Steve Van Buren

Steve Van Buren

refer to caption

Van Buren c. 1948
No. 15
Position: Halfback
Personal information
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: 200 lb (91 kg)
Career information
High school: New Orleans (LA) Warren Easton
College: LSU
NFL Draft: 1944 / Round: 1 / Pick: 5
Career history
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics
Rushing yards: 5,860
Rushing average: 4.4
Rushing touchdowns: 69
Return yards: 2,503
Return touchdowns: 5
Interceptions: 9
Player stats at NFL.com
Player stats at PFR

Stephen Wood 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 to 1951. Regarded as a powerful and punishing runner with excellent speed, through eight NFL seasons he won four league rushing titles, including three straight from 1947 to 1949. At a time when teams played twelve games a year, he was the first NFL player to rush for over ten touchdowns in a season—a feat he accomplished three times—and the first to have multiple 1,000-yard rushing seasons. When he retired, he held the NFL career records for rushing attempts (1,320), yards (5,860), and touchdowns (69). As of 2016, he remains the Eagles franchise leader in career rushing touchdowns.

Van Buren played college football for Louisiana State University, where he led the NCAA in scoring in his senior season for the LSU Tigers. After leading LSU to victory in the Orange Bowl, he was drafted by the Eagles with the fifth overall pick in the 1944 NFL Draft. Van Buren acquired many nicknames over his career in reference to his running style, including "Wham Bam", "Moving Van", and "Supersonic Steve". He was the driving force for the Eagles in the team's back-to-back NFL championships in 1948 and 1949; he scored the only touchdown of the 1948 NFL Championship Game against the Chicago Cardinals, and in the next year's championship game against the Los Angeles Rams he set postseason records with 31 carries for 196 yards.

After his playing career, Van Buren coached in minor league football, where he won an Atlantic Coast Football League (ACFL) championship with the Newark Bears in 1963. He was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1965. Van Buren is a member of the NFL 1940s All-Decade Team and the National Football League 75th Anniversary All-Time Team. Considered one of the greatest players in Eagles franchise history, his number 15 jersey is retired by the team, and he is enshrined in the Philadelphia Eagles Hall of Fame and the Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame. For his college career, he was inducted into the Louisiana State University Athletic Hall of Fame in 1944 and the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame in 1961.

Early life

Born in La Ceiba, Honduras to an American-born father and a mother of Spanish heritage,[1] Stephen Wood Van Buren was orphaned at age ten and was sent to live with relatives in New Orleans, Louisiana.[2] There he attended Warren Easton High School, and tried out for the football team originally as a sophomore, but did not make the team.[3][4] Later that year he dropped out of high school and went to work in an iron foundry.[4] He returned to high school two years later and made the team as an end his senior year.[4] He played well enough that season to earn an athletic scholarship to Louisiana State University (LSU) in Baton Rouge.[3]

College career

Playing for the LSU Tigers football team, Van Buren was used primarily for blocking until his senior season, when head coach Bernie Moore moved him to tailback because of a lack of players due to World War II conscription.[5] Van Buren received a class IV-F exemption due to an eye defect, so he was able to avoid conscription.[5] "He probably was the greatest running back in Southeastern Conference history," Moore recalled, "and I used him as a blocking back until his last year. The folks in Baton Rouge never let me forget that."[6]

He began the 1943 season by scoring four touchdowns in a 34–27 win over Georgia, including the game-winning touchdown with less than two minutes left to play.[7] His final college game was the 1944 Orange Bowl against Texas A&M, in which he ran for two touchdowns and threw for one more to give LSU a 19–14 victory.[8] He finished the season with 847 yards rushing and 16 touchdowns.[5][9] He also led the nation with 98 points scored (110 including the bowl game).[2][5] After the season the Associated Press named Van Buren to its All-Southeastern Conference first team.[10]

