Frederick Vincent Arbanas (January 14, 1939 – April 16, 2021) was an

American football American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team wi ...

tight end The tight end (TE) is a position in American football, arena football, and Canadian football, on the offense. The tight end is often a hybrid position with the characteristics and roles of both an offensive lineman and a wide receiver. Lik ...

. He played

college football College football (french: Football universitaire) refers to gridiron football played by teams of student athletes. It was through college football play that American football in the United States, American football rules first gained populari ...

for the

Michigan State Spartans The Michigan State Spartans are the athletic teams that represent Michigan State University. The school's athletic program includes 23 varsity sports teams. Their mascot is a Spartan warrior named Sparty, and the school colors are green and wh ...

. Arbanas was drafted in the second round (22nd overall) in the

1961 NFL Draft The 1961 National Football League draft took place at the Warwick Hotel in Philadelphia on December 27–28, 1960. The league would later hold an expansion draft for the Minnesota Vikings expansion franchise. This draft was also the first reg ...

by the

St. Louis Cardinals The St. Louis Cardinals are an American professional baseball team based in St. Louis. The Cardinals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Since the 2006 season, the Cardinals ha ...

and in the seventh round (53rd overall) of the

1961 AFL Draft Because another league was in competition for the class of 1961 college stars, the American Football League draft for 1961 graduates was held in 1960, with a six-round telephone draft on November 21 and 22, that saw the Buffalo Bills select Auburn ...

by the Dallas Texans. He would spend his entire career with the Texans/Chiefs. Following his retirement he served as a legislator in

Jackson County, Missouri Jackson County is located in the western portion of the U.S. state of Missouri. As of the 2020 census, the population was 717,204. making it the second-most populous county in the state (after St. Louis County). Although Independence retains ...

Early life

Arbanas was born and raised in

Detroit Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at t ...

. He attended St. Mary's of Redford High School. He was a

two-way player In sports that require a player to play on offense and defense (such as basketball and ice hockey), a two-way player refers to a player who excels at both. In sports where a player typically specializes on offense or defense (like American footb ...

and played

Michigan State University Michigan State University (Michigan State, MSU) is a public land-grant research university in East Lansing, Michigan. It was founded in 1855 as the Agricultural College of the State of Michigan, the first of its kind in the United States. It ...

. As a sophomore in 1958, he scored his first touchdown reception against

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...

. His biggest offensive game came during his junior season in a win over Notre Dame, when he caught four passes for 67 yards, including a 59-yard touchdown. As a senior, he was primarily known for his play on defense. He only caught three passes that year, but two were for touchdowns. Just as his first reception was for a touchdown, so was his last in 1960, in the season finale against the

University of Detroit The University of Detroit Mercy is a private Roman Catholic university in Detroit, Michigan. It is sponsored by both the Society of Jesus (Jesuits) and the Sisters of Mercy. The university was founded in 1877 and is the largest Catholic univers ...

Titans In Greek mythology, the Titans ( grc, οἱ Τῑτᾶνες, ''hoi Tītânes'', , ''ho Tītân'') were the pre-Olympian gods. According to the ''Theogony'' of Hesiod, they were the twelve children of the primordial parents Uranus (Sky) and Gai ...

. Arbanas earned a

Bachelor of Science A Bachelor of Science (BS, BSc, SB, or ScB; from the Latin ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for programs that generally last three to five years. The first university to admit a student to the degree of Bachelor of Science was the University o ...

degree in education from Michigan State.

Professional career

Arbanas was drafted by the

American Football League The American Football League (AFL) was a major professional American football league that operated for ten seasons from 1960 until 1970, when it merged with the older National Football League (NFL), and became the American Football Conference. ...

's Dallas Texans (later the

Kansas City Chiefs The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division. The t ...

) in the seventh round (54th overall) of the

and by the

National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the majo ...

in the second round (22nd) overall in the

. He signed with the Texans for the 1961 season, but he missed that season due to ruptured disks in his back. However, beginning the following year he would not miss a game for eight consecutive seasons. Arbanas was selected by his peers as '' The Sporting News'''

All-AFL ''The Sporting News'' published an American Football League All-League Team, often referred to as All-AFL, for each season played by the American Football League (AFL), 1960 through 1969. From 1960 through 1966, the All-League team was selected by ...

tight end in

1963 Events January * January 1 – Bogle–Chandler case: Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation scientist Dr. Gilbert Bogle and Mrs. Margaret Chandler are found dead (presumed poisoned), in bushland near the Lane Co ...

1964 Events January * January 1 – The Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland is dissolved. * January 5 - In the first meeting between leaders of the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches since the fifteenth century, Pope Paul VI and Patriarc ...

, and

1966 Events January * January 1 – In a coup, Colonel Jean-Bédel Bokassa takes over as military ruler of the Central African Republic, ousting President David Dacko. * January 3 – 1966 Upper Voltan coup d'état: President Maurice Yaméogo ...

. He was an American Football League Western Division All-Star in

1962 Events January * January 1 – Western Samoa becomes independent from New Zealand. * January 3 – Pope John XXIII excommunicates Fidel Castro for preaching communism. * January 8 – Harmelen train disaster: 93 die in the wor ...

