To start the all-time jersey number countdown leading up to the start of the Chiefs’ 2020 campaign against Houston on September 10, let’s begin with number 99 and look back at a defensive end that once played opposite Neil Smith and alongside Derrick Thomas on Marty Schottenheimer’s fierce defensive units of the mid to late 1990s.
With 99 days until the start of the 2020 NFL season, we begin by looking back at the career of former Kansas City defensive end Vaughn Booker, who played 9 seasons in the National Football League and 4 in Kansas City from 1994 to 1997.
Vaughn Booker – 1994 to 1997
Booker began his career as an undrafted free agent with the Indianapolis Colts in 1994 before getting waived and making his way to Kansas City under Marty Schottenheimer. In his rookie campaign, Booker played 13 games and made 15 combined tackles.
The following year in 1995, Booker became a regular starter at defensive end for Kansas City opposite Neil Smith and finished with over 30 tackles for the following three seasons with the Chiefs and eclipsed his highest sack total in 1997 with four.
In four seasons, Booker finished his Chiefs career playing in 56 games, starting 34 and totaling 112 combined tackles (96 solo), 6.5 sacks, five fumble recoveries, and two forced fumbles while in Kansas City.
In 1998, Booker was traded to Green Bay in exchange for defensive tackle Darrius Holland and thus began his short two-year stint with the Packers under Mike Holmgren. For 1999, he had his best season yet, starting 14 games and totalling 45 combined tackles (32 solo) and 3.5 sacks for the season.
However, despite his productive 1999 campaign, Booker wasn’t retained by the Packers and agreed to join the Cincinnati Bengals in 2000. In 2001, Booker had another 40-tackle season before eventually calling it a career following the 2002 season.