Professional career

While still enrolled at LSU, Van Buren was drafted into the National Football League by the Philadelphia Eagles with the fifth overall pick of the 1944 NFL Draft.[11] A month later, on May 19 he resigned from the university due to an eye infection that had been bothering him since the Orange Bowl game.[12] The Eagles gave Van Buren a $4,000 contract with no signing bonus.[13] But Van Buren, modest to a fault, took three weeks to sign the contract because he did not feel he was good enough to play professionally.[4][14][15] He played as a running back and return specialist in the NFL for eight seasons, all of them with the Eagles. He spent the first seven of them under head coach Earle "Greasy" Neale, who dubbed Van Buren "the best halfback in modern times."[4]

1944–1946: Kick return prowess

Van Buren played in nine games during his first season with the Eagles, rushing for 444 yards as a running back and recording five interceptions on defense as a defensive back. His first NFL kick return touchdown came in the third game of the season, on a 55-yard punt return in the second quarter of a 38–0 shutout win against the Boston Yanks.[16] Three games later, he returned a kickoff 97 yards for a touchdown against the New York Giants,[17] which was the longest kickoff return by any player that season. His 15.3 yards per punt return also led the league. Van Buren was named to the Associated Press's All-Pro first team following the season, the only rookie so named for 1944.[18]

In 1945 Van Buren led the NFL in rushing yards for the first time, and also led the league in scoring, yards from scrimmage, and kickoff return yards.[3] That season he set an Eagles single-season record with fifteen rushing touchdowns, a mark that stood until 2011.[19] His eighteen total touchdowns broke Don Hutson's league record by one, set three seasons earlier.[20][21] He again had the longest kickoff return of the season, this time with a 98-yard return touchdown against the Giants. In that game he also rushed for 100 yards and two more touchdowns as he scored all of the Eagles' touchdowns in the 28–21 loss.[22] At least six major publications named him a first-team All-Pro for the season, including the Associated Press and United Press.[23][24]

By 1946 Van Buren was considered one of the best players in the league.[25][26] Before the season he signed a three-year contract to remain with the Eagles, dispelling rumors that he planned to join the rival All-America Football Conference.[21] He returned just five punts in the 1946 season, but ran one of them back fifty yards for a touchdown against the Boston Yanks in the final game of the year. It was the last punt Van Buren returned in his career. He finished the season with 529 rushing yards, third-most behind leader Bill Dudley of the Pittsburgh Steelers and rookie Pat Harder of the Chicago Cardinals.[27] He was named a first-team All-Pro by the New York Daily News and a second-team All-Pro by the United Press.[28]

After the Eagles' loss to the Steelers during the 1946 season, Eagles coach Greasy Neale gave Dudley high praise during a conversation with Steelers coach Jock Sutherland. Sutherland then offered to trade Dudley to the Eagles. In return he wanted Van Buren, but according to Les Biederman of The Pittsburgh Press, "before [Sutherland] finished the second syllable of that name, Neale had fled the table."[29]

1947–1949: Three straight rushing titles

Van Buren claimed his second rushing title in 1947, which was the first in a string of three straight. His 1,008 rushing yards broke the single-season record of 1,004 set by Beattie Feathers with the Chicago Bears in 1934.[30] He was no longer returning punts for the team, as the role was taken over by halfback Bosh Pritchard, though he still returned kickoffs. His 95-yard kickoff return touchdown against the Washington Redskins in the first game of the season was again the longest kickoff return by any player that season, as well as the last kick return touchdown of his career.[31]

The Eagles and Pittsburgh Steelers both finished the 1947 regular season atop the Eastern Conference with an 8–4 record, so the two teams met for a tiebreaker game to determine the conference champion.[32] During the week before the game, the Steelers ran workouts concentrating on a means of stopping Van Buren's running.[33] In the game, the Steelers' defensive line held Van Buren to 45 rushing yards and no rushing touchdowns, but he scored the game's first touchdown on a 15-yard reception from quarterback Tommy Thompson. The Eagles won with a 21–0 shutout, setting them up to face the Chicago Cardinals in the NFL Championship Game, the first championship game appearance in franchise history.[34] Against the Cardinals' "Million Dollar Backfield", Van Buren was held in check, as the Eagles were defeated 28–21 in a back-and-forth contest.[35][36]

