Countdown to 2018 IUFB Kickoff: 26 Days (Vaughn Dunbar)

Written By Evan McShane (@veryreasonable)

Countdown to IUFB Kickoff: 26 Days (Vaugh Dunbar)

Vaughn Dunbar (Legacy Hoosier)

Height: 5’10”

Weight: 204 Pounds

Hometown: Ft. Wayne, IN

Position: Running Back

Vaughn Dunbar cemented his legacy as an all-time Hoosier football great in just two years of work. The high school star dominated prep football for the R. Nelson Snider Panthers in Fort Wayne, Indiana in the late 1980s. Upon graduation, Dunbar enrolled at Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College where he would play football for two seasons. In 1990, head coach Bill Mallory was faced with the task of replacing Indiana’s legendary running back, Anthony Thompson. Mallory ultimately offered Dunbar a scholarship to play for IU. Dunbar would have two years of eligibility and he made the most of them.

Dunbar’s signature dark, reflective visor caught fans’ attention. Dunbar claimed to have worn the shaded facemask protector to prevent defenders from reading his eyes. Similar to a defender reading a quarterback’s eyes in the passing game, open-field tacklers will often try to use a running back’s eyes to predict which direction the runner will cut. With Dunbar, it was all a guessing game. Standing 5-foot-11, 205-pounds, Dunbar was a mastermind at finding the right openings to burst through. He possessed solid speed and an astonishing toughness between the tackles.

Dunbar’s first season at Indiana saw the Hoosiers go 6-5-1, ultimately losing a nail-biter to Auburn in the Peach Bowl. Dunbar put up impressive numbers in the process, rushing for 1,224 yards and 13 touchdowns. 1991 was a breakout year for Dunbar. The senior running back dominated college football, finishing the season with 1,805 yards (2nd in the nation) and 12 touchdowns on an impressive 5.0 yards-per-carry. Dunbar and quarterback Trent Green led Bill Mallory’s 1991 Hoosiers to a 7-4-1 record, capped off with a 24-0 beatdown of Baylor in the Copper Bowl.

Dunbar was a consensus All-American following his impressive senior campaign. He finished 6th in Heisman voting. He was the Offensive MVP of the 1991 Copper Bowl where he ran for over 100 yards and a touchdown. Vaugh Dunbar was the recipient of the 1991 Jim Brown Award for being recognized as the NCAA’s top running back. The accolades and on-field success propelled Dunbar to become a first-round NFL draft pick. Selected by the New Orleans Saints 21st overall, Dunbar would play three seasons of pro football, amassing nearly 1,000 yards and five touchdowns.

Dunbar is an IU football icon and today we celebrate his contributions to the program. Along with Anthony Thompson, Vaughn Dunbar paved the way for Hoosier running backs in the future as we’ve most recently seen Tevin Coleman and Jordan Howard make it to the NFL from Bloomington. Who will be the next Indiana running back to run wild?