Fathers often find their greatest joy in watching their children succeed. And for dads of football players, hearing their child’s name called at the NFL Draft is the ultimate moment. But few have experienced that joy like one Cowboys scout, who got to draft his own son to the team.
You have to go back two years to relive the father-son moment that left the NFL world teary-eyed. Deuce, an undersized but productive running back out of Kansas State, was still on the board when the Cowboys were on the clock with their sixth-round pick. That’s when Jerry Jones allowed one of his employees to make the selection.
But not just any employee. It was Deuce’s father, Chris Vaughn. He had been working as a scout for the team since 2017, leading up to the 2023 NFL Draft. That day, Chris was given a dreamlike opportunity to tell his son over the phone that the Cowboys were drafting him — all thanks to Jones’ kindness.
“It’s going good, this is Dad, and my phone wasn’t working. Look here, man, you want to come to work with me next week?” Chris asked his son while tearing up.
“I wouldn’t mind that at all,” Deuce responded.
It’s the kind of moment that can bring anyone to tears. Chris completely broke down during the clip; the emotion was raw and genuine. It was clear the moment caught him off guard, and he seemed deeply grateful to the team’s owner for allowing him to be a part of it.
When the fans reacted to the throwback clip on the NFLonCBS Instagram page, many took a moment to acknowledge a rare occasion where they applauded Jones, a man who’s usually criticized for his actions and words.
“As a Giants fan, first time Jerry Jones did something right,” one fan wrote. “I don’t like the Cowboys, but this one hit my soul, love it,” another commented.
“Rare cowboys W,” someone else said.
One fan even took the time to point out how this wasn’t a case of nepotism, calling out those who quickly jumped to that conclusion.
“Anyone saying this is just nepotism has negative ball knowledge,” he wrote.
To be fair, Deuce was the best available player still on the board at the time. So, to all the haters out there, this was far from a case of nepotism. A better example of that would be Bronny James being drafted by the LA Lakers in a draft with only 2 rounds.
So far, in his two seasons with the Cowboys, Deuce has logged just 40 carries and is still looking for his first touchdown. But with Rico Dowdle — who started 15 games for the club last year — now gone, more opportunities could be in store for him. Then, maybe Jones could ultimately get something out of that once-heartfelt moment.
