Running back Deuce Vaughn slipped to the Cowboys in the sixth round of the 2023 NFL draft, but he showed out in the team’s preseason opener against the Jaguars on Saturday.
The former Kansas State standout finished with eight carries for 50 yards and a touchdown. Despite the Cowboys’ 28–23 loss, Vaughn admitted after the game how special the debut made him feel.
“Just that I belong,” Vaughn said, via ESPN’s Todd Archer. “That’s the biggest thing for myself—coming in and proving the people that believe in me right. It doesn’t stop now. We go back to work on Monday, and we’re getting ready for the next preseason game.”
Here’s a compilation of Vaughn’s highlights from Saturday.
Deuce Vaughn vs Jacksonville Jaguars, Preseason Week 2.
— Zareh Kantzabedian (@ZKantzFF) August 13, 2023
All rush attempts and targets. pic.twitter.com/UxQO609U84
Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy praised Vaughn in his postgame interview as well.
“He played very well,” McCarthy said. “I thought he had a heck of a night. It was a great, great introduction to the NFL.”
Vaughn, whom the Cowboys list at 5’6” and 176 pounds, is expected to serve as starter Tony Pollard’s primary backup in his first NFL season.
