Vaughan signs with Buccaneers

For the second consecutive year, the University of Richmond is sending a running back to the National Football League.

Josh Vaughan signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and will attend their mini-camp next weekend in Florida.

"I'm getting a chance to play in the NFL," Vaughan said. "It's a dream come true."

The senior from Richmond, Va., led the Spiders rushing last year with 1,945 yards on 355 attempts and 20 touchdowns. He also had 19 receptions for 67 yards.

Vaughan was not drafted during the seven-round NFL Draft last weekend but signed with Tampa Bay as a free agent on Monday. Vaughan said he wasn't going to be prevented from playing his best with the Buccaneers because he wasn't drafted.

"I'm not going to dwell on [not getting drafted] too much," Vaughan said. "I'm just going to focus on playing football. If people go in there with a chip on their shoulder, they often try too hard."

Vaughan said that he was somewhat disappointed about not getting selected in the draft, but was thankful for the opportunity to sign with a team.

Last year, Tim Hightower was selected by the Arizona Cardinals during the fifth round of the draft and had a successful rookie season, which ended with a Super Bowl appearance with the Arizona Cardinals. Vaughan said he had received advice from his former teammate.

"Hightower has shared as much wisdom as he could," Vaughan said. "He's been very influential."

By being a free agent, Vaughan was able to select the team with which he would sign. The Buccaneers have seven running backs on their roster, including 2005 first-round pick Cadillac Williams. Vaughan's size -- 6-foot-0, 232-pounds -- makes him one of the bigger running backs on the Buccaneers. That could make him more valuable as a short-yardage back.

"They give me the best opportunity to get on the field as a rookie," Vaughan said of his choice to sign with Tampa Bay. "It's the best fit as far as an opportunity and a learning experience."

Tampa Bay finished the 2008 season with a winning record of 9-7, but did not qualify for the playoffs. The recent offseason brought a lot of change to the franchise.

In January, the Buccaneers fired their coach Jon Gruden and general manager Bruce Allen -- a Richmond alumnus. Gruden had spent seven seasons in Tampa Bay and won the franchise's only Super Bowl in 2002. Raheem Morris was hired at that time to become the new head coach.

In late February, Tampa Bay continued to rebuild its team by releasing five veteran starters from the previous year, including linebacker Derrick Brooks, who was one of the team's best players in its history. Also released was one-time starting running back Warrick Dunn.

In the draft, Tampa Bay traded up to the No. 17 pick to select Kansas State University quarterback Josh Freeman. The Buccaneers had five other picks during the weekend, but none were used on running backs.

Vaughan may not be the last Spider to sign as a free agent with an NFL team. Former tight end Joe Monteverde will try out as a long-snapper and backup tight end with the Jacksonville Jaguars next weekend. The Pittsburgh native was the long-snapper on the Richmond team last year.

Contact staff writer Andrew Prezioso at andrew.prezioso@richmond.edu