Darrell Davis
Regina Leader-Post
So there we were — Rob Vanstone, Dave Thomas and me, a group of experienced sports reporters — grilling veteran defensive end James Vaughters after the first workout of Saskatchewan Roughriders training camp.
He had us giggling, nodding and asking more questions, just so we could hear his articulate, entertaining and informative answers about what he expected to contribute during the upcoming CFL season and why he joined the reigning Grey Cup champions as a free agent.
“Maybe I’m a bit nostalgic,” said Vaughters, before listing his new team’s connections from his 11 previous seasons as a professional football player. “(Roughriders head coach Corey) Mace as a D-line coach was one of the best coaches I’d had. Micah (Johnson, who just retired to become Saskatchewan’s defensive line coach) was one of the best teammates I ever had, along with Mike Rose (a current defensive tackle). I payed with (defensive co-ordinator Joshua) Bell and (receivers coach) Marquay McDaniel.
“I was happy to see their success from afar and it’s something that I’d love to be a part of.”
All of Vaughters’ new teammates had left the field inside Saskatoon’s Griffiths Stadium as he regaled us with his thoughts. All the other interviews were long over, prompting Riders communications director Arielle Zerr to politely give us the “Thanks, everybody” sign that the extended gab session was done.
“Gold checkmark,” we told Zerr afterwards.
On a team full of outstanding interview subjects — led by quarterback Trevor Harris, offensive linemen Jermarcus Hardrick and Logan Ferland, linebacker Jameer Thurman and all the coaches — Vaughters is among the standouts. It’s too bad the media doesn’t pick the final roster, based simply on their prowess as interview subjects.
Vaughters could join the pantheon of former Roughriders like Tryone Jones, Jeff Fairholm, Gene Makowsky, Stevie Baggs, Omarr Morgan, James Curry, Glen Suitor, Wes Cates and Barry Wilburn, players who were always thought-provoking, insightful, approachable and quotable.
A former Super Bowl winner, Wilburn sadly died in a Memphis house fire earlier this year at age 62. Coming from the NFL for unexplained reasons in 1993, Wilburn may have been the best defensive back to ever wear a Roughriders jersey. He was also candid.
When asked why he left the Washington Redskins and was playing in the CFL, Wilburn cited the drug controversies that unseated the city’s mayor and a former teammate: “Marion Barry, Dexter Manley, me,” said Wilburn. “It was a bad year for cocaine in Washington, D.C.”
That’s strictly an example of an honest answer. There are no other tie-ins, other than noting Vaughters spent time with six NFL teams before settling in for two stints with the Calgary Stampeders, in 2017-18 and 2023-24, where he met most of his new compatriots and won the 2018 Grey Cup.
Vaughters spent last year with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. When Saskatchewan’s defence got pillaged during the off-season, basically leaving Rose as the lone returning starter along its defensive line, the team recruited Vaughters as a free agent following a season where he tied his personal best of six sacks and had a career-high 36 defensive tackles at age 32.
On a defence designed by Mace, who handed over the co-ordinator’s role this season to Bell, it’s fair to say the Roughriders rely on a full-front pass rush rather than one dominating, defensive end. Vaughters should fit that role. Correct?
“I think that’s a little bit of a nuanced question for Day One,” Vaughters replied with a smirk.
Most of his answers were long, rational, well-stated responses to questions about the importance of sacking quarterbacks and the evolution of defences, while also explaining how his game had evolved during his lengthy career. That’s to be expected from somebody who played college football at Stanford, where he was an undrafted linebacker and evidently an engaged student.
“You want to at least be able to press the pocket, be able to affect the quarterback,” said Vaughters. “That’s something I’ve always taken pride in.
“Sacks are nice but football is a game of efficiency and strategy. Those things are more important than me doing some, excuse my language, sweet-ass rush and winning and the ball’s already gone. Know what I mean?”
Yep. Exactly.
