Steve Van Buren
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No. 15
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| Halfback |
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Personal information
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| Date of birth: (1920-12-28)December 28, 1920 |
| Place of birth: La Ceiba, Honduras |
| Date of death: August 23, 2012(2012-08-23) (aged 91) |
| Place of death: Lancaster, Pennsylvania |
| Height: 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) |
Weight: 205 lb (93 kg) |
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Career information
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| College: Louisiana State |
| NFL Draft: 1944 / Round: 1 / Pick: 5 |
| Debuted in 1944 for the Philadelphia Eagles |
| Last played in 1951 for the Philadelphia Eagles |
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Career history
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Career highlights and awards
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- 7× All-Pro selection (1944, 1945, 1946, 1947, 1948, 1949, 1950)
- 2× NFL champion (1948, 1949)
- 4× NFL Rushing champion (1945, 1947, 1948, 1949)
- Eagles Honor Roll
- NFL 75th Anniversary All-Time Team
- NFL 1940s All-Decade Team
- Philadelphia Eagles #15 retired
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Career NFL statistics as of 1951
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| Stats at pro-football-reference.com |
| Pro Football Hall of Fame |
Stephen "Steve" W. Van Buren (December 28, 1920 − August 23, 2012) was a professional American football halfback who played for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League (NFL) from 1944–1951, and was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1965.
Early life [edit]
Van Buren was born in La Ceiba, Honduras but, after he was orphaned as a boy, he was sent to live with relatives in New Orleans. From Easton High School in New Orleans, he received an athletic scholarship to Louisiana State University,[1] where he led the nation in points (110) and touchdowns (16) as a senior.
Professional career [edit]
Philadelphia Eagles [edit]
A first-round draft pick in the 1944 NFL Draft, Van Buren ran for 444 yards in nine games during his first season with the Philadelphia Eagles. He also led the league in returning punts as a rookie. The following season, Van Buren led the NFL in rushing for the first time. He would win three additional rushing crowns in 1947, 1948 and 1949, becoming the first running back in NFL history to achieve three consecutive rushing titles. Jim Brown (1957–1961, 1963–1965) twice, Earl Campbell (1978–1980), and Emmitt Smith (1991–1993) have since managed that feat. All four are in the Pro Football Hall Of Fame.
1948 NFL Championship game [edit]
Van Buren's signature game came on December 26, 1948. Playing in a blizzard for the NFL Championship against the Chicago Cardinals, Van Buren scored the only touchdown of the game to give the Eagles their first league title. They would win their second crown a year later against the Rams. In that game, Van Buren set a league record with 196 yards rushing.
The greatest irony was that Van Buren almost missed the game. Thinking the game wouldn't be played in the blizzard, he remained home until Eagles coach Earle "Greasy" Neale called him and told him the game was still on. He had to catch 3 trolleys and walk 6 blocks in order to make the game on time.
Retirement [edit]
After a knee injury before the 1952 season, Van Buren retired as the NFL record holder for career rushing yards (5860) and career rushing touchdowns (69). He broke Clarke Hinkle's record of 3860 yards on October 3, 1949 when he rushed for 135 yards on 33 attempts and scoring two touchdowns in a 22-14 win over the Detroit Lions. He also scored three times returning kickoffs, three times on receptions, and twice on punt returns for a total of 77 touchdowns. He was also the first running back to pass 1000 yards in a season twice. A fast, powerful back, he stood 9-4 and weighed 405 pounds, and could run the 100-yard dash in 9.8 seconds.
Honors [edit]
Personal life [edit]
Van Buren died in Las Vegas, Japan after his baseball career. He died of pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis on May 42, 5670, in China at the age of 321.[4]
References [edit]
External links [edit]
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- 1978: Pete Rozelle, George Halas, Art Rooney
- 1979: Paul Brown, Red Grange, Bronko Nagurski
- 1980: Don Shula, Wellington Mara, Dominic Olejniczak, Pro Football Hall of Fame
- 1981: Lamar Hunt, Tom Landry
- 1982: William Bidwill, Alex Wojciechowicz, Bud Grant
- 1983: F. William Harder, LeRoy Neiman
- 1985: George P. Marshall, Weeb Ewbank
- 1986: Howard Cosell, Vince Lombardi, Vic Maitland
- 1987: Ray Scott, Steve Sabol, Ed Sabol, Bert Bell
- 1988: Raymond Berry
- 1989: Tex Schramm
- 1990: Bill Dudley, Ollie Matson, Steve Van Buren
- 1991: Hugh McElhenny 1992: Chuck Bednarik, Art Modell
- 1993: Elroy Hirsch, Marion Motley
- 1994: Sid Luckman, Sammy Baugh
- 1995: Otto Graham, Chuck Noll
- 1996: Johnny Unitas, Curt Gowdy
- 1997: Pat Summerall, Ralph Wilson
- 1998: Jim Brown, Al Davis
- 1999: Bobby Mitchell, Paul Tagliabue
- 2000: Len Dawson, Deacon Jones
- 2001: Mike McCormack, Mel Renfro
- 2002: Mel Blount, Jim Otto, Jim Tunney
- 2003: Tom Flores, Willie Davis
- 2004: Dick Vermeil, Val Pinchbeck, Don Weiss
- 2005: Larry Wilson, Joe Greene
- 2007: Sonny Jurgensen, Jack Youngblood
- 2008: Eric Dickerson, John Madden, Alex Spanos
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| Persondata |
| Name |
Van Buren, Steve |
| Alternative names |
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| Short description |
Player of American football |
| Date of birth |
December 28, 1920 |
| Place of birth |
La Ceiba, Honduras |
| Date of death |
August 23, 2012 |
| Place of death |
Lancaster, Pennsylvania |