The 1948 season was the second straight that Van Buren led the league in carries, rushing yards, rushing touchdowns, and yards from scrimmage. In Week 3, in the first quarter against the New York Giants Van Buren scored his 39th career rushing touchdown, surpassing Ernie Nevers as the all-time leader.[31][37] That game—a 45–0 shutout win—was the first in an eight-game winning streak for the Eagles in which they scored 275 points total and allowed 49.[38] The team finished the regular season with the best record in the Eastern Division and were to meet the Chicago Cardinals again for the league championship.[39]

1948 NFL Championship Game

Having posted similar offensive statistics in the regular season, the Eagles and Cardinals were expected to play a tight game.[40] Played in a blizzard at Philadelphia's Shibe Park, the game's only score was a fourth quarter rushing touchdown by Van Buren from five yards out.[41] The 7–0 win gave the Eagles their first league title.[42] Van Buren finished with 98 yards on 26 carries, though he nearly missed the game entirely. Thinking the game would not be played in the blizzard, he remained home until coach Greasy Neale called him and told him the game was still on. He had to catch three trolleys and walk six blocks in order to make the game on time.[1] "I looked out my bedroom window that morning, saw the snow and went back to bed," he said. "I was sure the game would be postponed."[43]

Van Buren depicted on a 1950 Bowman trading card

1949: Career rushing title and second championship

By 1949 Van Buren's annual salary was $15,000.[44] Despite the Eagles franchise struggling financially the previous season, Neale was willing to pay him more, but Van Buren declined. "I could have gotten a good deal more," he said. "But you acted a little different when your team lost money."[13] He came into his sixth NFL season needing 104 rushing yards to break Clarke Hinkle's career record of 3,860, which he set after ten seasons with the Packers.[45][46] Van Buren passed Hinkle's mark against the Detroit Lions in the second game of the season,[47] and by the end of the year had broken his own single-season record as he rushed for 1,146 yards.[48] He became the first running back in NFL history to achieve three consecutive rushing titles. Jim Brown twice, Earl Campbell, and Emmitt Smith have since managed the feat.[49] The Eagles clinched the Eastern Division title in the tenth game of the season with a win over the Steelers. With Pittsburgh's defense designed to stop him, Van Buren ran for 205 yards on 27 carries,[50] setting an Eagles single-game franchise record for rushing yards that stood for over sixty years.[43] The Eagles won their final two games and advanced to their third NFL championship game in as many seasons.

In the 1949 NFL Championship Game at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum against the Los Angeles Rams, as in the previous season's game, Van Buren carried the Eagles' offense.[3] Although he failed to score, he carried the ball 31 times for a championship game–record 196 yards on the heavily muddied field.[51] The Eagles won 14–0, becoming the first—and as of 2016, the only—team in league history to win consecutive championship games with a shutout.[1][2] Following the game, Rams coach Clark Shaughnessy called Van Buren one of the greatest ball carriers he had seen in forty years of football. "He is equal to any player I've ever seen," said Shaughnessy.[52] Van Buren was named the outstanding athlete of the year by the Philadelphia Sports Writers Association.[53]

1950–1951: Injuries and retirement

Back, leg, and neck injuries began to take a toll on Van Buren in 1950, and his production dropped.[54] He broke his toe in the 1950 off-season and suffered from bone spurs, which caused him to miss the team's four preseason exhibition games and regular season opener.[55][56][57] He returned to lead the league in carries for the fourth straight season, but lost the rushing title for the first time in four years and had career-lows in touchdowns and yards per carry. The Eagles finished with a 6–6 regular season record.[58] Greasy Neale was fired by the Eagles the following February and replaced by Bo McMillan.[59] In 1951, Van Buren played alongside his brother, halfback and linebacker Ebert, whom the Eagles selected in that year's draft out of LSU.[60] The elder Van Buren continued to play through injuries, taking several shots of Novocaine before each game.[13] He had a career-low 327 rushing yards for the season, as the Eagles finished with a losing record for the first time since 1942.

