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78-807: The Franklin Miners were originally established in 1958 as a member of the Eastern Football Conference; their head coach was eventual Hall of Famer Steve Van Buren . The Miners were charter members of the Atlantic Coast Football League upon its founding in 1962, relocating to Hinchliffe Stadium in Paterson, New Jersey and becoming the Paterson Miners in the process. In their first season in Paterson,

156-453: A Two-point conversion . This made Wing the first Australian to throw for a score in the NFL. There can also be a holder during kickoffs and free kicks , but this is reserved for when the ball tee cannot keep the ball up by itself, usually due to wind. In such a case, the holder can be of any position and, because kickoffs involve a much higher risk of being involved in a tackling play, is usually

234-593: A Wishbone quarterback at Kansas , was also a holder for most of his 11-year career (1977–87). During a December 1979 game vs. the Minnesota Vikings , he scored touchdown on a fake field goal in overtime to give the Rams a 27–21 victory which clinched the NFC West championship. During a "fake field goal" attempt the holder may pick the ball up and either throw a forward pass or run with the ball (i.e., act as

312-650: 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. 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. The 1948 season was

390-424: A 34–27 win over Georgia , including the game-winning touchdown with less than two minutes to play. His final college game was the 1944 Orange Bowl against Texas A&M . Despite A&M coach Homer Norton devising a game-plan specifically to stop him, Van Buren was responsible for all of his team's points, as he ran for two touchdowns, threw for one more, and kicked LSU's only successful extra point attempt in

468-456: A backup in as their holder (this keeps opposing defenses in more of a zone coverage, and also helps to prevent blocked field goals). Their holders for a period were quarterback Luke McCown and punter Thomas Morstead . In 1970, Saints kicker Tom Dempsey kicked a 63-yard field goal, which for many years thereafter was the all-time record. Dempsey's holder was a defensive back named Joe Scarpati . There has been an urban myth going around during

546-537: A defensive player of some sort. Given the trivial nature of the position, no award for holders existed until 2015 when Peter Mortell, then a senior punter and holder for the Minnesota Golden Gophers and known for his humor, created a tongue-in-cheek "Holder of the Year" Award for the best holder in college football, named it after himself, and made himself its first recipient. ESPN recognized

624-672: A direct descendant from the Orange/Newark Tornadoes , a football club with roots dating to the 19th century and that had played two seasons in the NFL . (The ACFL had several ties to the old AA, including teams in Paterson and Newark, and the same President, Joe Rosentover .) The Bears won the Southern Division and claimed the 1963 ACFL title by defeating the Springfield Acorns, 23–6. A few months later

702-559: A lack of players due to World War II conscription . Van Buren received a class IV-F exemption due to an eye defect, so he was able to avoid conscription. "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." He began the 1943 season by scoring four touchdowns in

780-634: A new football league based in Florida, the Sunshine League. Within weeks of that announcement, the Panthers applied and were accepted for membership in the franchise original home, the ACFL. The team was in major financial trouble at the time, fueled by massive overspending, and a new consortium took over the money-bleeding franchise in the offseason. The new owners, who originally planned to rechristen

858-613: A playoff with the Indianapolis Capitols (which Orlando won 28–14). In 1969, however, Orlando and Indianapolis rematched in the semifinals, with the Capitols prevailing 27–7. Such was the team's prestige that in the 1969 offseason, the Panthers entered into a deal with the Florida Citrus Commission to put up $ 400,000 in salary if O. J. Simpson agreed to sign with the team; with his negotiations with

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936-450: 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." 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 return touchdown came in

1014-485: A season, a feat he accomplished three times before any other player did so once. He was the last Eagles player to win the rushing title until LeSean McCoy led the league in rushing yards in 2013. As of 2019, he remains the Eagles' career leader in rushing touchdowns. In 1950, Van Buren was selected by the Associated Press for an all-time Southeastern Conference team, which honored the best 11 players in

1092-629: A sophomore, but did not make it. Later that year he dropped out of high school and went to work in an iron foundry. He returned to high school two years later and made the team as an end his senior year. He played well enough that season to earn an athletic scholarship to Louisiana State University (LSU) in Baton Rouge . 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

1170-516: A time when teams played 12 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, rushing yards, and rushing touchdowns. 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

