Listed at just 5’5”, Deuce Vaughn is currently the shortest player in the NFL, an inch shorter than the legendary “short king” himself, Darren Sproles. Fittingly, the Super Bowl-winning running back recently gave Vaughn one of the highest compliments imaginable, and Vaughn couldn’t have been more humbled to receive it.
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We haven’t seen much of Vaughn in action so far in his young career. He’s had only 40 career carries and has yet to score a touchdown.
Still, Sproles believes he sees a lot of himself in the up-and-coming back, a sentiment Kay Adams shared with Vaughn when he appeared on her show.
“So, one of my favorite all-time players is Darren Sproles,” Adams told Vaughn on her show. “It’s like unbelievable to get him on the show and get his thoughts. He came on my show, and he said that you’re the player in the league that reminds him most of himself, which is such high praise coming from him. What do you see as far as you and Darren and similarities?”
First off, what an incredible comparison to be included in. Sproles was one of the most dynamic players in league history. He could run, catch, and return kicks for touchdowns. His height gave him a lower center of gravity, which made it tough to bring him down if the tackle wasn’t perfect.
Second, as a player with such limited exposure, how do you even respond to that if you’re Vaughn? He, after all, doesn’t have much to stand on just yet. So, Vaughn chose to take the humbling route.
“Darren Sproles was a guy that I watched growing up. As a little kid, you’re diminutive, you’re a little bit smaller. The way he plays football, you see him on the field- electric. For myself to be elusive, to be the toughest player on the football field, to be able to be lightning in a bottle. That’s why I pride myself off of it… For him to say that is truly humbling,” Vaughn said.
One could easily tell that the running back was giddy about the shoutout. He clearly watched and modeled his game after Sproles, and seemed proud to be compared to him like that.
Vaughn on Cowboys RB room
Later on in the interview with Adams, Vaughn was asked what he thinks about the current state of the Dallas Cowboys’ running back depth chart. It’s a group that Kay reminded him has been highly criticized and doubted. But Vaughn said that he simply chooses to ignore the outside noise.
“The guys that we brought in, Javonte [Williams], Miles [Sanders], Jaydon Blue, and Phil Mafeh; every single day we go inside the building, we’re just putting in the work. We’re not listening to anything outside of the building,” Vaughn stated.
It’s not exactly the best group of backs that have reshaped the Cowboys’ running back room, but they’re decent players. There was a time when people thought Javonte Williams would be special, but a gruesome leg injury seemingly sapped his potential.
Beyond that, Miles Sanders is coming off a disappointing stint with the Carolina Panthers. And rookies Jaydon Blue and Phil Mafeh could end up being better than expected.
At the end of the day, though, one has to anticipate Vaughn getting his shot as well. If he can survive being an early cut candidate, it should be his time to prove whether he’s the next Sproles. But as a sixth-round pick heading into his third season, the odds aren’t in his favor.
