254th-and-Long

Only one other player was chosen lower in the draft than Vickiel Vaughn. But the 49ers rookie still believes he can reach his NFL dream.

A A A Comments By Martin Kuz Wednesday, Aug 23 2006

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His chance arrives after San Francisco scores a touchdown to take a 17-0 lead. He trots on with the kickoff coverage unit and lines up 10 yards behind kicker Joe Nedney. As Nedney approaches the ball, Vaughn begins to jog forward, hitting full stride at the moment the kicker puts foot to leather.

The ball arcs downfield and Vaughn, his legs a red-and-gold blur, scorches past a Bears blocker. When the returner tries to surge upfield, Vaughn lowers his shoulders, dropping him on the 25-yard line. The rookie pops up from the turf, fists clenched by his sides.

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In the third quarter, on another kickoff, Vaughn slams into three blockers at once. His teammates swarm past the splintered return wedge and swallow the kick returner. Vaughn trots back to the sideline, head down, mission completed.

In the meantime, he sees no action on defense until nine minutes remain in the game. Down 14 points, the Bears throw on every down, but none of the passes sail in his direction. The drive stalls, Chicago punts, and the Niners run out the clock. Vaughn's night under the lights as a safety mirrors another day on the practice field.

Even so, in the dank, cluttered confines of the Niners' post-game locker room, he wears a smile, standing amid clumps of discarded tape and balled-up towels. "I felt good out there," he says. "It was good to get out there and hit somebody."

Lynn gives Vaughn a passing grade on his play, noting that the rookie rode the flow of the game and heeded his assignments. "He reacted well," the coach says. "He looked like he knew what he was doing."

Vaughn left Arkansas 17 hours short of his sociology degree. If his NFL dream craters, he plans to finish his classes and find work as a teacher or counselor. But the real world can wait. First, he wants to pursue football, to prove that the 254th pick in the draft can be the next-to-last man standing.

Slipping into a cream-colored suit jacket, he glances around the locker room. He likes what he sees. "Yes, I think I can make this team."

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