1248-553: 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

1326-434: 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

1404-565: The Arena Football League (where there is no punting and are thus no punters) or the Canadian Football League , where roster size restrictions generally result in one person serving as both placekicker and punter. There are a few NFL teams that still use a quarterback as their holder. New Orleans Saints – The Saints tend to run more fake field goals than any other team, and due to that they generally keep

1482-631: The Boston Sweepers , 14–10. In 1965 the Bears joined two other ACFL teams in a minor-league merger that led to the formation of the Continental Football League . Newark struggled during its first COFL season, placed fourth in their division and finished with a record of 5–9. During the subsequent offseason, team owner Sol Rosen sold his franchise to Tom Granatell, who moved the Bears to Orlando, Florida and renamed them as

1560-594: 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

1638-558: 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. He led the newly formed Hudson Valley Vikings of the North Atlantic Football League as head coach in 1967. In 1968, Van Buren became the offensive backfield coach for the Pottstown Firebirds of

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1716-446: The Los Angeles Rams , as in the previous season's game, Van Buren carried the Eagles' offense. Although he failed to score, he carried the ball 31 times for a championship game–record 196 yards on the heavily muddied field. The Eagles won 14–0, becoming the first—and as of 2024, the only—team in league history to win consecutive championship games with a shutout. Following the game, Rams coach Clark Shaughnessy called Van Buren one of

1794-697: The Louisiana State University Athletic Hall of Fame in 1944 and the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame in 1961. Born in La Ceiba , Honduras , to an American father and a mother of Spanish heritage, Stephen Wood Van Buren was orphaned at age ten and was sent to live with relatives in New Orleans, Louisiana . There he attended Warren Easton High School , and tried out for the football team originally as

1872-570: The Philadelphia Eagles with the fifth overall pick of the 1944 NFL draft . 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. The Eagles gave Van Buren a $ 4,000 contract with no signing bonus. 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. He played as

1950-461: The Pro Football Hall of Fame states he "lined up as a halfback but played more like a fullback." He had a rare combination of strength, speed, and endurance. 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. "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

2028-410: The holder is the player who receives the snap from the long snapper during field goal or extra point attempts made by the placekicker . The holder is set on one knee seven yards behind the line-of-scrimmage. Before the play begins, the holder places the hand which is closest to the placekicker on the ground in a location designated by the kicker's foot, with their forward hand ready to receive

2106-424: The shotgun formation . The quarterback also provides a threat for a fake field goal since the quarterback can throw a pass on such plays. Additionally, in the event of a bad snap and an aborted kick attempt, the holder might have to become the quarterback for the play, so having an actual quarterback helps in that regard. Before the 2010s, in the NFL, backup quarterbacks generally held for field goal kicks. Having

2184-399: The "fire drill" situation. Wing stood up with the ball, took a step to the left before turning around to the right, allowing him to see Matt Spaeth . Spaeth, a tight end, was on the end of the blocking line and he took advantage of defenders having fallen over trying to make a block on the non-existent kick to release to his right into open space and he caught a short pass from Wing to complete

2262-616: The 100 greatest players ever. Van Buren lived quietly in Lancaster, Pennsylvania after his football career, where he ran an antique shop with his son-in-law. He also owned a used-car lot with George Ferguson in Delaware County. He also owned a dance hall. His wife, Grace, died in 1978. Van Buren died of pneumonia on August 23, 2012, in Lancaster at the age of 91. Holder (American football) In gridiron football ,

2340-547: 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. During the week before the game, the Steelers ran workouts concentrating on a means of stopping Van Buren's running. 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

2418-556: The 19–14 victory. He finished the season with 847 yards rushing and 16 touchdowns. He also completed 13 of 36 passing attempts for 160 yards. His 98 points scored (111 including the bowl game) led the nation. After the season, the Associated Press named Van Buren to its All-Southeastern Conference first team. While still enrolled at LSU, Van Buren was drafted into the National Football League by

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2496-500: The ACFL. In 1969, he was the coach of the independent, semi-pro Jersey Senators, and in 1970, the Phoenix Steelers. Van Buren retired as the NFL record holder for career rushing yards and career rushing touchdowns. He was the first player to rush for over 1,000 yards in a season twice, 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

