The Dallas Cowboys have a new secondary rusher in rookie Deuce Vaughn, who had up until now been famous for two things, being the son of a scout for the team, and having tremendous upside.

However, he now has a third claim to fame: having surprisingly small feet (and being undersized in general). The latter was on display in an Instagram story posted by teammate CeeDee Lamb, who said:

“Everybody, do me a favor and pass the message: Deuce, stop leaving your cleats and gloves in the locker room. This is not your home!”

The image of Dallas Cowboys rookie running back Deuce Vaughn’s cleats and gloves (via CeeDee Lamb’s Instagram account)

Deuce Vaugnh’s journey to the NFL: A brief overview

Deuce Vaughn has one of the more captivating stories for an NFL player. Initially born in Arkansas, he spent his formative years on the road because his father was an assistant coach with various teams at the time, before eventually settling in Texas.

There, he excelled in high school football, receiving all-state honors as a junior.

After his high school career, he received scholarship offers from multiple FBS programs before settling on Kansas State. He became the Wildcats’ starting running back almost right away and rushed 123 times for 642 yards and seven touchdowns.

Vaughn broke out until he became a sophomore when he finally hit 1,000 rushing yards. For his efforts, he was named an All-American. He repeated both feats the following season, greatly boosting his image.

But he did not truly achieve fame until the 2023 NFL Draft. As the sixth round was progressing, his father Chris, now a scout with the Dallas Cowboys, received word that the team was about to draft his own son.

The conversation went as follows:

CV: “Look here, man, do you want to come to work with me next week?”

DV: “I wouldn’t mind that at all.”

Owner/general manager Jerry Jones and head coach Mike McCarthy would remark that they had never seen such a scenario in their lives.

Deuce Vaughn reflects on performance in preseason

In training camp, Deuce Vaughn has established himself as someone to watch, being the Cowboys’ leading rushing weapon as Tony Pollard continues to sit out. In both the team’s preseason games against the Jacksonville Jaguars and Seattle Seahawks, he has scored one touchdown each, but that is not the only takeaway.

Thanks to his 5-foot-5, 180-lb frame, Vaughn has been described as fast, but according to him, he has not shown his full speed yet.

Speaking to reporters after the last game, he said:

“I feel like I was more comfortable as far as playing faster. Last week, I felt like there was a couple times, whether it was in pass protection or running the football, I wasn’t playing as fast because I was thinking a little more. But another game under my belt and I felt like I played faster.”

The Dallas Cowboys close their preseason against the Las Vegas Raiders on Aug. 26, so Vaughn has another opportunity to prove that he deserves to at least be Pollard’s backup.