USF sixth-year player Jason Vaughn lines up at "b-backer,'' a hybrid position between defensive lineman and linebacker. His primary job is going vertical, pushing ahead, always making progress toward getting the quarterback.
For Vaughn, it has always been about pushing ahead instead of looking back. With a positive, mature attitude, he has weathered the disappointment of being largely unwanted out of high school, then the shock of tearing his right meniscus on the first play of USF's initial fall-camp scrimmage in 2023.
Despite the injury, Vaughn somehow grinded through the first four games — getting a sack against Florida A&M and Alabama — before he and the coaches mutually agreed to shut it down.
Now Vaughn, healthy and eager, has that final chance. Bulls head coach Alex Golesh said he anticipates Vaughn being one of the team's top pass-rushers, an area of definite need as USF seeks to improve its defense.
Vaughn (6-foot-5, 247 pounds) was named to the watch list of the College Football Comeback Player of the Year Award, given since 2018 by the College Sports Communicators (CSC), the Associated Press and the Fiesta Bowl.
"Accolades are amazing,'' Vaughn said. "But that's not what I'm playing for.''
It's still a compelling story.
Vaughn just turned 24. When Vaughn played in his first USF game, the 2019 home opener against Wisconsin, some of the current Bulls freshmen were entering the eighth grade.
When Vaughn arrived, USF's $22-million Indoor Performance Facility wasn't even on the drawing board. Wednesday morning's thunderstorms conveniently chased Vaughn and his teammates indoors for a full unencumbered practice.
"Times have changed around here,'' Vaughn said. "We're all grateful for that.''
Vaughn has changed, too. He's older, wiser, not bitter, mostly thankful for the experiences that have shaped him. He has a bachelor's and master's degree and he'll likely start his own business after football.
But his football is not done. Not by a longshot.
"He's a grizzled vet and he has been through the wars,'' Golesh said. "We always had high hopes for him (Vaughn led the Bulls with five sacks and 8.5 tackles for loss in 2022). He has a really cool energy. He was one of the guys we went to (late in practice) to say, 'You've got to bring the energy, bring the juice.' He always does.''
"He's a dawg … and you love playing around a guy like that,'' defensive tackle Doug Blue-Eli said. "Having him back means everything. He's somebody who's willing to ride for all of us.''
Could Vaughn have limped away from football last season? Many players might have made that choice.
Could Vaughn have started over fresh through the transfer portal? Absolutely.
But that's not his style.
"The transfer portal wasn't even around when I was coming in,'' Vaughn said. "There's a sense of loyalty there. USF took a chance on me (coming out of a Winter Haven prep school). I had no Division I offers coming out of high school.
"I think it's only right for me to pay that forward and stay loyal to the program. I feel like this is the place I'm supposed to be at. There's a reason why I'm still here.''
Loyalty and discipline were taught to him by his father, Andre, a retired officer with the Miami-Dade Police Department. Vaughn worked hard in high school, hoping for an opportunity. He remembers being called to the office for a meeting with an NC State coach, hopeful of being presented a scholarship opportunity, only to be told his "shoulders were too narrow.'' There was also a song-and-dance with TCU when Vaughn thought he had a commitment, but it didn't pan out.
The hard knocks of USF — with the sun finally peeking from behind the clouds last season during a 7-6 year and a Boca Raton Bowl victory on a field just north of his hometown of Miami — have paid off in unexpected ways.
"I tried to play (through four games in 2023) and it was really tough to give up on my guys,'' Vaughn said. "But I thought it was in the best interest of the team for me not to play. The guys around me kept my head up and made sure I wasn't negative, that I still stayed focused on our team goals.
"When I was playing, I guess the best way to explain it was it felt like there were shards of glass in my knee. The adrenaline kicks in for the games, so it's not so much there. But as the weeks went on, I just couldn't (go full-speed).''
Vaughn used the time away to mentally perfect his craft and study the playbook's intricacies. That was natural because he's one of the team's most prepared players, always seeking an edge.
"I've been around a bunch of different coaches and schemes here at USF, but I think it has made me better,'' Vaughn said. "My mindset is the glass is always half-full. You never want to get too comfortable. The best ability is availability.
"When you go through tough times, you don't have any kind of contentment with yourself. You're always trying to fight for a spot and be the guy. It tests you, but it makes you stronger.''
Sometimes, Vaughn thinks about former USF defensive linemen such as Greg Reaves and Kirk Livingstone, players who set a positive example. Vaughn now wears No. 4 — just like Reaves.
"Some people might not know who they are, but I think about seeing them on the field and how it motivated me to be a better person,'' Vaughn said. "Now I'm in their shoes at this point, trying to set that example (for younger players). I'm just trying to pay it forward as best as I can.''
–#GoBulls–