2574-662: The COFL championship game three consecutive seasons starting in 1966, winning two titles during that span. In 1966, the team lost the championship to the Philadelphia Bulldogs in sudden-death overtime, 20–17. In 1967, the Panthers won the title with a 38–14 win over the Orange County Ramblers . In 1968, they repeated the feat by defeating the Ramblers 30–23, though they had to enter the game by winning

2652-669: The Continental league; the Newark ownership group managed to secure the lease, and the previous Orlando owner died, apparently of a rage-induced apoplexy, immediately after the meeting. Van Buren was promoted to vice president and replaced as head coach by Perry Moss, who led the Charleston Rockets to the 1965 COFL title. Over the next four seasons the Panthers were consistent winners, never finishing with fewer than 10 wins. The team, led by quarterback Don Jonas , appeared in

2730-410: The Eagles selected in that year's draft out of LSU. The elder Van Buren continued to play through injuries, taking several shots of Novocaine before each game. 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. He missed

2808-409: The Eagles their first league title. 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. "I looked out my bedroom window that morning, saw

2886-491: 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." 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. He

2964-531: 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, setting an Eagles single-game franchise record for rushing yards that stood for over 60 years. 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

3042-469: The Franklin Miners of Franklin, New Jersey and led them to a 27–5 win–loss record through 1958 and 1959. The Miners moved to Paterson, New Jersey and joined the Atlantic Coast Football League (ACFL), winning the league's championship in 1962. Van Buren then became head coach for the Newark Bears of the ACFL, which he led to a league championship in 1963. In 1965, the Bears franchise joined

3120-558: The Miners won the ACFL championship against the Providence Steam Roller in front of 2,000 spectators at the indoor Atlantic City Convention Hall . The following summer the Miners moved to Newark Schools Stadium in nearby Newark, New Jersey and were renamed as the Newark Bears . The Bears took their name from a team in the American Association football league in the late 1930s through 1941, itself

3198-766: The Orlando Panthers. They signed a 10-year lease to play their home games at the Tangerine Bowl . The move to Orlando was somewhat of a coup, as there was already a team named the Orlando Panthers that had played in the Southern Professional Football League the year prior (having played as the Daytona Beach Thunderbirds from 1962 to 1964) and, due to the Southern league's folding, was seeking to join

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3276-521: The Packers. Van Buren passed Hinkle's mark against the Detroit Lions in the second game of the season, and by the end of the year had broken his own single-season record as he rushed for 1,146 yards. 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. The Eagles clinched

3354-575: The Roanoke Buckskins in June. 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 (NFL) from 1944 to 1951. Regarded as a powerful and punishing runner with excellent speed, through eight NFL seasons he won four NFL rushing titles , including three straight from 1947 to 1949. At

3432-442: The backup quarterback play as the holder has faded out in the NFL, mainly due to an NFL rule, in effect until 2011, that allowed teams to dress a third quarterback who could enter the game only in emergencies. However, such usage has remained rather common in collegiate football. Many times a quarterback who was a redshirt freshman will serve as the holder their sophomore year. It is also common in other professional leagues such as

3510-482: The best players in the league. 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 . He returned just five punts in the 1946 season, but ran one of them back 50 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

3588-463: The conference's then 17-year existence. He was inducted into the Louisiana State University Athletic Hall of Fame in 1944 and the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame in 1961. 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 . He was the first Eagles player to be inducted. Clarke Hinkle presented him with

3666-477: The entire season and retired as a player in September 1953, but 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. Van Buren's profile at

3744-406: The football, and that it is leaning in the direction that the kicker has specified. The holder, like the placekicker and the long snapper, is protected from intentional contact from the opposing team. The penalty for roughing the holder is 15 yards and an automatic first down. Compared to other American football positions , the holder is one of the most trivial positions, requiring precision in

3822-532: The greatest ball carriers he had seen in forty years of football. "He is equal to any player I've ever seen," said Shaughnessy. Van Buren was named the outstanding athlete of the year by the Philadelphia Sports Writers Association . Back, leg, and neck injuries began to take a toll on Van Buren in 1950, and his production dropped. He broke his toe in the 1950 off-season and suffered from bone spurs , which caused him to miss

