No. 9 – Calgary Stampeders | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Position: | Linebacker | ||||||
Personal information | |||||||
Born: | Chicago, Illinois, U.S. | June 27, 1993||||||
Height: | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | ||||||
Weight: | 255 lb (116 kg) | ||||||
Career information | |||||||
High school: | Tucker (GA) | ||||||
College: | Stanford | ||||||
Undrafted: | 2015 | ||||||
Career history | |||||||
| |||||||
* Offseason and/or practice squad member only | |||||||
Roster status: | Active | ||||||
CFL status: | American | ||||||
Career highlights and awards | |||||||
Career NFL statistics | |||||||
| |||||||
Career CFL statistics | |||||||
| |||||||
Player stats at NFL.com · PFR · CFL.ca |
James Alan Vaughters (born June 27, 1993) is an American professional football linebacker for the Calgary Stampeders of the Canadian Football League (CFL). He played college football at Stanford. Vaughters was signed by the Green Bay Packers as an undrafted free agent in 2015. He has also been a member of the New England Patriots, San Diego Chargers, Chicago Bears, Atlanta Falcons and Pittsburgh Steelers.
Vaughters was born to Jonathan and Vanessa Vaughters in Chicago, Illinois. He is the third of four children: Jahnisa Tate, Jonathan Vaughters, and younger sister Ryan Vaughters. After moving to Ohio in 1996, James and family moved to Stone Mountain, Georgia where he lived the rest of his childhood from 1999 to 2011.
At Tucker High School in Tucker, Georgia, Vaughters accumulated accolades as a student, as a community mentor, and as an athlete. He graduated in the top 10% of his class with a 4.0 grade point average, including a curriculum consisting of several Advanced Placement classes. He helped Tucker to their first State Championship and two semi-final appearances. He was a top-recruited linebacker according to all the national recruiting platforms including ESPN, Scout, Rivals, MaxPreps, and PrepStar. As a senior, Vaughters had 95 tackles, 18 tackles for loss, four interceptions (one for touchdown), four sacks, and one fumble recovery (for a touchdown). [1] He earned honors as an Under Armour All-American, 2010 Georgia Class 4A Defensive Player of the Year, DeKalb County All-Class Defensive Player of the Year, two-time Georgia Merit Scholar, two-time President's Education Award recipient, National Beta Club, National Honors Society, and a Franklin D. Watkins Award finalist for the nation’s top African-American scholar-athlete. [1] He also appeared in several national publications including The Wall Street Journal . [2]
At Stanford University, Vaughters earned a degree in political science and played football. He started at outside linebacker for his junior and senior seasons, after contributing as both an inside and outside linebacker for his freshman and sophomore seasons. As a senior, Vaughters had 51 tackles, 11.0 tackles for loss, and 6.5 sacks in 13 games. [3] He was the Defensive MVP of his final college football game in the 2014 Foster Farms Bowl. He played in the 2015 East-West Shrine Game, an annual college football all-star game held by Shriner's Hospital for Children. Vaughters is also a member of Omega Psi Phi and was involved in other student organizations including Men Against Abuse Now (MAAN) and the Stanford PACS (Philanthropy and Civil Society) Community Grants Program.
Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20-yard shuttle | Three-cone drill | Vertical jump | Broad jump | Bench press | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
6 ft 1+7⁄8 in (1.88 m) | 248 lb (112 kg) | 32+1⁄8 in (0.82 m) | 9+1⁄4 in (0.23 m) | 4.87 s | 1.66 s | 2.84 s | 4.47 s | 7.09 s | 32.5 in (0.83 m) | 9 ft 4 in (2.84 m) | 35 reps | |
All values are from Pro Day [4] |
After going undrafted in the 2015 NFL draft, Vaughters signed with the Green Bay Packers on May 8, 2015. [5] On September 5, 2015, he was released by the Packers during final team cuts. [6] Vaughters was signed to the Packers' practice squad two days later. [7] The team placed him on the practice squad injured list after suffering a torn left distal bicep tendon on September 30, 2015. [8] He was released by the Packers with an injury settlement on October 3, 2015. [9]
On January 21, 2016, Vaughters signed a future contract with the New England Patriots. [9] He was released by the Patriots on May 2, 2016. [10]
Vaughters was signed to the practice roster of the Calgary Stampeders of the Canadian Football League on July 25, 2016. [11]
On August 15, 2016, Vaughters was signed by the San Diego Chargers. [12] He was released by the Chargers during final team cuts on September 3, 2016. [13]
Vaughters returned to the Stampeders for the next two seasons where he played in 33 games, recording 50 defensive tackles, 11 quarterback sacks, and eight special teams tackles. He won a Grey Cup in his second year as a member of the team.
