Boston College linebacker and special teams ace Vaughn Pemberton is hoping to become one of the guys who can catch on at the back end of a roster and earn his keep as a Swiss Army Knife, willing to do anything and everything to help his team.<\/p>\n
Pemberton began his career as a running back at Ball State before finishing his collegiate career with Boston College last season. A power back, Pemberton had 548 yards and three touchdowns in three seasons with the Cardinals. A coaching change prompted a move to Boston College.<\/p>\n
Late round picks and UDFA\u2019s typically need to play special teams to make a roster, and Pemberton proved at Boston College that he\u2019s willing to do whatever it takes to see the field and hit the team. <\/p>\n
Having been a running back his whole career, the Eagles found themselves razor-thin at linebacker in the Spring, and head coach Bill O\u2019Brien approached him about helping out at linebacker.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThe whole winter I\u2019m in individuals, I was with the running backs the whole time,\u201d Pemberton said. \u201cThat first padded practice, there were two linebackers not participating, another coming back from Cancer, one other scholarship guy, and some freshmen, and the one scholarship guy got hurt.<\/p>\n
\u201cCoach Obrien came to me, and said the RB room is deep, just try it out, we need a body here. I hadn\u2019t played defense since middle school. I like to think I don\u2019t have a big ego, \u2018whatever you need me to do, coach.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n
Pemberton ended up running with the first team in the spring, but once the Eagles returned their full allotment of linebackers, playing time was going to be scarce for him. <\/p>\n
\u201cSo I ask myself, \u2018What can I do for the team?\u2019 I can go play special teams. So I became a 4-core guy on special teams.\u201d<\/p>\n
Having joined Boston College as a senior out of the transfer portal, Pemberton didn\u2019t have any hard feelings about the position switch after he got on campus. He credits O\u2019Brien with expanding his skillset. <\/p>\n
\u201cThis past year, I learned a lot about how the whole game of football works, from Coach O\u2019Brien, who teaches a lot in team meetings,\u201d Pemberton said. \u201cCoach O’Brien really would break stuff down in team meetings. He was really active. A lot of coaches kind of supervise, but he was hands-on.\u201cPlaying defense and going through the individual drills, it really taught me a lot about special teams.\u201d <\/p>\n
The Falcons carried several players on their 53-man roster last year specifically for special teams, including 2024 Pro Bowl selection KhaDarel Hodge. The unit floundered last year, and Atlanta has begun an overhaul of the unit with a new punter and kicker. A player like Pemberton could find a spot like Hodge has for several seasons. <\/p>\n
Pemberton had an excellent pro day at BC last month. He measured 5\u201911 \u215b\u201d and 231 pounds with a 4.66 forty. His agility numbers were outstanding, including a 7.12 3-Cone and 4.48 shuttle. His 24 reps on the bench press were the second-best at BC\u2019s pro day. From a physical standpoint, he compares favorably to Connor Heyward, who was a sixth-round pick of the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2022 and just signed a two-year $4.5 million contract with the Las Vegas Raiders<\/a>. <\/p>\n
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