Dimunitive slasher back Jon Vaughn (5’9″, 203) was a speedy track Michigan Wolverine product, who declared as a junior and was drafted in the 5th round by the New England Patriots. Vaughn was perhaps most dangerous in the capacity as a kick returner where he had 4 touchdowns in 103 returns. His rookie season Jon would return 34 kicks for 717 yards and a 99 yard touchdown. He’d follow up this with an impressive 1992, with 451 yards rushing and 20 kick returns for 564 yards and a 100 yard return for a touchdown. Jon’s 28.2 yard per return average would lead the NFL.
In 1993, Vaughn would find himself traded to the Seattle Seahawks, where again he’d find himself in the same role, playing there through 1994. In 1994 he’d return 33 kicks for 829 yards and 2 touchdowns, virtually splitting his time with the Seahawks and Chiefs averaging 25.1 yards per return. He’d be released during training camp in 1995 and retire.
Two of my favorite card sets side by side: Action Packed Rookies 1991 and SkyBox 1992. SkyBox with the giant name behind the player who bursts off the background and Action Packed with its red and gold and minimal design really make it happen. Jon Vaughn’s signature is interesting as I think it’s one of few where the player has changed the “#” to a “$”.
Card: Upper Deck Collector’s Choice 1994 Acquired: In Person 1994, Houston Oilers Training Camp Failure: TTM 2013, C/o The Cleveland Browns
Gary Brown of Penn State originally played at safety. I remember vividly watching Gary in the Holiday Bowl stripping the ball from Ty Detmer in spectacular fashion and running 53 yards the other direction for a touchdown.
The Houston Oilers drafted Gary Brown in 1991 and converted the defensive back to runningback. He’d back up Allen Pinkett and Lorenzo White in 1991 and see mop up duty in his first season cleaning up the Los Angeles Raiders in the 4th quarter of the first game, running for 60 yards and a touchdown on only 5 carries. Once I saw his performance I was very comfortable with Brown- and at 5’11”, 230 was impressed by his perfect balance of power, explosiveness, and speed.
He’d get some more playtime in 1992, where he’d again show up in mop up duty, this time squarely behind Lorenzo White, rushing for almost 100 yards on the season, however 1993- that would be Brown’s long awaited coming out party.
Gary Brown did what few runningbacks had done before him, galloping for 1000 yards starting 8 games subbing for injured starter Lorenzo White that season. Brown helped the Oilers pull of their best record in Oiler history at 12-4. He’d rush for 166 yards in a 38-3 victory over the Bengals and then follow that up with 194 yards over the Browns. Later in the season he’d post 100+ yard efforts against Cleveland (again), Pittsburgh, and San Fransisco, just clearing 1000 yards by 2, and averaging 5.1 yards a carry. Unfortunately nicks and tears caught up with Brown, and injuries increasingly took their toll on him in 1994 and 1995.
By 1996 Gary was out of football, but returned in 1997 to play for the Chargers. He’d fit in well with the Chargers, running for 945 yards in 14 games. (He’d lose comeback player of the year honors to Jerome Bettis.) Brown kept running and sign as a free agent with the New York Giants for 1998. He’d endear himself to Giants fans with his churning style, rushing for a career high 1063 yards. (The 4 seasons between 1000 yard efforts was for a while an NFL record.) He’d play 2 games into 1999 for the Giants before losing the rest of the season on injured reserve, where he’d subsequently retire.
Gary Brown is rumored to have earned the nickname “Tecmo Man” for his obsessive playing of the game Tecmo Super Bowl. The game did not really do him justice in the 1991 incarnation, but the Super Nintendo one honored his power and speed making him a fun runningback to pilot.
After retirement he went into coaching and worked his way up from the high school level and into college where he coached runningbacks at Rutgers in 2008. In 2009 he moved on to the Browns where he worked on the coaching staff as their runningbacks coach- a role he held through 2012. He’d then join the Cowboys in 2013 in the same capacity, holding that role through 2019. After a battle with cancer, Gary decided to coach again, this time at Wisconsin in 2021.
I tried him TTM back in 2013 when he was coaching with the Browns, but no dice. He stopped signing essentially in 2009 and never looked back.
RUSH
YDS
AVG
TD
LG
1032
4300
4.2
21
45
REC
YDS
AVG
TD
LG
84
631
7.5
3
38
4/10/22 UPDATE:
Gary Brown, who spent this past year coaching running backs at Wisconsin, passed away tonight. He was in hospice for the last couple of weeks at in hometown in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. Gary- was 52.
Card: Classic 1993
Acquired: In Person 1993, Dallas Cowboys Training Camp
Originally a product from “The U”, who played alongside future NFL stars Micheal Barrow and Jessie Armstead, Darrin Smith was an undersized, yet speedy linebacker with good pursuit. (The Cowboys loved drafting linebackers during the 90s, but they didn’t really display any interest in keeping them. See Godfrey Myles, Dixon Edwards, and Ken Norton.) Smith would start almost immediately at weakside linebacker for the team after being drafted in the 3rd round, helping Dallas win SuperBowls XXVIII and XXX. He’d be cast out of Dallas unceremoniously after not being able to sign a long term deal in 1997.
Darrin would move to the rival Philadelphia Eagles for one nondescript season before heading over to Seattle where Smith would play admirably for two seasons before becoming a salary cap casualty. But like a fine wine, Darrin Smith’s best time was arguably in his final years playing for the New Orleans Saints from 2000-2004 where after he retired. Since retiring from football Darrin has operated a real estate company and is a devoted Christian.
Thankfully Classic got rid of the leopard print look and went with a more subtle, polished granite look for the border of its cards by 1993. The draft logo was a nice touch that nobody was utilizing, but Classic in general at the time suffered from probably too little information being displayed on their cards. The information on the back had what team they were taken by in the draft. Why not place this information on the front in some respect? I also did not like Classic’s penchant for changing its logo completely nearly every year. That’s just not how you drive brand visibility. Nice photos though, front and back typically, and this Darrin Smith one is a great example of that. Classic was really hit or miss with their cards as far as prospects went and while they were usually first, I preferred Star Pics almost immediately because I could buy a whole set at once and not pay an incredible amount.
G/Gs 156/140 Tac 584 Sac 24.0 Fum 3 Int 11 Yds 155 Avg 14.0 Td 4 Lg 41t
Celebrating the game, the players, the cards, and the autographs for over 25 years.
