Steve Van Buren

Stephen Wood Van Buren (December 28, 1920 – August 23, 2012) was a Honduran-American professional football halfback who played for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League from 1944 to 1951. A powerful and punishing runner with excellent speed, he played college football for the LSU Tigers, where he led the NCAA in scoring in his senior season and led the team to victory in the 1944 Orange Bowl. The Eagles selected him with the fifth overall pick of the 1944 NFL draft.

Over eight NFL seasons, Van Buren won four rushing titles, including three straight from 1947 to 1949. At a time when teams played 12 games a year, he became the first NFL player to rush for more than ten touchdowns in a season, a feat he accomplished three times, and the first to record multiple 1,000-yard rushing seasons. He was the driving force behind the Eagles' back-to-back NFL championships in 1948 and 1949. His running style earned him several nicknames, among them "Wham Bam," "Moving Van," and "Supersonic Steve." When he retired, Van Buren held the NFL career records for rushing attempts, rushing yards, and rushing touchdowns.