3900-493: The holder position because of their good hands (this is not unheard of at other levels; Steve Tasker , a wide receiver and punt gunner , also played holder at various times in his NFL career, as does his son Luke Tasker , also a wide receiver. Others include tight end Jay Novacek , and safeties Paul Krause and Keith Lyle ). In today's NFL, most teams use their punter as a holder. New England Patriots ' head coach Bill Belichick explained that punters are generally holders for

3978-410: The holder. One notable exception was Patricia Palinkas , the first woman to have played American football professionally in a predominantly male league; Palinkas played holder (and no other position) during her short time as a pro player. On most teams, the holder is either the team's punter or the backup quarterback . Some high school football teams will place a wide receiver or running back at

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4056-533: The holding duties were assumed by punter Ray Guy , who continued to do so through his retirement following the 1986 season. Denver Broncos – The Broncos used to have former starting quarterback Jake Plummer as their holder and continued to do so even after he was benched in favor of Jay Cutler . When Plummer retired, the Broncos started to use their punter as their holder. Washington Commanders – Starting quarterback Joe Theismann held for Mark Moseley from

4134-481: 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. Van Buren's jersey number 15

4212-500: The intervening decades that the holder on this legendary kick was the team's colorful starting quarterback, Billy Kilmer . Dallas Cowboys – When Tony Romo was signed by the Dallas Cowboys, he was their backup quarterback, and as the backup quarterback, part of his job was to be the team's holder. Romo was replaced by the punter in 2010, but due to many mishandled snaps, which resulted in missed field goals, Romo returned as

4290-411: The kick to be successful, the holder needs to do more than just place the ball on the ground. Before the snap, the kicker will approach and will mark a certain spot, and will then take steps backward to prepare for the kick. When the ball snaps, the holder is responsible for making sure that the ball is placed directly on that spot, the laces of the football are facing outward to produce better contact with

4368-460: 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. At least six major publications named him a first-team All-Pro for the season, including the Associated Press and United Press . By 1946, Van Buren was considered one of

4446-487: The mid-1970s until he suffered his career-ending broken leg during a 1985 Monday Night Football game vs. the New York Giants . The injury did not happen during a field goal attempt: Theismann was sacked while attempting a pass. Seattle Seahawks – Steve Largent , a wide receiver, was the kick holder, and in 1985, he ran in a muffed snap for an extra point. Los Angeles Rams -- Safety Nolan Cromwell ,

4524-403: The quarterback would on a standard play). In addition, the holder may attempt a run or pass if the snap is botched and a successful kick is unlikely. However, this rarely succeeds; the holder is usually tackled promptly. One example where the botch play still lead to points was when Brad Wing dropped the ball prior to placing it on the ground, preventing his kicker from making an attempt, creating

4602-426: The reason that punters and kickers usually have more time together to game plan, watch film, and are able to have more reps during practice than a player who has to play another position. Additionally, punters are already accustomed to handling snaps from the long snapper . The rationale for having a backup quarterback holding is that the quarterback is accustomed to receiving snaps from the center and long snaps from

4680-435: The receipt of a snap and placement of a ball in a short time, but requiring far less physical talent than a skill position and much less bulk or strength than a lineman . Each NFL team is only allowed to have 53 players on their gameday roster. Because of this, it is exceptionally rare for a team to reserve a roster spot solely for a placekick holder; most teams will instead use a player who plays another position to double as

4758-502: The regular season with the best record in the Eastern Division and were to meet the Chicago Cardinals again for the league championship. Having posted similar offensive statistics in the regular season, the Eagles and Cardinals were expected to play a tight game. 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. The 7–0 win gave

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4836-687: The season with 529 rushing yards, third-most behind leader Bill Dudley of the Pittsburgh Steelers and rookie Pat Harder of the Chicago Cardinals . He was named a first-team All-Pro by the New York Daily News and a second-team All-Pro by the United Press. 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

4914-408: The season, the only rookie so named for 1944. 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. He set an Eagles single-season record with 15 rushing touchdowns, a mark that stood until 2011. His 18 total touchdowns broke Don Hutson 's league record by one, set three seasons earlier. He again had

4992-529: 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. 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. The team finished