During training camp prior to the 1952 season, Van Buren tore a knee ligament and required surgery.[4] He missed the entire season and retired as a player in September 1953.[61] He remained on the Eagles payroll in a public relations capacity. He finished his career having carried 1,320 times for 5,860 yards and 69 touchdowns. He also scored three times returning kickoffs, three times on receptions, and twice on punt returns for a total of 77 touchdowns. On defense he intercepted nine opponents' passes.[62]

Professional statistics

YearG Rushing Punt returns Kickoff returns
Att Yds TD Lng Avg Ret Yds TD Lng Avg Ret Yds TD Lng Avg
1944 9 80 444 5 70 5.6 15 230 1 55 15.3 8 266 1 97 33.3
1945 10 143 832 15 69 5.8 14 154 0 24 11.0 13 373 1 98 28.7
1946 9 116 529 5 58 4.6 5 89 1 50 17.8 11 319 0 63 29.0
1947 12 217 1,008 13 45 4.6 – – – – – 13 382 1 95 29.4
1948 11 201 945 10 29 4.7 – – – – – 14 292 0 34 20.9
1949 12 263 1,146 11 41 4.4 – – – – – 12 288 0 35 24.0
1950 10 188 629 4 41 3.3 – – – – – 5 110 0 26 22.0
1951 10 112 327 6 17 2.9 – – – – – – – – – –
Career 83 1,320 5,860 69 70 4.4 34 473 2 55 13.9 76 2,030 3 98 26.7

Playing style

Van Buren's profile at the Pro Football Hall of Fame states he "lined up as a halfback but played more like a fullback."[3] He had a rare combination of strength, speed, and endurance.[2][4] While not as elusive or nimble as other backs, he preferred to run through tacklers instead of avoid them, and never ran out of bounds if he felt he could pick up extra yards.[14][26] "There's no trick," he said of his running style. "When I see I'm gonna be tackled I just put my head down and give 'em the shoulder."[63] He was described as a "deadly tackler", hitting as hard on defense as he did when he carried the ball.[26] His disregard for his own body led to many injuries for both himself and opposing players.[13][63]

He gained the majority of his yards and touchdowns on the ground, as he preferred being a runner rather than a receiver.[14][15] All but three of his 69 offensive touchdowns were scored by rushing.[31] Van Buren acquired many nicknames over his career.[3] He was nicknamed "Wham Bam" for his quick and punishing running style.[64] He was also referred to as "Supersonic Steve,"[15][65] "Blockbuster,"[62] and "Moving Van."[33][66]

Coaching career

Van Buren served as a coach for several seasons in minor league football after his playing career. After serving as a scout for the Eagles, he coached a minor league team in Bristol, Pennsylvania for three years.[67] He then served as head coach for the Franklin Miners of Franklin, New Jersey and led them to a 27–5 win–loss record through 1958 and 1959.[68] The Miners moved to Paterson, New Jersey and joined the Atlantic Coast Football League (ACFL), winning the league's championship in 1962.[69] Van Buren then became head coach for the Newark Bears of the ACFL, which he led to a league championship in 1963.[70] In 1965, the Bears franchise joined the Continental Football League, and in 1966 moved to Orlando, Florida and was renamed the Panthers. Van Buren was elevated to vice president and director of player personnel for the Panthers in 1966.[71] He led the newly formed Hudson Valley Vikings of the North Atlantic Football League as head coach in 1967.[68][72] In 1968, Van Buren became the offensive backfield coach for the Pottstown Firebirds of the ACFL.[73] In 1969, he was the coach of the independent, semi-pro Jersey Senators,[74] and in 1970, the Phoenix Steelers.[75]

