Vaughn Allen Dunbar (born September 4, 1968) is an American former professional
football
Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...
player who was a
running back in the
National Football League (NFL) for three seasons. He played
college football
College football (french: Football universitaire) refers to gridiron football played by teams of student athletes. It was through college football play that American football rules first gained popularity in the United States.
Unlike most ...
for the
Indiana Hoosiers, and earned
All-American accolades. A first-round choice in the
1992 NFL draft
The 1992 NFL draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 26–27, 1992, at the Marriott Mar ...
, he played professionally for the
New Orleans Saints and
Jacksonville Jaguars of the NFL.
Early years
Dunbar was born in
Fort Wayne, Indiana.
[National Football League, Historical Players]
Vaughn Dunbar
Retrieved February 25, 2012. He graduated from
R. Nelson Snider High School in Fort Wayne,
[databaseFootball.com, Players]
Vaughn Dunbar
. Retrieved February 25, 2012. where he was a standout
high school football player for the Snider Panthers.
College career
Dunbar first attended
Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College, before accepting an
athletic scholarship to attend
Indiana University Bloomington and play for the
Hoosiers teams in 1990 and 1991. His smooth and shifty running style and physique reminded many commentators of Florida's
Emmitt Smith
Emmitt James Smith III (born May 15, 1969) is an American former professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL) for 15 seasons, primarily with the Dallas Cowboys. Among other accolades, he is the lea ...
. With 4.5/4.6 speed in the 40-yard dash, Dunbar made up for the lack of explosive speed with "between the tackles toughness," outstanding balance and vision. He was one of the first in college to wear a reflective/shaded facemask visor making it difficult for Big Ten defenders to see where his eyes were looking.
Dunbar and fellow Hoosier running back
Anthony Thompson brought national media attention to the Hoosiers' often overlooked football program. As a senior in 1991, he was recognized as a consensus first-team All-American and finished sixth in
Heisman Trophy
The Heisman Memorial Trophy (usually known colloquially as the Heisman Trophy or The Heisman) is awarded annually to the most outstanding player in college football. Winners epitomize great ability combined with diligence, perseverance, and hard ...
balloting after being ranked second in the nation in rushing yards per game.
*1990: 250 carries for 1,224 yards with 13 TD. 16 catches for 122 yards.
*1991: 364 carries for 1,805 yards with 12 TD. 29 catches for 263 yards.
Professional career
The New Orleans Saints selected Dunbar in the first round, 21st pick overall, of the
NFL Draft, and he played for the Saints in and again in and .
[Pro-Football-Reference.com, Players]
Vaughn Dunbar
Retrieved February 25, 2012. He finished his NFL career with the Jacksonville Jaguars in 1995.
[ In his three NFL seasons, he compiled 965 rushing yards and five touchdowns on 267 carries.][
Dunbar was subsequently a first round draft pick of the XFL's San Francisco Demons in 2001. He started all games for the first 4 weeks but was released after gaining just 29 yards on 25 carries.]
Life after football
Dunbar now works for Precision Hose, Inc. in Stone Mountain, Georgia.
And has 3 children and is divorced.
See also
* List of college football yearly rushing leaders
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dunbar, Vaughn
1968 births
Living people
All-American college football players
American football running backs
Indiana Hoosiers football players
Jacksonville Jaguars players
New Orleans Saints players
San Francisco Demons players
Northeastern Oklahoma A&M Golden Norsemen football players
Players of American football from Fort Wayne, Indiana