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The University of Mississippi Athletics
Two More Rebels Sign NFL Contracts
5/2/2010 | Football
OXFORD, Miss. -- Two more former Ole Miss Rebels have inked NFL free-agent deals, as CB Cassius Vaughn has signed with the Denver Broncos and DE Emmanuel Stephens with the Atlanta Falcons. It raises the number to 12 members of the 2009 Ole Miss football squad headed to the National Football League.
A starter the past two seasons, Vaughn played in every game of his four years in the Red and Blue. The Memphis native totaled 152 tackles, 20 passes defensed and five interceptions over his career.
As a senior, Vaughn tied for seventh in the SEC with 13 passes defensed and topped Ole Miss in pass break-ups (11) and interceptions (2). He also keyed an Ole Miss defense that rose to 11th in the nation in pass efficiency defense and 15th in pass defense.
A two-year Rebel after transferring from junior college, Stephens tied for 11th in the SEC in sacks with 5.5 in 2009. He also ranked second on the team in QB pressures with eight and finished with 22 tackles, including 7.5 TFLs.
With the Ole Miss line shorthanded due to injury, Stephens stepped in to notch 5.0 TFLs and 4.0 sacks over the final three SEC games. The Houston, Texas native saw action in every game of his two seasons and started twice.
In just two years in Oxford, Ole Miss head coach Houston Nutt has tutored 21 players to the pro ranks, including two first-round draft picks in the same year for the first time in school history in 2009.
The Rebels that were drafted this year included Dexter McCluster in the second round to Kansas City, John Jerry in the third to Miami, Kendrick Lewis in the fifth to KC and Greg Hardy in sixth to Carolina. Four selections equal the most in a single draft for Ole Miss since five Rebels heard their names called in 1985.
In addition, QB Jevan Snead inked a deal with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, WR Shay Hodge with the San Francisco 49ers, CB Marshay Green with the Arizona Cardinals, RB Cordera Eason with the Cincinnati Bengals and LB Patrick Trahan and TE Gerald Harris both with the Tennessee Titans.
