[3] He then played at Colgate University in Hamilton, New York, where he obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics in 1974.

[10] In the 1980 season, Van Eeghen was part of the Raiders team that advanced to Super Bowl XV.

Van Eeghen had three touchdowns in the 1980 playoff run of four games, and two of them came in the Divisional Round against the Cleveland Browns.

He ran for 45 yards on 20 carries but was utilized for short yardage runs that saw him get into the endzone twice, which included the go-ahead score to make it 14–12 in a Divisional Round game later known as Red Right 88.

[13] He left the Raiders in 1982 as the team's all-time leading rusher with 5,907 yards, passing Clem Daniels.

Patriots quarterback Steve Grogan attempted only five passes in the game due to the extensive snow and ice, leaving the ground attack as the only offensive option.

He made his final playoff appearance in the 1983 game against the Miami Dolphins, where he ran for 40 yards on nine carries in the 28–13 Wild Card Round loss.

In 2002, van Eeghen was inducted into the Rhode Island Scholar-Athlete Hall of Fame in recognition of his career.

10 years later, a revision surgery at a local hospital, saw contract MRSA (methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus) in his knee.