Mark van Eeghen
Encyclopedia
Mark van Eeghen
is an American football
player, who played ten years in the National Football League
, including making two Super Bowl
appearances. He was a member of the Oakland Raiders
(1974–1981) and for two seasons, the New England Patriots
(1982–1983). Ven Eeghen rushed for over 1,000 yards in 3 consecutive seasons from 1976-1978.
He was also a Pro Bowl
selection in 1977.
Playing for Oakland in Super Bowl XV
, he was the game's leading rusher with 75 yards on 18 carries.
He also won a championship ring with the Raiders in Super Bowl XI
, and was the team's second leading rusher with 73 yards. He left the Raiders in 1982 as their all time leading rusher with 5,907 yards.
Van Eeghen finished his 10 NFL seasons with 6,651 rushing yards, 174 receptions for 1,583 receiving yards, and 41 touchdowns (37 rushing and 4 receiving).
In 2002, van Eeghen was inducted into the Rhode Island Scholar-Athlete Hall of Fame in recognition of his career.
This reflected that he was voted fourth on a list of the top 50 Greatest Sports Figures by Sports Illustrated.
at Cranston High School West
, from which he graduated in 1970, after earning all-state football honors as a senior.
He then played at Colgate University
, where he obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics in 1974. While at Colgate, he set the school's single-season rushing record in 1973.
Mark van Eeghen has three daughters, including Amber van Eeghen (born 1980), who joined the cheerleading squad of his last team, the Patriots. Amber took part in two overseas tours with the Patriot cheerleaders to perform for U.S. troops in Japan
, South Korea
, Hawaii
, Portugal
, Turkey
, Iceland
, Germany
and England
. She went to the University of Rhode Island
, where she became captain of the "Ramettes" cheerleaders. She is currently married to New England Patriots
Pro Bowl
center Dan Koppen
.
is an American football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
player, who played ten years in the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
, including making two Super Bowl
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League , the highest level of professional American football in the United States, culminating a season that begins in the late summer of the previous calendar year. The Super Bowl uses Roman numerals to identify each game, rather...
appearances. He was a member of the Oakland Raiders
Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
(1974–1981) and for two seasons, the New England Patriots
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...
(1982–1983). Ven Eeghen rushed for over 1,000 yards in 3 consecutive seasons from 1976-1978.
He was also a Pro Bowl
Pro Bowl
In professional American football, the Pro Bowl is the all-star game of the National Football League . Since the merger with the rival American Football League in 1970, it has been officially called the AFC–NFC Pro Bowl, matching the top players in the American Football Conference against those...
selection in 1977.
Playing for Oakland in Super Bowl XV
Super Bowl XV
Super Bowl XV was an American football game played on January 25, 1981 at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana to decide the National Football League champion following the 1980 regular season...
, he was the game's leading rusher with 75 yards on 18 carries.
He also won a championship ring with the Raiders in Super Bowl XI
Super Bowl XI
Super Bowl XI was a football game played on January 9, 1977 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California to decide the National Football League champion following the 1976 regular season...
, and was the team's second leading rusher with 73 yards. He left the Raiders in 1982 as their all time leading rusher with 5,907 yards.
Van Eeghen finished his 10 NFL seasons with 6,651 rushing yards, 174 receptions for 1,583 receiving yards, and 41 touchdowns (37 rushing and 4 receiving).
In 2002, van Eeghen was inducted into the Rhode Island Scholar-Athlete Hall of Fame in recognition of his career.
This reflected that he was voted fourth on a list of the top 50 Greatest Sports Figures by Sports Illustrated.
Student athlete
Prior to his professional career, he played high school footballHigh school football
High school football, in North America, refers to the game of football as it is played in the United States and Canada. It ranks among the most popular interscholastic sports in both of these nations....
at Cranston High School West
Cranston High School West
Cranston High School West is a high school located in Cranston, Rhode Island.The school comprises five buildings; one of these buildings is the Cranston Area Career and Technical Center. The school grounds include six tennis courts, a baseball field, and a track and football field...
, from which he graduated in 1970, after earning all-state football honors as a senior.
He then played at Colgate University
Colgate University
Colgate University is a private liberal arts college in Hamilton, New York, USA. The school was founded in 1819 as a Baptist seminary and later became non-denominational. It is named for the Colgate family who greatly contributed to the university's endowment in the 19th century.Colgate has 52...
, where he obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics in 1974. While at Colgate, he set the school's single-season rushing record in 1973.
Family
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
, Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
, Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
, Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
, Iceland
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
and England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. She went to the University of Rhode Island
University of Rhode Island
The University of Rhode Island is the principal public research university in the U.S. state of Rhode Island. Its main campus is located in Kingston. Additional campuses include the Feinstein Campus in Providence, the Narragansett Bay Campus in Narragansett, and the W. Alton Jones Campus in West...
, where she became captain of the "Ramettes" cheerleaders. She is currently married to New England Patriots
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...
Pro Bowl
Pro Bowl
In professional American football, the Pro Bowl is the all-star game of the National Football League . Since the merger with the rival American Football League in 1970, it has been officially called the AFC–NFC Pro Bowl, matching the top players in the American Football Conference against those...
center Dan Koppen
Dan Koppen
Daniel Koppen is an American football center for the New England Patriots of the National Football League . He was drafted in the fifth round of the 2003 NFL Draft...
.