On January 8, 2019, Vaughters signed a reserve/future contract with the Chicago Bears. [14] On August 31, 2019, Vaughters was cut and signed to the practice squad the next day. [15] [16] He was released on September 12, but returned to the practice squad on October 29. [17] He was promoted to the active roster on November 2, [18] and made his NFL debut in that weekend's game against the Philadelphia Eagles. He mostly played on special teams, appearing on nine plays there and four on defense. He was released the next Monday and re-signed to the practice squad. [19] He was promoted back to the active roster on November 9, but waived two days later and re-signed back to the practice squad. [20] He returned to the 53-man roster on November 16 after Trey Burton was placed on injured reserve. [21] He was waived again on November 19 and re-signed to the practice squad. [22] On December 30, 2019, Vaughters was signed to a reserve/future contract. [23] In Week 5 of the 2020 season against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Thursday Night Football , Vaughters recorded his first career sack on Tom Brady during the 20–19 win. [24] He signed a contract extension with the team on March 3, 2021. [25] On August 31, 2021 Vaughters was released by the Bears. [26]
On September 3, 2021, Vaughters was signed to the Atlanta Falcons practice squad. [27] On September 11, 2021, Vaughters was elevated to the active roster prior to the Falcons’ first game of the 2021 season versus the Philadelphia Eagles. [28] He was signed to the active roster on November 2, 2021. [29] On May 2, 2022, he was released by the Falcons. [30]
On August 15, 2022, Vaughters signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers. [31] He was waived on August 30. [32]
On January 25, 2023 Vaughters signed with the Stampeders, with whom he had been a member of one two previous occasions. [33]
Terrell Manning is a former American football linebacker. Manning was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the fifth round, 163rd overall, in the 2012 NFL Draft. He played college football at North Carolina State.
Steven Means is an American football outside linebacker who is a free agent. He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the fifth round of the 2013 NFL Draft. He played college football for the University at Buffalo.
LaRoy Reynolds is a former American football linebacker. He was signed by the Jacksonville Jaguars as an undrafted free agent after the 2013 NFL Draft. He played college football at the University of Virginia.
Daniel Patrick Etling is an American football quarterback for the Michigan Panthers of the United Football League (UFL). He played college football at Purdue and LSU, and was drafted by the New England Patriots in the seventh round of the 2018 NFL Draft. Etling has also been a memer of the Atlanta Falcons, Seattle Seahawks, Minnesota Vikings, BC Lions, Denver Broncos, Green Bay Packers, Jacksonville Jaguars, and Michigan Panthers.
Ty Anthony Montgomery II is an American football running back who is a free agent. He played college football for the Stanford Cardinal, earning consensus All-American honors in 2013. Montgomery was selected as a wide receiver by the Green Bay Packers in the third round of the 2015 NFL draft. In 2016, he changed positions to running back.
Jeremy Langford is a former American football running back. He played college football at Michigan State, and was drafted by the Chicago Bears in the fourth round of the 2015 NFL draft.
Michael Maurice Pennel Jr. is an American football nose tackle who is a free agent. He played college football for the Scottsdale Fighting Artichokes, the Arizona State Sun Devils and the CSU Pueblo ThunderWolves. He was signed by the Green Bay Packers as an undrafted free agent in 2014.
Bruce Verdell Gaston, Jr. is a former American football defensive tackle. He played college football at Purdue. Gaston was signed by the Arizona Cardinals as an undrafted free agent in 2014. He has been a member of the New England Patriots, Miami Dolphins, Green Bay Packers, Chicago Bears, Minnesota Vikings, San Diego Chargers, Philadelphia Eagles, Carolina Panthers, Detroit Lions and Ottawa Redblacks.
Matthew Sean Wells is a former American football linebacker. He was selected by the New England Patriots with the 178th pick of the 2015 NFL draft.
DeAndre Carter is an American football wide receiver and return specialist for the Las Vegas Raiders of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Sacramento State before signing with the Baltimore Ravens as an undrafted free agent in 2015. Carter has also been a member of several other NFL teams.
John Sesoga Timu is an American football coach and former linebacker who is a defensive assistant coach of the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for Washington before signing with the Chicago Bears as an undrafted free agent in 2015. He also played one season for the Salt Lake Stallions of the Alliance of American Football.
Joe Lewis Thomas Jr. is an American football linebacker who is a free agent. He played college football at South Carolina State, and was signed by the Green Bay Packers as an undrafted free agent in 2014.
Willie Beavers is an American football offensive guard who is a free agent. He played college football at Western Michigan and was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the fourth round of the 2016 NFL Draft. Beavers has also played for several other NFL teams.
Eric Saubert is an American football tight end for the Houston Texans of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Drake, and was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons in the fifth round of the 2017 NFL Draft.
LeShun Daniels Jr. is a former American football running back. He played college football at the University of Iowa. He signed with the New England Patriots as an undrafted free agent in 2017, and has also been a member of the Los Angeles Chargers, Washington Redskins, and Green Bay Packers.
The 2019 season was the Chicago Bears' 100th in the National Football League (NFL) and their second under head coach Matt Nagy. The season was branded as "Bears100" to celebrate the franchise's centennial, which included a commemorative patch on jerseys and a new throwback uniform.
Abdullah Malik Anderson Jr. is an American football defensive tackle for the Washington Commanders of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Bucknell. Anderson signed with the Chicago Bears as an undrafted free agent in 2018 and spent three seasons with them before playing with several other NFL teams.
Anthony Rush is an American football nose tackle who is a free agent. After playing college football for UAB, he was signed by the Philadelphia Eagles as an undrafted free agent in 2019. He was also a member of the Oakland Raiders, Seattle Seahawks, Chicago Bears, Green Bay Packers, Tennessee Titans, Atlanta Falcons, and Dallas Cowboys.
Thakarius "BoPete" Keyes is an American football cornerback for the San Antonio Brahmas of the United Football League (UFL). He played college football at Tulane, and was selected by the Kansas City Chiefs in the seventh round of the 2020 NFL Draft. He has also been a member of the Indianapolis Colts, New England Patriots, Chicago Bears, Houston Texans, Atlanta Falcons, Baltimore Ravens, and Cleveland Browns.
De'Jon Raiheem "Scoota" Harris is an American football linebacker for the Washington Commanders of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Arkansas. Harris has also been a member of the New England Patriots and Green Bay Packers.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)