The CFL has lost one of its all-time greatest players, as former Ottawa Rough Rider lineman Kaye Vaughan passed away Sunday at the age of 91.
A twelfth-round pick of the Baltimore Colts after an outstanding career at the University of Tulsa, Vaughan passed on the NFL to sign with Ottawa. He would go on to play 12 seasons for the Rough Riders from 1953 to 1964, winning the Grey Cup in 1960 — scoring the only touchdown of his career in the victory.
Vaughan briefly attempted to come out of retirement with the Montreal Alouettes in 1966 but suffered a career-ending leg injury.
A two-way player, Vaughan was named an East Division All-Star in seven seasons — often at multiple positions in the same year. He was honoured four times as an offensive guard, twice as an offensive tackle, three times as a defensive tackle and once as a middle guard. The Kansas native won back-to-back Most Outstanding Lineman Awards in 1956 and 1957.
Vaughan was inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame in 1978 and is one of 12 players on the Redblacks’ Wall of Honour. In 2006, he was voted the 41st best player in CFL history by a TSN poll.
The native of Concordia, Kansas, Vaughan married Olympic skier Lucille Wheeler in 1960 and settled in Knowlton, Quebec after his retirement. His passing was announced by his granddaughter, Stephanie Myles.
