While athletes have to face the end of their careers sometime, Clarence Vaughn is looking to delay the inevitable a little while longer.

Vaughn finished his career at NIU last fall with 96 tackles—second-highest on the team—and now looks toward a possible future in either the National Football League or the Canadian Football League. He also faces a new challenge because scouts now are talking about switching him to safety. Vaughn spent most of his college career at linebacker but has had some experience at safety during practice.

“He’s got a chance (in the NFL) as a free agent,” said NIU Coach Jerry Pettibone. “He’s got an outside chance to be drafted. I think he has an excellent shot to play in Canada, but they have laws about how many Americans they can have.”

Vaughn said the Pittsburgh Steelers have come to see him twice and the Washington Redskins are coming to see him Monday. Plus, he said the Dallas Cowboys have sent him a letter which said they were considering him highly after they analyzed him. In the CFL, Vaughn said the team from Sansketuon is trying extremely hard to purchase his rights. He also said the British Columbia Lions has shown some interest.

“It’s hard to say what’s going to happen because it’s all speculation,” Vaughn said. “I believe Pittsburgh is very interested because they’ve checked me twice, sent me T-shirts. My dream team would be Pittsburgh even though I’m from Chicago.

“I feel I could make it as a free safety and strong safety. I have speed, which is what they’re looking for.”

“You’d think that is something that is difficult, but I’ve known players who’ve done it,” said NIU defensive coordinator Tim McGuire of Vaughn’s switch in position. “Whoever picks him will have to have patience with him. He’s a young man who has a lot of tools. He’ll give it his best shot.”

McGuire said Vaughn’s chances of making it in the pros will depend a lot on luck. McGuire said if Vaughn is picked up by a team in a rebuilding phase, he might have a better shot.

Vaughn described some of the transitions he will undergo with the switch in position.

“At safety I’m 10 or 11 yards back,” he said. “You cover more ground. You have to be quick. At linebacker you have to have good strength and run more laterally. Defensive back is more of a skilled position than linebacker. I feel I can do it. I just need the know-how of how to do it.”

Vaughn said he would like to play for a team that has a safety blitz defensively and also runs the 46 zone comparable to the Chicago Bears. He said his other dream would be playing free safety, but he admits he is probably better at strong safety.

“A strong safety is in between a linebacker and a defensive back,” he said. “He covers the run and the tight end and sometimes the short pass. The free safety covers the deep pass and maybe the run.”