Charles Wesley "Pug" Vaughan (March 18, 1911 – March 30, 1964) was an American football running back. He played college football under head coach Bob Neyland at the University of Tennessee from 1932 to 1934 and professional football for the Detroit Lions in 1935 and the Chicago Cardinals in 1936.
 Vaughan in 1936 | |||||||||
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| Position: | Tailback Defensive halfback | ||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||
| Born: | March 18, 1911 Knoxville, Tennessee, U.S. | ||||||||
| Died: | March 30, 1964 (aged 53) Knoxville, Tennessee, U.S. | ||||||||
| Height: | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) | ||||||||
| Weight: | 181 lb (82 kg) | ||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||
| High school: | Knoxville (TN) | ||||||||
| College: | Tennessee | ||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||
| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||
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Early life
editVaughan was born in Knoxville, Tennessee in 1911. He enrolled at the University of Tennessee and played at the halfback position under head football coach Bob Neyland from 1932 to 1934. For many years, he was regarded as "perhaps the finest passer in Tennessee football history."[1] Coach Neyland considered Vaughan the best passer he developed at Tennessee, adding: "Vaughan's passing was almost perfect. His timing couldn't have been improved. The ball just floated into the hands of the receivers."[1] During Vaughan's three years playing for the Volunteers, the team compiled an overall record of 24–5–1 and outscored opponents by a combined score of 589 to 141.[2] In December 1934, Vaughan was voted as the most valuable player on the 1934 Tennessee Volunteers football team.[3]
Career
editIn his first year of professional football, Vaughan played for the 1935 Detroit Lions team that won the 1935 NFL Championship Game. He appeared in seven games for the Lions, completing 7 of 15 passes for 104 yards and rushing for 51 yards on 13 carries.[4]
In July 1936, Vaughan was traded to the Chicago Cardinals.[5] Playing for the Chicago Cardinals as a single-wing tailback in 1936, Vaughan rushed for only 79 yards on 67 carries, but he became one of the leading passers in the NFL. He completed 30 of 79 passes for 546 yards. He ranked fourth in the NFL in passing yards and sixth in passes completed during the 1936 NFL season.[4]
During World War II, Vaughan served in the U.S. Coast Guard and played on the Coast Guard football team.[6]
Death
editIn March 1964, Vaughan died at age 53 at Ft. Sanders Presbyterian Hospital in Knoxville.[7] He had been seriously ill since September 1963.[8]
References
edit- ^ a b "Pug Vaughan Dies; Starred At Tennessee". The Tuscaloosa News (AP story). March 30, 1964.
- ^ "Tennessee Yearly Results". College Football Data Warehouse. Archived from the original on September 14, 2010. Retrieved December 20, 2010.
- ^ "Vaughan Most Valuable". The Christian Science Monitor. December 22, 1934. Archived from the original on July 13, 2012.
- ^ a b "Pug Vaughan". pro-football-reference.com.
- ^ "LIONS SEE SOME TROUBLE AHEAD; FEAR ALL-STARS". Chicago Daily Tribune. July 30, 1936. Archived from the original on July 12, 2012.
- ^ "Coast Guard Eleven Keeps Record Clean". The Hartford Courant. November 23, 1942. Archived from the original on July 15, 2012.
- ^ "Vaughan, Ex-Vol Passing Ace, Dies". Los Angeles Times (UPI story). March 31, 1964 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Pug Vaughan, Vol Star, Dies". The Pittsburgh Press. March 30, 1964.