Recent Dawson County Tiger football standout Harley Vaughn will continue his career next season playing for Coach Daryl Dickey at the University of West Georgia.

West Georgia finished last season with a 3-7 record in the Gulf South Conference. The conference includes National Champion Valdosta State.

Vaughn, 6-foot-3, 270 pounds, will play center for the Wolves.

Dickey brings a wealth of experience to the college game. He was a starting quarterback for the Tennessee Volunteers and has been an assistant coach at several schools, which include Tennessee and Florida State, where he was the quarterbacks coach there.
He will begin his fifth season at West Georgia this year.

Vaughn was recruited by several schools, including Union College, Berry College and Shorter before deciding on West Georgia.

"When I went to visit with the coaches it just felt like the right fit," Vaughn said. "The facilities are nice and it is just the place for me."

His offensive line coach at West Georgia will be Chase Harp.

"Coach Harp seems to be a real nice guy and is a good coach. I also like the way Coach Dickey runs his team and his mind set. Coach Dickey is just a good guy in general," Vaughn said.

Vaughn said his high school coach Jeff Lee has prepared him for college.

"Coach Jeff Lee was a big influence. He told me what to expect and knew what advice to give since Coach Lee played in college. It was a tremendous help," Vaughn said.

Parents Johnny and Melanie Vaughn are very supportive of their son's decision to attend West Georgia, according to Vaughn.

"They let me decide on my own where I wanted to go. They just told me it was my own decision. My parents have always been there for me and after praying about it, it was the right school for me," Vaughn said.

"I want to be able to play at the next level. I also want to be able to compete for playing time as a freshman this season," he added.

Vaughn is undecided as to what his major will be, but is considering a degree in engineering or business management.

He carried a 3.95 grade point average at Dawson County and graduated number 26 in his class.

Vaughn will report for practice Aug. 14.