5070-462: The shoulder." He was described as a "deadly tackler", hitting as hard on defense as he did when he carried the ball. His disregard for his own body led to many injuries for both himself and opposing players. He gained the majority of his yards and touchdowns on the ground, as he preferred being a runner rather than a receiver. All but three of his 69 offensive touchdowns were scored by rushing. Van Buren acquired many nicknames over his career. He

5148-399: The snap (in high school games, the holder/kicker combo is responsible for a kicking block, which lifts the ball off the turf). After receiving the snap, the holder will place the football on the turf, or block, ideally with the laces facing the uprights and the ball accurately placed where the backhand was initially, then balancing the ball with one or two fingers until the ball is kicked. For

5226-536: The snow and went back to bed," he later explained. "I was sure the game would be postponed." By 1949, Van Buren's annual salary was $ 15,000. 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." 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

5304-704: The team announced its interest in joining the American Football League ; at the time, the New York metro area's existing AFL franchise, recently rechristened the Jets , was still on uncertain financial footing, but the Jets survived and the AFL ultimately rejected the Newark bid. Newark had another strong season in 1964, advancing to their third straight league championship. This time, however, they were defeated by

5382-472: The team as the Orlando Oranges but never did, planned to run the team on a much tighter financial budget. The Panthers made headlines in 1970 with the signing of a holder named Patricia Palinkas , the first woman to play on a men's professional football team. Palinkas originally served as holder for her husband, Steve Palinkas, but he was cut prior to the regular season. Patricia made the team but

5460-642: The team that drafted him, the Buffalo Bills , stalled at the time, and the institution of the Common Draft prohibiting him from negotiating with other teams in the AFL or NFL, the Panthers were the highest-profile team able to give Simpson a counteroffer. Simpson ultimately achieved a contract agreement with the Bills. With the future of the COFL in doubt after the 1969 season, Panthers general manager and president Elmer Cook announced his intention to found

5538-495: The team's four preseason exhibition games and regular season opener. 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. Greasy Neale was fired by the Eagles the following February and replaced by Bo McMillin . In 1951, Van Buren played alongside his brother, halfback and linebacker Ebert , whom

5616-469: The team's official holder. The Cowboys hired a more experienced holder, Brian Moorman , in 2012; Moorman left the team at the end of the season. Throughout the 1990s, starting tight end Jay Novacek was the usual holder on kicks. During their first two Super Bowl seasons ( 1970 and 1971 ), reserve running back Dan Reeves , who was also an assistant coach, was the Cowboys' holder. Safety Charlie Waters

5694-420: 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 . Three games later, he returned a kickoff 97 yards for a touchdown against the New York Giants , 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

5772-449: Was immediately suspended after missing an entire week of team activities due to her full-time teaching job and personal appearances. Financial difficulties continued to plague the Panthers in 1970, culminating in players (including Palinkas) quitting over unpaid wages and a lawsuit from the ACFL over unpaid dues. The Panthers were suspended by the ACFL for the 1971 season and never played again. The rights to Orlando's players were granted to

5850-490: Was later retired by the Eagles. He is also a member of the Philadelphia Eagles Hall of Fame and the Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame . In 2007, he was named to the Eagles 75th Anniversary Team as the starting running back. Van Buren is a member of the NFL 1940s All-Decade Team , which honors the best players from the decade. He was selected to the NFL's 75th and 100th Anniversary All-Time Teams in 1994 and 2019, respectively. In 2021 The Athletic listed him at 98 of

5928-458: Was nicknamed "Wham Bam" for his quick and punishing running style. He was also referred to as "Supersonic Steve," "Blockbuster," and "Moving Van." 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. He then served as head coach for

6006-483: 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. The Eagles and Pittsburgh Steelers both finished

6084-456: Was the holder during the Cowboys' runs to Super Bowl XII and Super Bowl XIII in 1977 and 1978. Danny White , who was both a quarterback and a punter for many seasons in the 1970s and 1980s, also served as the holder on occasion. Las Vegas Raiders – The Raiders' Matt Schaub was used as the holder during the 2014 season. Previously, Daryle Lamonica (1967–69) and Ken Stabler (1970–75) held for George Blanda ; when Blanda retired in 1976,

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