Jon Vaughn facts for kids

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

Vaughn had his best season in 1992 with the Patriots. He led the team in rushing and was the best in the NFL for kickoff returns. He was the tenth player in NFL history to score four touchdowns from kickoff returns. He was also the second player to score kickoff-return touchdowns for three different teams.

In college, he played for the Michigan Wolverines. He set school records for 200-yard games and yards per carry. In 1990, he was named the Big Ten Co-Offensive Player of the Year. As a high school sprinter, he set state records in the 100-meter and 200-meter dash that were not broken for over ten years.

Early Life and High School

Jon Vaughn was born and grew up in Florissant, Missouri. He went to McCluer North High School. He was a very fast runner. In 1988, he set a Missouri high school record in the 200-meter dash with a time of 21.28 seconds. This record lasted until 2002. His 100-meter time of 10.44 seconds, set in 1988, was the state record until 2007.

College Football Career

Vaughn's team played in the Rose Bowl after winning the 1989 Big Ten Championship.

Vaughn played for the University of Michigan for two seasons. His team, the Wolverines, won the Big Ten Conference Championship both years. He played in only 16 games but made a big impact.

In 1990, his sophomore year, he was chosen as the Co-Offensive Player of the Year in the Big Ten. He started 11 of 12 games that season. When he first joined the team in 1988, he was a defensive back. He later switched to running back.

Record-Breaking Performances

Vaughn set an amazing record at Michigan. He is the first player in the school's history to rush for over 200 yards in two games in a row.

• On September 15, 1990, he rushed for 201 yards against Notre Dame.
• The next week, on September 22, he rushed for 288 yards against the UCLA Bruins.

His 288-yard game is the third-best single-game rushing performance in Michigan's history. In the 1990 season, he rushed for a total of 1,364 yards. This is the 13th highest total for a single season at Michigan.

During that season, Vaughn was one of the best rushers in the country. For a time, he was the nation's leading rusher. He finished the season as the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year.

Professional NFL Career

Vaughn decided to enter the 1991 NFL Draft after his sophomore year of college. This was unusual at the time, as most players wait until they finish college. He was drafted by the New England Patriots in the fifth round.

New England Patriots (1991–1992)

In his first year, Vaughn was mainly used as a kickoff returner. He returned a kickoff for a touchdown. He also threw a touchdown pass, which was rare for a non-quarterback.

In 1992, Vaughn had a great season. He led the Patriots in rushing with 451 yards. He also led the entire NFL in kickoff return average, with 28.2 yards per return. He scored another touchdown on a kickoff return. His first 100-yard rushing game was against the New York Jets, where he ran for 110 yards.

Seattle and Kansas City (1993–1994)

After two seasons, Vaughn was traded to the Seattle Seahawks. In 1993, he had his best rushing game ever, running for 131 yards against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

In 1994, he played for both the Seahawks and the Kansas City Chiefs. He continued to be a great kick returner. He scored a kickoff return touchdown for both teams that year. This made him one of the few players to score return touchdowns for three different teams.

In his whole NFL career, Vaughn scored four touchdowns on kickoff returns. When he retired, this ranked him in the top ten in NFL history for this achievement.

Activism

In 2020, Vaughn spoke up about his experiences at the University of Michigan. He said that a team doctor, Robert Anderson, had acted improperly. Vaughn joined with other former students to hold the university responsible for what happened.

He became an activist to help other victims and to make the university safer for students. In 2021, he camped outside the home of the university's president to bring attention to the issue. Vaughn also announced he would run for a position on the University of Michigan's Board of Regents, a group that helps run the school.

Career Statistics

100-Yard Rushing Games

Note: Home team is in bold.

See also

• Lists of Michigan Wolverines football rushing leaders