Steve Van Buren

Lore & Background

Van Buren played college football for the LSU Tigers, where he led the NCAA in scoring in his senior season. After leading LSU to victory in the 1944 Orange Bowl, he was selected by the Eagles with the fifth overall pick of 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 and 196 rushing yards.

After his playing career, Van Buren coached in minor league football, winning 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, the NFL 75th Anniversary All-Time Team and the NFL 100th 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.

Reader's Guide

Van Buren 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. His final season (1951) was under head coach Bo McMillin. 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.

Early Life and College Dominance

Stephen Wood Van Buren was born in La Ceiba, Honduras, to an American father and a mother of Spanish heritage. Orphaned at age ten, he moved to New Orleans, Louisiana, where he attended Warren Easton High School. Initially unable to make the football team as a sophomore, he dropped out to work in an iron foundry before returning two years later. He excelled as an end his senior year, earning an athletic scholarship to LSU.

At Louisiana State University, he was used primarily for blocking until his senior season, when coach Bernie Moore moved him to tailback due to World War II conscription shortages. Van Buren avoided the draft himself via a class IV-F exemption for an eye defect. In 1943, he scored four touchdowns in a win over Georgia. His final college game was the 1944 Orange Bowl against Texas A&M, where he accounted for all of LSU's points: two rushing touchdowns, one passing touchdown, and one extra point kick in a 19–14 victory.

He finished his senior season with 847 rushing yards, 16 touchdowns, and 98 total points (111 including the bowl game), leading the nation in scoring.

Professional Career and Statistical Records

Drafted fifth overall by the Philadelphia Eagles in 1944 while still at LSU, Van Buren resigned from the university a month later due to an eye infection. He signed a $4,000 contract without a bonus after hesitating for three weeks out of modesty. Playing eight seasons exclusively for the Eagles under coach Earle "Greasy" Neale, he became a legendary runner known as "Wham Bam," "Moving Van," and "Supersonic Steve." In 1947, he broke Beattie Feathers' single-season rushing record with 1,008 yards. He was the first player to rush for over ten touchdowns in a season (doing it three times) and the first to have multiple 1,000-yard seasons. He won four NFL rushing titles, including three straight from 1947 to 1949. Upon retirement, he held all major career records: rushing attempts, rushing yards, and rushing touchdowns.

Championship Glory and Defining Moments

Van Buren was the engine behind the Eagles' back-to-back NFL championships in 1948 and 1949. In the 1948 Championship Game against the Chicago Cardinals, he scored the only touchdown of the game on his 27th birthday, becoming the first player to score a championship-game touchdown on his birthday. The following year, against the Los Angeles Rams, he set postseason records with 31 carries and 196 rushing yards. His regular-season dominance included leading the league in scoring and kickoff return yards multiple times.

In 1945, he set an Eagles single-season record with 15 rushing touchdowns and broke Don Hutson's total touchdown record with 18. He also returned a 97-yard kickoff for a touchdown against the New York Giants that season and later a 98-yard return in another game. His defensive contributions as a rookie included five interceptions and leading the league in punt return average.

Legacy and Hall of Fame Enshrinement

After retiring, Van Buren coached minor-league football, winning an Atlantic Coast Football League championship with the Newark Bears in 1963. He was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1965. His legacy includes membership on the NFL 1940s All-Decade Team, the NFL 75th Anniversary All-Time Team, and the NFL 100th Anniversary All-Time Team. The Philadelphia Eagles retired his number 15 jersey and enshrined him in both the Eagles Hall of Fame and the Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame. He was also inducted into the LSU Athletic Hall of Fame in 1944 and the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame in 1961.