest single-season total in Michigan history.

Even though he became a great kickoff returner in the NFL, he never returned kickoffs in college. Other players handled those duties for Michigan.

Professional Football Career

Jon Vaughn decided to enter the 1991 NFL Draft after his second year of playing college football. He was one of the few college players allowed to leave early for the NFL draft at that time.

He was picked by the New England Patriots in the fifth round of the 1991 NFL Draft. In his first year, he didn't run the ball much. However, he became important for his kickoff returns. He had 34 kickoff returns, including one touchdown. He also threw a 13-yard touchdown pass, which was very rare for a non-quarterback.

Playing for NFL Teams

In 1992, Vaughn led the Patriots in rushing with 451 yards. He also had 20 kickoff returns, averaging 28.2 yards, and scored another return touchdown. This was the last kickoff return touchdown for the Patriots until 1997. His 28.2-yard average led the entire National Football League that year.

After two seasons with the Patriots, Vaughn was traded to the Seattle Seahawks. In 1993, he had his second and last game with over 100 rushing yards, gaining 131 yards on 26 carries.

In 1994, he started the season with the Seahawks but was released. He then signed with the Kansas City Chiefs in December. He didn't run the ball for the Chiefs, but he continued to return kickoffs for both teams. He even scored a kickoff return touchdown for each team that year! This included a 91-yard return for the Chiefs.

Kickoff Return Star

Throughout his NFL career, Jon Vaughn scored four touchdowns on kickoff returns. This placed him among the top ten players in NFL history for kickoff return touchdowns at the time. He also tied an NFL record by scoring kickoff return touchdowns for three different teams. This record was later broken in 2007.

Career Highlights and Statistics

Here are some of Jon Vaughn's career statistics from his time in college and the NFL:

Standing Up for Others

After his football career, Jon Vaughn became involved in efforts to help people. He spoke out about ways to make sure everyone is treated fairly. He also announced that he would run for a position called Regent of the University of Michigan. This role helps to oversee the university.

See also

• Lists of Michigan Wolverines football rushing leaders