Legacy, honors, and later life

Van Buren depicted in 1952

Van Buren retired as the NFL record holder for career rushing yards and career rushing touchdowns.[2] He was the first player to rush for over 1,000 yards in a season twice,[54] and he held the top two single-season records in rushing yards and rushing touchdowns. He was the first to rush for over ten touchdowns in a season, a feat he accomplished three times before any other player did so once.[76] He was the last Eagles player to win the rushing title until LeSean McCoy led the league in rushing yards in 2013.[77] As of 2016, he remains the Eagles' career leader in rushing touchdowns.[78]

In 1950, Van Buren was selected by the Associated Press for an all-time Southeastern Conference team, which honored the best eleven players in the conference's then seventeen-year existence.[79] He was inducted into the Louisiana State University Athletic Hall of Fame in 1944 and the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame in 1961.[80][81]

He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in the class of 1965, which also included Guy Chamberlain, Paddy Driscoll, Dan Fortmann, Otto Graham, Sid Luckman, and Bob Waterfield.[3] He was the first Eagles player to be inducted.[1] Clarke Hinkle presented him with the honor at the induction ceremony. Van Buren's acceptance speech consisted of four sentences:

"Thank you Clarke Hinkle, I'm certainly glad to have broken your record. Since you people can't hear too good and I'm not too good a speaker I won't say much, but it's a great honor to be here. The two days I've spent in Canton will certainly bring me back every year from now on. Thank you very much."[82]

Van Buren's jersey number 15 was later retired by the Eagles.[2] He is also a member of the Philadelphia Eagles Hall of Fame and the Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame.[83][84] In 2007, he was named to the Eagles 75th Anniversary Team as the starting running back.[85] Van Buren is a member of the NFL 1940s All-Decade Team, which honors the best players from the decade, and the National Football League 75th Anniversary All-Time Team as one of the best players in the league's first 75 years.[86]

