from the New York Times: As a child Van Buren was sent to live with his grandparents in Louisiana after his parents died. As an end in high school, Van Buren’s speed got him a scholarship to L.S.U. There, he played end as a sophomore and was a single-wing blocking back as a junior. He finally got a chance to carry the ball as a senior. That year, he rushed for 847 yards and scored 14 touchdowns in 8 regular-season games (averaging over 100 yards per game). He scored two touchdowns in L.S.U.’s Orange Bowl win over Texas A&M, and was named the game’s most valuable player (1944 Orange Bowl MVP). At 6 feet 1 and about 215 pounds, Van Buren was big, strong, fast and powerful. “When Steve carried the ball, he struck fear in the heart of the defense,” said his teammate, Russ Craft. “He leaned forward so much and ran so hard, you could actually see the dirt fly off his cleats. When he hit the line, he looked like a bulldozer going through a picket fence. “(Red) Grange had the same ability to sidestep, but he didn’t have Van Buren’s power to go with it,” said Greasy Neale, the Eagles coach (and this partial explains why he doesn't enjoy bigger celebrity status among LSU fans, he didn't like being in the limelight...) Throughout his long life, even with all of his accomplishments, Steve Van Buren remained a reluctant superstar. His former teammates have often reflected on his quiet and modest nature. “Basically, I’m a shy person,” he once said. “I almost didn’t go to my Hall of Fame induction. My family made me go. Once I got there, I was glad. But I didn’t like a lot of attention. I never did.”
from the Times Picayune: former LSU coach Paul Dietzel, age 88, said: "(Van Buren) had a reputation that went far and wide. Everybody knew him as a guy who was really difficult to tackle, fantastically tough. He was real big for a running back at the time. He had a habit of just running over people." he was the first LSU player elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. "Watch those old films and you know that Steve Van Buren was something special," Eagles Coach Andy Reid said. "He was special in person, too, humble about his own accomplishments and encouraging to others. His memory will be with Eagles (Tiger?) fans for as long as this team takes the field." when he was 10, his parents died. He moved in with his grandparents in New Orleans. LSU recruited him as a 168-pound end out of Warren Easton (New Orleans high school) Van Buren played end as a sophomore for Coach Bernie Moore and was a single-wing blocking back as a junior until injuries forced a move to running back as a senior. He responded by rushing for 847 yards, second in the nation Unlike today's NFL players, Van Buren didn't get rich. The most he played for was $15,000 a season. Injuries forced him into retirement and he worked as an Eagles' scout for a while. "On the field and off, as a player, a leader and a man, Steve Van Buren embodied the finest characteristics of our city (our school? LSU? our state? Louisiana?) and our sport," said Jeffrey Lurie, the Eagles' chairman and CEO. "He was a friend and an inspiration to generations of fans, and the model of what an Eagle (a Tiger?) should be."
