Oakland Raiders: Top Ten Running Backs In Team History
No. 2: Mark Van Eeghen
Mark Van Eeghen is in the mold of Marv Hubbard and Pete Banaszak before him as he simply worked to get four yards for the company. He was also a good receiver out of the backfield and got it done in short-yardage and goal-line situations.
To complete his versatile skill set, he was a great blocker, as he played halfback and fullback depending on the situation and who was in there with him.
Why he’s so high
Van Eeghen is No. 2 on the Raiders’ all-time rushing list and No. 10 all-time in touchdowns for the Raiders. He did whatever the team needed him to do as he was the ultimate chain-mover on third- or fourth-and-short situations.
Doing whatever the team needs him to do helped the Raiders win Super Bowls XI and XV too.
Why he’s not No. 1
There can only be one No. 1 and that No. 1 did a whole lot to carry the Raiders to their many victories. While Van Eeghen was versatile, he didn’t have the speed to be a game-changer nor did he ever truly carry the load.
I know all that is nitpicking but like I said before, there can only be one No. 1 and he did all the things Van Eeghen didn’t.