One of the fixtures of the Detroit Lions teams of the late 1960s has passed away. Safety Tommy Vaughn died over the weekend from a lengthy illness. He was 77.
Vaughn was a 5th-round draft pick out of Iowa State in 1965 by the Lions. He was also drafted by the Denver Broncos of the AFL but chose to join Detroit. Vaughn was a full-time starter at safety for most of his seven NFL seasons, all with the Lions.
He was also the team’s primary punt and kick returner during the 1965-1966 seasons and finished in the top 10 in several return stats in 1966.
Following the end of his playing career, Vaughn coached for the Detroit Wheels of the World League. Vaughn is a member of the Iowa State athletics hall of fame.