Van Buren lived quietly in Lancaster, Pennsylvania after his football career, where he ran an antiques shop with his son-in-law. He also owned a used-car lot and a dance hall.[1] His wife, Grace, died in 1978.[13] Van Buren died of pneumonia on August 23, 2012, in Lancaster at the age of 91.[64][87]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "Steve Van Buren, Philadelphia Eagles player, Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee". The Washington Post. August 24, 2012. Retrieved July 18, 2016.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Hall of Famer Steve Van Buren dies". ESPN. Philadelphia: Associated Press. August 24, 2012. Retrieved January 28, 2016.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Steve Van Buren Bio". Pro Football Hall of Fame. Retrieved November 25, 2010.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Litsky, Frank (August 24, 2012). "Steve Van Buren, 91, dies; Hall of Fame halfback". The New York Times. Associated Press. Retrieved January 29, 2016.
  5. 1 2 3 4 Vincent, Herb (2008). LSU Football Vault: The History of the Fighting Tigers. Whitman Publishing, LLC. p. 57. ISBN 0794824285.
  6. ↑ "Steve Van Buren". Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame. Retrieved September 4, 2016.
  7. ↑ Vincent 2008, p. 54.
  8. ↑ Vincent 2008, p. 55.
  9. ↑ "Steve Van Buren Stats". Sports Reference. Retrieved January 29, 2016.
  10. ↑ "All-Southeastern selections". Lincoln Evening Journal. November 24, 1943. p. 12. Retrieved July 12, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. ↑ "Mostly a Prayer". Spokane Daily Chronicle. Associated Press. April 20, 1944. p. 20. Retrieved July 13, 2016.
  12. ↑ "Eye Infection Causes Van Buren To Quit". The Tuscaloosa News. Associated Press. May 24, 1944. p. 7. Retrieved July 13, 2016.
  13. 1 2 3 4 5 Forbes, Gordon (August 28, 1980). "Steve Van Buren: Pain Was A Constant Companion". The Evening Independent. Knight-Ridder Newspapers. p. 6-C. Retrieved July 18, 2016.
  14. 1 2 3 Kuechle, Oliver (August 19, 1949). "Van Buren Doesn't Pass or Kick or Block, but Boy! Does He Run!". The Milwaukee Journal. p. 5.
  15. 1 2 3 Snider, Steve (October 1, 1949). "Today's Sports Comments". St. Petersburg Times. United Press. p. 19. Retrieved July 19, 2016.
  16. ↑ "Yanks Unable To Curb Eagles' Running, Are Beaten 38 To 0". The Lewiston Daily Sun. Associated Press. October 23, 1944. p. 8. Retrieved July 14, 2016.
  17. ↑ "Giants Rally Late, Tie Eagles, 21-21". St. Petersburg Times. United Press. November 13, 1944. p. 9. Retrieved July 14, 2016.
  18. ↑ "1944 NFL All-Pros". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved July 15, 2016.
  19. ↑ "Mind-blowing stats for the Philadelphia Eagles". NFL.com. July 25, 2015. Retrieved January 29, 2016.
  20. ↑ "Hutson's Scoring Mark Erased by Van Buren". The Milwaukee Journal. December 12, 1945. p. 8. Retrieved July 15, 2016.
  21. 1 2 "Steve Van Buren Signs". Reading Eagle. International News Service. April 8, 1946. p. 15. Retrieved July 13, 2016.
  22. ↑ "Giants Rally to Win". St. Petersburg Times. International News Service. December 3, 1945. p. 9. Retrieved July 14, 2016.
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  24. ↑ Eck, Frank (December 15, 1945). "Three Rams' Players on AP All-Pro Football Team". Schenectady Gazette. p. 22. Retrieved July 15, 2016.
  25. ↑ "Steve Van Buren Signed by Eagles". The Milwaukee Journal. Associated Press. April 8, 1946. p. 5. Retrieved July 13, 2016.
  26. 1 2 3 "Philadelphia Eagles' Van Buren Runs through 'em, not around 'em". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. October 4, 1946. p. 19. Retrieved July 15, 2016.
  27. ↑ "Eagles Roar To 40-14 Win Over Yanks". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. United Press. December 9, 1946. p. 18. Retrieved July 14, 2016.
  28. ↑ "1946 NFL All-Pros". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved July 15, 2016.
  29. ↑ Biederman, Les (October 17, 1947). "Eagles' Steve Van Buren Rated Football's Ace Runner". The Pittsburgh Press. p. 36. Retrieved July 17, 2016.
