Three Brothers Stand Out For University Of Alabama Athletics--In Cheer!

Three Brothers Stand Out For University Of Alabama Athletics--In Cheer!

The University of Alabama cheerleading squad has not two, but three Vaughn brothers on its highly regarded coed team.

Oct 20, 2016 by Jennifer Zahn
Three Brothers Stand Out For University Of Alabama Athletics--In Cheer!

Move over Philadelphia! Tuscaloosa just might be the new city of brotherly love.


The University of Alabama cheerleading squad has not two, but three brothers on its highly regarded coed team. The Vaughn Brothers -- Jed, Zachary, and Elijah -- are three strong athletes with three different paths that all led to the Alabama cheerleading squad.

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Jed Vaughn started the trend by helping the Alabama coed squad take home the title at the 2015 UCA & UDA College Cheerleading and Dance Team National Championship. Since then, Jed's two brothers, Zachary and Elijah, have joined him as Alabama cheerleaders.

"The cheerleading team has become like my second family," Jed told UA.edu recently. "I chose the right team and the right school. I wouldn't have it any other way. Roll Tide!"

The Vaughn Cheer Legacy

It's an improbable story that all began when their mother made Jed take his sister to cheerleading practice as punishment years ago.

"I had got into trouble, and my mom made me take my sister to cheerleading practice where I saw a bunch of guys tumbling," Jed said. "I told my mom that I wanted to learn how to do backflips, and she said, 'OK, I'll sign you up for it.'"

The rest is Vaughn family history.

Zachary, played football, wrestled, and competing in weightlifting in high school. Yet, he wanted to follow in his older brother's footsteps when he came to Tuscaloosa.

"My older brother had a great opportunity to come up to Alabama and start cheerleading, and I felt stuck where I was," Zachary said. "So, I moved up to do what he was doing, and I haven't looked back."

Elijah was also a strong athlete in high school, but eventually, he came to love cheerleading.

"I packed my bags from football, went to the cheerleading gym and started going at it," Elijah said.

The Vaughn brothers all perfected their craft at Shelton State in Tuscaloosa prior to cheering at Alabama. Crimson Tide spirit coordinator Jennifer Thrasher said she scouted them out then.

"We had our eye on them at Shelton State before they came to us," Thrasher said. "All three cheered for coach Christa Grizzle Sanford at Shelton. She does a great job of developing athletes and preparing them for the next level.

They're very genuine guys with incredible work ethic. If I need anyone to do a pep rally or public appearance, they're always the first to raise their hands.
It's a true family affair with the Vaughns at Alabama, though it's not always easy.

"The hardest thing about cheerleading is learning tumbling in a hurry," Zachary said. "There is a lot of technique to it. I crashed and burned a lot. Turf hurts."

Indeed. But it's not so bad when you have your brothers there to pick you up.

By Marc Raimondi


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