Bucknell Athletics Hall of Fame
- Induction:
- 2012
- Class:
- 2001
Kevin Eiben carved out a record-setting career in both baseball and football at Bucknell, and he went on to have a terrific 12-year professional playing career in the Canadian Football League. On the gridiron, Eiben was an All-America safety and one of the top punt returners in program history. As a senior he led the Patriot League and ranked seventh in the country with eight interceptions, which was a school record until Bryce Robertson picked off 13 passes in 2011. Eiben tied a single-game mark with four interceptions against Duquesne.
As a punt returner, Eiben led the Patriot League and ranked 15th in the nation in return average of 12.2 yards per attempt in 2000 and he broke the Bucknell punt return marks for a season (366) and career (626).
Following his senior season, Eiben was named Associated Press Second Team All-American, American Football Coaches Association All-American, First Team All-Patriot League, First Team All-ECAC and the Patriot League Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
On the baseball diamond, Eiben was an All-Patriot League selection in 1999 after ranking fifth in the conference in batting average at .378. He had a .313 career average over three seasons, scored over 100 runs and went 41-for-45 in stolen-base attempts.
A two-time CoSIDA Academic All-District honoree, Eiben was selected 26th overall by the Toronto Argonauts in the 2001 CFL draft. A native of British Columbia, Eiben was a three-time CFL All-Star, a five-time CFL East All-Star, he led the league in tackles twice and helped the Argos win the 2004 Grey Cup. He was twice named the CFL's Most Outstanding Canadian, and he became the first native Canadian ever to have three 100-tackle seasons. After 11 seasons in Toronto, he signed as a free agent with the Hamilton TigerCats in 2012, and then retired after that season. Eiben then joined the coaching ranks, first at the collegiate level and then back with the Argos.
