Education
Van Raaphorst attended Charlevoix High School, before moving on to Ohio State University.
Van Raaphorst attended Charlevoix High School, before moving on to Ohio State University.
He also played in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys. He played college football at Ohio State University. The University of Minnesota was the replacement team that beat University of California, Los Angeles 21-3.
As a senior, he broke the school and conference distance record with a 48-yard field goal.
The next game he broke it again with a 49-yard field goal. He also set a record with 6 field goals in Big Ten Conference games and 8 in the season.
The next game he broke it again with a 49-yard field goal. Cleveland Browns
Van Raaphorst was selected by the Cleveland Browns in the tenth round (138th overall) of the 1964 NFL Draft.
On August 24, he was traded to the Dallas Cowboys in exchange for a draft choice, after the team decided to keep 40-year-old Lou Groza as the starter.
Dallas Cowboys
In 1964, the Dallas Cowboys were looking for a replacement for Sam Baker, and when rookie Billy Lothridge couldn"t fill the kicker role, the team acquired Van Raaphorst and named him the starter. He struggled throughout the year and was replaced the next season with Danny Villanueva. Chicago Bears
On January 13, 1965, he was claimed off waivers by the Chicago Bears, but was waived before the start of the season.
San Diego Chargers
In 1965, he was signed by the San Diego Chargers of the American Football League, to their taxi squad.
The next year he was named the starter and kicked 16 field goals, while also setting a franchise record with 7 field goals attempts against the New York Jets on October 8. In 1968, he was released after being passed on the depth chart by Dennis Partee.
At the time, he left with the second most field goals (31) made in franchise history.
He was named the starter of the 1961 team coached by Woody Hayes that won the Big Ten Conference, but the Ohio State faculty council wanting to show that football was not overemphasized, voted against sending the Buckeyes to the Rose Bowl. He won the 1968 Professional Football Players Golf Tournament.