  30. ↑ "Van Buren Set New National League Record". Reading Eagle. United Press. February 19, 1948. p. 22. Retrieved July 15, 2016.
  31. 1 2 3 "Steve Van Buren Career Touchdown Log". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved July 15, 2016.
  32. ↑ "Eagles Meet Steelers For Eastern Flag". Reading Eagle. United Press. December 21, 1947. p. 35. Retrieved July 15, 2016.
  33. 1 2 "Steelers Point For Van Buren". The Spokesman-Review. Associated Press. December 19, 1947. p. 17. Retrieved July 15, 2016.
  34. ↑ Sell, Jack (December 22, 1947). "Thompson Leads Birds to Eastern Title With Passes". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. p. 18. Retrieved July 15, 2016.
  35. ↑ Warren, Harry (December 29, 1947). "Cardinals Beat Eagles for Title, 28-21". Chicago Tribune. pp. 25–26. Retrieved July 15, 2016.
  36. ↑ "The Cards' Dream Season In '47". Pro Football Hall of Fame. January 1, 2005. Retrieved September 3, 2016.
  37. ↑ Frye, Bryan (May 2, 2016). "History of the Career Rushing Touchdowns Record". thegridfe.com. GridFe. Retrieved July 16, 2016.
  38. ↑ "1948 Philadelphia Eagles Schedule & Game Results". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved July 16, 2016.
  39. ↑ Smith, Wilfrid (December 19, 1948). "Cards seek their second from Eagles". Chicago Tribune. p. 1, part 2. Retrieved July 16, 2016.
  40. ↑ "Cards Given Slight Edge Over Eagles". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Associated Press. December 18, 1948. p. 12. Retrieved July 17, 2016.
  41. ↑ Kuechle, Oliver E. (December 20, 1948). "Eagles beat Cardinals for title in snowstorm". Milwaukee Journal. p. 6. Retrieved July 16, 2016.
  42. ↑ Smith, Wilfrid (December 20, 1948). "Browns win, 49-7; Eagles jar Cards, 7-0". Chicago Tribune. p. 43. Retrieved July 16, 2016.
  43. 1 2 Didinger, Ray (December 11, 2013). "Didinger: Memories Of Steve Van Buren". Philadelphia Eagles. Retrieved July 17, 2016.
  44. ↑ "Those $Million Athletes How Did It All Begin?". The Telegraph. Associated Press. November 16, 1976. p. 25. Retrieved July 15, 2016.
  45. ↑ "Pair Of Eagles Best Gainers". Gettysburg Times. Associated Press. November 23, 1948. p. 3. Retrieved July 18, 2016.
  46. ↑ "Van Buren Near Record". Reading Eagle. International News Service. September 29, 1949. p. 31. Retrieved July 18, 2016.
  47. ↑ Cain, Charles (October 4, 1949). "Steve Van Buren Mr. Football as Eagles Tip Lions". The Owosso Argus-Press. Associated Press. p. 8. Retrieved July 18, 2016.
  48. ↑ "Steve Van Buren Breaks Record". The Spokesman-Review. Associated Press. December 5, 1949. p. 8. Retrieved July 18, 2016.
  49. ↑ "NFL Year-by-Year Rushing Yards Leaders". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved July 18, 2016.
  50. ↑ "Eagles Rip Steelers, 34-17, For Third Eastern Title". The Milwaukee Sentinel. Associated Press. November 28, 1949. p. 3. Retrieved July 18, 2016.
  51. ↑ Warren, Harry (December 19, 1949). "Eagles Keep Title in Los Angeles Rain". Chicago Tribune. p. 1, part 3.
  52. ↑ "Ram Coach Calls Van Buren Tops". St. Petersburg Times. Associated Press. December 20, 1949. Retrieved July 24, 2016.
  53. ↑ "Philly Scribes Praise Tiger For Comeback". The Pittsburgh Press. United Press. January 31, 1950. p. 29. Retrieved July 19, 2016.
  54. 1 2 "Steve Van Buren: A Rarified Eagle". The Victoria Advocate. October 16, 1981. p. 3F. Retrieved July 18, 2016.
  55. ↑ "Van Buren Faces Possible Surgery". St. Petersburg Times. Associated Press. August 17, 1950. p. 20. Retrieved July 18, 2016.
  56. ↑ "Van Buren Sent Home For Treatment of Toe". Reading Eagle. Associated Press. August 17, 1950. p. 29. Retrieved July 18, 2016.
  57. ↑ "Eagles Lose Van Buren For Opener". Reading Eagle. International News Service. September 15, 1950. p. 27. Retrieved July 18, 2016.
  58. ↑ "1950 Philadelphia Eagles Schedule & Game Results". Pro-Football-Reference. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved July 19, 2016.
