May 22, 2018

Terran Vaughn has Willie Jefferson to thank for his opportunity

SASKATOON — Willie Jefferson used to interact with Terran Vaughn the way any big brother worth his salt treats a younger sibling.

Jefferson used to thrash Vaughn — relatively speaking, of course.

In 2012, Jefferson was a senior defensive end with the Stephen F. Austin University Lumberjacks when Vaughn arrived on campus as a freshman offensive lineman. The two went head to head in practice that year and — well, you can guess what happened.

“It was tough early on,” Vaughn recalled Tuesday. “I was a true freshman and the year before, Willie had come a couple of sacks away from the (Southland Conference’s) sack record.

Willie Jefferson

“The first couple of weeks, he whupped me, but I kept competing. By the second game of the season, because of the work that Willie gave me, I was starting as a true freshman. I credit a lot of my career to Willie getting me right.”

Six years later, Jefferson and Vaughn are teammates with the CFL’s Saskatchewan Roughriders — and Jefferson deserves a heap of credit for that, too.

Jefferson, 27, and Vaughn, 24, both hail from Beaumont, Texas. Jefferson has known Vaughn since the latter was in elementary school and eventually the two became teammates at Ozen High School.

Jefferson moved on to Baylor University and then to Stephen F. Austin, where Vaughn caught up to him in 2012.

“(The relationship) started off with me as a kid looking up to him and following his example and it turned out to where we both ended up at SFA,” Vaughn said. “By that time, he had been moved (from receiver) to defensive end, so from then on, we were always competing.

“As I got older, I felt like I had grown, so I was ready to throw some blows with Willie and compete with him. In college, Willie was instrumental in getting me to where I needed to be.”

Jefferson headed off to join the NFL’s Houston Texans in 2013, then had stops with the Edmonton Eskimos (2014-15) and the Washington Redskins (2016) before joining the Roughriders in 2016.

After completing his collegiate career in 2015, Vaughn had stints in the NFL with the Oakland Raiders and Buffalo Bills in 2016 and the Indianapolis Colts in 2017. He signed with the Roughriders in September of last year and spent the final eight weeks of the regular season on their practice roster.

And he can (and does) thank Jefferson for that.

“Coach (Chris) Jones asked me if I knew an offensive tackle and I threw (Vaughn’s) name out there,” Jefferson said. “He just so happened to show up and do a good job.”

Jefferson told Vaughn about an open tryout the Roughriders were staging in Houston in the spring of 2017, so the O-lineman took part. An injury kept him from joining Saskatchewan at that time and then, when he got healthy, he signed with the Colts.

But after he was released by Indy, Vaughn got a call from Jones about potentially joining the Roughriders. Vaughn then called Jefferson and got the lowdown on the team, its coaches and its fans.

“When I decided to come here, he was very helpful,” Vaughn said. “I was in a new place but I still had a big brother who was here for me to look out for me.

“Ever since then, I’ve been trying to work hard, repay the faith he showed in me by putting the word out to the coaches, and put my best out there.”

Jefferson has been offering Vaughn advice about everything he can think of — and the reason is pretty simple.

“I’m trying to help him out because I consider him like a little brother,” Jefferson said. “I take it to heart that Coach Jones really liked Terran.

“Terran did what he had to do (at the tryout camp) and now he’s doing what he’s got to do to play. He’s in the starting lineup and he’s doing well, making plays and making a name for himself. Personally, all I really want is for him to show up, do his job and make a name for himself so he can help his family out.”

Vaughn has been working with the first-team offence since training camp opened Sunday, filling the vacancy at left tackle that opened up when Bruce Campbell wasn’t re-signed after he became a free agent.

Jones said before training camp that an open competition would decide the starter at left tackle and Vaughn appears to have seized the initiative at the position.

“He’s tremendously athletic,” Jones said after Tuesday’s practice at Saskatoon Minor Football Field. “He’s a guy who could flip over and play nose tackle or 3 technique for you and you wouldn’t be able to tell he’s an offensive player.

“It’s a matter of consistency with him. I know his college coach and that has been an issue for a while. We’re hoping the consistency will get there so that we can solidify that left tackle spot.”

Vaughn is hoping so, too.

“I’ve been looking for an opportunity for a while and now that I’ve got it, I’ve really tried to focus on putting my best foot forward,” he said. “I’m trying to show the coaches that I’ve been working.

“I just want to make the most out of the opportunity. I’m starting right now, but I’m not feeling complacent. I’m trying to make sure I stay here.”