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The Daily OrangeRecruit | Wrestling skills translate to gridiron for SU recruit Vaughan
By Matt Ehalt
Posted: 3/19/08, 12:42 AM EST Section: Sports
For John Vaughan, the decision to get his sons (Dan's brother Andy is a freshman wrestler at Pittsburgh) involved in wrestling at such a young age was an easy decision.
"It's a very hard sport, and you've got to be very disciplined to be good at it," John Vaughan said. "It's a sport that teaches great balance. I've seen it in here in Western Pennsylvania so many times where kids that were good wrestlers become good football players."
With the skills learned in wrestling, Dan Vaughan was able to apply them to football and find success. Playing primarily as a linebacker and fullback at Central Catholic, Vaughan said that leverage he learned in wrestling allowed him to duck around guys and force himself around guys that are bigger than he is. He said wrestling allows him, at 6-foot-3 and 225 pounds, to move around kids and get around them more easily than those who did not wrestle.
Mike Downing, the head wrestling coach at Central Catholic, said the balance Vaughan learned on his feet from wrestling helped him in blocking and getting past a guard. He also said the toughness Vaughan learned through wrestling played a role as well. Downing, who has coached Vaughan since he was young, calls his former 215-pound wrestler "just an all around tough kid."
That toughness is the first thing Central Catholic football coach Terry Totten talks about when mentioning Vaughan.
"He's probably the toughest kid I ever coached," Totten said. "Just a day-in and day-out grinder and a very tough kid on both sides of the ball. He never missed a practice or a rep even, he's just a very tough kid, good athlete, great work ethic, great leader. I can't say enough about him."
The toughness was shown through Vaughan's play this season. John Vaughan and Totten both made mention of how Dan Vaughan played every play for Central Catholic this season, which tallied more than 3,000 plays during a perfect 16-0 season. John Vaughan said in all his coaching years, he has never seen anyone play as many snaps as his son.
With his wrestling career now on halt for the time being, Dan Vaughan is excited for his years at Syracuse - although Orange fans might have thought different earlier in the year.
In a January article by The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, Vaughan said, "For now I had to commit to Syracuse because of the scholarship. They are running out of scholarships because they got other recruits. What's happening now is apparently (Pitt)'s trying to give me another scholarship. If that were to happen I would de-commit from Syracuse and take Pitt."
But Vaughan insists he is looking forward to donning the Orange and helping the team win. He said he talked the situation over with SU head coach Greg Robinson, and they diffused the matter. And he said the situation can be used to help him.
"I think it is extra motivation," Vaughan said. "I want to prove myself at Syracuse. I want to make this program better so I'm definitely excited to come in and do that."
mrehalt@syr.edu
"It's a very hard sport, and you've got to be very disciplined to be good at it," John Vaughan said. "It's a sport that teaches great balance. I've seen it in here in Western Pennsylvania so many times where kids that were good wrestlers become good football players."
With the skills learned in wrestling, Dan Vaughan was able to apply them to football and find success. Playing primarily as a linebacker and fullback at Central Catholic, Vaughan said that leverage he learned in wrestling allowed him to duck around guys and force himself around guys that are bigger than he is. He said wrestling allows him, at 6-foot-3 and 225 pounds, to move around kids and get around them more easily than those who did not wrestle.
Mike Downing, the head wrestling coach at Central Catholic, said the balance Vaughan learned on his feet from wrestling helped him in blocking and getting past a guard. He also said the toughness Vaughan learned through wrestling played a role as well. Downing, who has coached Vaughan since he was young, calls his former 215-pound wrestler "just an all around tough kid."
That toughness is the first thing Central Catholic football coach Terry Totten talks about when mentioning Vaughan.
"He's probably the toughest kid I ever coached," Totten said. "Just a day-in and day-out grinder and a very tough kid on both sides of the ball. He never missed a practice or a rep even, he's just a very tough kid, good athlete, great work ethic, great leader. I can't say enough about him."
The toughness was shown through Vaughan's play this season. John Vaughan and Totten both made mention of how Dan Vaughan played every play for Central Catholic this season, which tallied more than 3,000 plays during a perfect 16-0 season. John Vaughan said in all his coaching years, he has never seen anyone play as many snaps as his son.
With his wrestling career now on halt for the time being, Dan Vaughan is excited for his years at Syracuse - although Orange fans might have thought different earlier in the year.
In a January article by The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, Vaughan said, "For now I had to commit to Syracuse because of the scholarship. They are running out of scholarships because they got other recruits. What's happening now is apparently (Pitt)'s trying to give me another scholarship. If that were to happen I would de-commit from Syracuse and take Pitt."
But Vaughan insists he is looking forward to donning the Orange and helping the team win. He said he talked the situation over with SU head coach Greg Robinson, and they diffused the matter. And he said the situation can be used to help him.
"I think it is extra motivation," Vaughan said. "I want to prove myself at Syracuse. I want to make this program better so I'm definitely excited to come in and do that."
mrehalt@syr.edu
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