  59. ↑ "Eagles fire Greasy Neale, Hire McMillan as Coach". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Associated Press. February 9, 1951. p. 20. Retrieved July 19, 2016.
  60. ↑ Livingston, Pat (November 2, 1951). "Van Buren Brothers Mean Double Trouble for Steelers". The Pittsburgh Press. Retrieved July 13, 2016.
  61. ↑ "Van Buren Is Retired By Phila. Eagles". Gettysburg Times. Associated Press. September 22, 1953. p. 5. Retrieved July 19, 2016.
  62. 1 2 "Steve Van Buren NFL Football Statistics". Pro-Football-Reference. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved July 19, 2016.
  63. 1 2 "Why Is Van Buren Good? Why It's Punch, of Course". The Milwaukee Journal. Associated Press. November 14, 1947. p. 2. Retrieved July 19, 2016.
  64. 1 2 Bunch, Will (August 24, 2012). "Obituary: One of the great Eagles, Steve Van Buren, dead at 91". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved February 10, 2016.
  65. ↑ "Van Buren Set for Pro Grid Playoff Sunday". Gettysburg Times. Associated Press. December 16, 1948. p. 3. Retrieved July 19, 2016.
  66. ↑ "Van Buren After Sweep". St. Petersburg Times. Associated Press. November 19, 1943. p. 12. Retrieved July 19, 2016.
  67. ↑ Nissenson, Herschel (August 23, 1963). "Steve Van Buren Cites Football Defense Changes". Reading Eagle. Associated Press. p. 16. Retrieved July 21, 2016.
  68. 1 2 "Hudson Valley Football Gets Newburgh Boost". The Evening News. April 18, 1967. Retrieved July 21, 2016.
  69. ↑ Nauta, Bob (December 19, 1962). "Unique Christmas Gift". The Day. p. 32. Retrieved July 21, 2016.
  70. ↑ "1963 Newark Bears". profootballarchives.com. The Pro Football Archives. Retrieved July 21, 2016.
  71. ↑ "Orlando Slates Player Tryouts". Daytona Beach Sunday News-Journal. May 21, 1966. p. 11. Retrieved July 21, 2016.
  72. ↑ "NAFL Grid Showdown In New Britain 'Nite". The Morning Record. September 23, 1967. p. 9. Retrieved July 21, 2016.
  73. ↑ "Firebirds Sign Steve Van Buren". Pottstown Mercury. May 1, 1968.
  74. ↑ "Senators Seek Quarterback". Courier-Post. September 8, 1969.
  75. ↑ "Phoenix Steelers Open Saturday". Pottstown Mercury. August 5, 1970.
  76. ↑ "NFL Year-by-Year Rushing Touchdowns Leaders". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved July 19, 2016.
  77. ↑ Spadaro, Dave (December 29, 2013). "McCoy Wins Rushing Title, Sets Record". philadelphiaeagles.com. Philadelphia Eagles. Retrieved July 20, 2016.
  78. ↑ "Philadelphia Eagles Career Rushing Leaders". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved July 19, 2016.
  79. ↑ Slappey, Sterling (November 2, 1950). "Don Hutson Is Selected For All-Time SEC Team". The Tuscaloosa News. Associated Press. p. 13. Retrieved July 20, 2016.
  80. ↑ "LSU Athletics Hall of Fame Members". lsusports.net. Louisiana State University. August 28, 2015. Retrieved July 20, 2016.
  81. ↑ "Steve Van Buren - Hall of Fame". allstatesugarbowl.org. Allstate Sugar Bowl. Retrieved July 20, 2016.
  82. ↑ "Steve Van Buren Enshrinement speech". profootballhof.com. Pro Football Hall of Fame. Retrieved July 20, 2016.
  83. ↑ "Eagles Hall of Fame Inductees" (PDF). philadelphiaeagles.com. Retrieved July 19, 2016.
  84. ↑ "Steve Van Buren - Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame". phillyhall.org. Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame. Retrieved July 20, 2016.
  85. ↑ "Eagles announce 75th anniversary team". The Philadelphia Inquirer. September 8, 2007. Retrieved July 20, 2016.
  86. ↑ "Steve Van Buren's Career Highlights". profootballhof.com. Pro Football Hall of Fame. Retrieved July 20, 2016.
  87. ↑ "Legendary RB Van Buren Passes". Philadelphia Eagles. August 23, 2012. Retrieved August 23, 2012.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Steve Van Buren.
Records
Preceded by
Clarke Hinkle		 NFL career rushing yards leader
1949–1958 		Succeeded by
Joe Perry
Preceded by
Ernie Nevers		 NFL career rushing touchdowns leader
1948–1962 		Succeeded by
Jim Brown
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