From a young age, Chris Vaughn told his son that his size was his superpower. Deuce Vaughn isn't Superman, but he's darned close to it.
Just the second player in Kansas State history to earn Consensus All-American in multiple seasons, the 5-foot-6, 176-pound Vaughn has been one of the most dangerous players in college football. As a running back/pass-catching threat, nobody actively playing football has been better. He's the only player in the country with 3,400 rushing yards and 1,200 receiving yards in a career. And he's a junior.
When No. 9 K-State (10-3) faces No. 5 Alabama (10-2) in the Allstate Sugar Bowl at 11 a.m. Saturday at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana, it'll mark the second straight game Vaughn will have played inside a NFL stadium — and some speculate he might only play inside NFL stadiums next year.
Right now, Vaughn, a team captain, is only thinking about helping steer Big 12 Champion K-State to a win in a New Year's Six bowl.
"I never thought the ride would be like this," Vaughn said. "I came in as a freshman and wanted to carve out a role. I wanted to do anything I could to get on the football field. To be sitting where I am right now to play in the Sugar Bowl on a Big 12 Championship team and to have the career I've had to this point, man, I can't put into words how unbelievable it is.
"I'm so thankful for this opportunity and to have landed here. I'm super excited to finish the season off."
It's been incredible to watch, really, how the native of Round Rock, Texas, an underrated and underrecruited high school talent, has juked and cut and slashed and darted his way to college football stardom. A lock for K-State's Ring of Honor, Vaughn emphatically belongs alongside the football greats, and his credentials prove him to be one of the top overall student-athletes in K-State history as well.
"Deuce Vaughn has been an absolute joy to coach and someone I'll never forget," offensive coordinator Collin Klein said. "He's time in our program has been a part of the build-up to being able to be a part of this. It's been special."
Klein continued.
"Whatever he chooses to do, obviously, we're behind him 1,000%," Klein said. "I'd love to coach him the next 10 years. Unfortunately, it doesn't work like that. Whatever he does, he's made an impact on K-State and me and our team that's second-to-none."
From being the second all-time leading rusher in K-State history (3,471 yards) to tying Saquon Barkley as the fastest Power 5 player since 1996 to reach 3,000 rushing yards and 1,000 receiving yards in a career (32 games), the low-octave, high-energy chant of "DEUUUUUUCE!" that has filled Bill Snyder Family Stadium each Saturday in the fall over the past three seasons glaringly speaks to the passion of K-State fans toward their favorite son, the No. 22 jersey now a mainstay in fans' gameday attire.
"I'm going to tell my kids that's one of the best players I've ever seen," quarterback Will Howard said.
Vaughn enters Saturday's meeting against Alabama with 1,425 rushing yards and 136.9 all-purpose yards per game. He has eight 100-yard rushing performances this season and has eclipsed 100 rushing yards in 20 of 36 games during his career. He ranks fourth in school history in career rushing yards per attempt (5.52).
With 41 rushing yards, he'll pass Darren Sproles' season rushing total (1,465) in 2002. With 57 all-purpose yards, he'll pass Tyler Lockett's season all-purpose total (1,859) in 2013. He has 42 career touchdowns. Only Klein (57) and Sproles (48) had more.
As for Alabama being a prove-it game for Vaughn's legacy?
"Man, Saturday I'm playing for my team and we're playing a team game," Vaughn said. "Of course, I want to have a performance to put my team in a position to be successful. It's not one of those prove-it type of deals. I've played in 36 games in my career here at Kansas State and the production almost speaks for itself, and of course I can't take all the credit for it, but it's not necessarily going out here and trying to say, 'This is who I am.' I think I've shown it over the past 36 games.
"It's about doing it as a team and trying to help my team win."
There will be a time shortly after the season when Vaughn will sit down with his family and discuss his future. For now, it becomes important to savor every carry and every catch by Vaughn and appreciate the young man and his craft, the wizard at work, as he battles on his biggest stage yet in the Sugar Bowl and under the bright lights in the Caesars Superdome.
"DEUUUUUUCE!"
Chris Vaughn was right. Deuce's size is his superpower.
Thankfully, Deuce has chosen to share his superpower with K-State.
"I'm so thankful I've had this opportunity to come here and play for this program and for Manhattan and it's molded me into the person I am today," Vaughn said. "I'm so thankful for Kansas State and everything that it's about and what it does and what it's done for me."
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