, and

. His fourth season, 1964, was his most productive with 34 receptions for 686 yards (a 20.2 average) and eight touchdowns — all career bests — as he was an AFL All-Star for the third time. However, 1964 also marked a turning point in his life when, in December, he was brutally attacked by two men on a Kansas City sidewalk. He lost sight in one eye in January 1965, causing him to miss the AFL All-Star game. He was again a Western All-Star in

1965 Events January–February * January 14 – The Prime Minister of Northern Ireland and the Taoiseach of the Republic of Ireland meet for the first time in 43 years. * January 20 ** Lyndon B. Johnson is sworn in for a full term ...

(when he did not play due to injury), and

1967 Events January * January 1 – Canada begins a year-long celebration of the 100th anniversary of Confederation, featuring the Expo 67 World's Fair. * January 5 ** Spain and Romania sign an agreement in Paris, establishing full consular and ...

. Because of his perseverance, he was a driving force behind one of the greatest teams in the history of the AFL. Arbanas starred for two Chiefs

Super Bowl The Super Bowl is the annual final playoff game of the National Football League (NFL) to determine the league champion. It has served as the final game of every NFL season since 1966, replacing the NFL Championship Game. Since 2022, the gam ...

teams and one

World Championship A world championship is generally an international competition open to elite competitors from around the world, representing their nations, and winning such an event will be considered the highest or near highest achievement in the sport, game, ...

team. He earned a Super Bowl ring when the Chiefs defeated the

Minnesota Vikings The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) North division. Founded in 1960 as an expansi ...

23-7, in Super Bowl IV, the last meeting between AFL-NFL rivals before the two leagues merged. Arbanas used the playing field to write a legacy for the AFL. "I remember when the Chiefs played the

Chicago Bears The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) North division. The Bears have won nine ...

the summer after the loss to Green Bay in the first Super Bowl", team owner

Lamar Hunt Lamar Hunt (August 2, 1932 – December 13, 2006) was an American businessman most notable for his promotion of American football, soccer, and tennis in the United States. He was the principal founder of the American Football League (AFL) and ...

said. "We won the pre-season game 66-24, but there was a lot at stake in that game. I heard Fred say that was his most memorable game, and I feel the same way." Arbanas retired from pro football after the 1970 season in which he appeared in six games for the Chiefs. Arbanas was the AFL's prototype tight end. His 198 receptions and 3,101 receiving yards were Chiefs records for a tight end until they were broken by

Tony Gonzalez Anthony David Gonzalez (born February 27, 1976) is an American former football tight end who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 17 seasons. Regarded as one of the greatest tight ends of all time, he is the NFL's all-time lead ...

. His talents would eventually earn a spot on the All-time All-AFL Team. He was inducted into the Kansas City Chiefs Hall of Honor in 1973. He was named to the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame in 1997. He was inducted into the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame in 2012.

Personal life

During his career with the Chiefs, Arbanas held a full-time position with Fordyce Material and later with Kansas City

Coca-Cola Coca-Cola, or Coke, is a carbonated soft drink manufactured by the Coca-Cola Company. Originally marketed as a temperance bar, temperance drink and intended as a patent medicine, it was invented in the late 19th century by John Stith Pembe ...

Bottling Company as Promotion Director. He was a member of the board of directors for North American Savings Bank. He retired from Fred Arbanas, Inc. which was founded in 1970. He was a longtime

legislator beginning in 1973 and four-time Chairman of the Legislature (1974, 1975, 1988, and 1989). In recognition of his many years of service to Jackson County, in 1999 the Longview Lake Golf Course was renamed Fred Arbanas Golf Course at Longview Lake. On January 22, 2013, Arbanas' legislative colleagues presented him with a 40-year service pin. In 1992, he ran in the Democratic primary against incumbent U.S. Congressman Alan Wheat, but Wheat won with 58.2 percent of the vote to Arbanas' 37.5 percent. Arbanas lived with his wife Sharon Arbanas in

Lee's Summit, Missouri Lee's Summit is a city located within the counties of Jackson (primarily) and Cass in the U.S. state of Missouri. It is a suburb of Kansas City, Missouri. As of the 2020 census its population was 101,108, making it the sixth-largest city in bo ...

. He had four children and eight grandchildren. Fred served on the Jackson County Legislature in

Kansas City, Missouri Kansas City (abbreviated KC or KCMO) is the largest city in Missouri by population and area. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the city had a population of 508,090 in 2020, making it the List of United States cities by populat ...

, and began serving as Temporary County Executive on January 4, 2016. He has also had a golf course named after him. Arbanas died on April 16, 2021.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Arbanas, Fred 1939 births 2021 deaths American football tight ends Michigan State Spartans football players Dallas Texans (AFL) players Kansas City Chiefs players American Football League All-Star players American Football League All-League players American Football League All-Time Team Candidates in the 1992 United States elections 20th-century American politicians Businesspeople from Missouri Coca-Cola people County executives of Jackson County, Missouri County commissioners in Missouri Missouri Democrats People from Lee's Summit, Missouri Players of American football from Detroit American Football League players

Early life

Professional career

Personal life

See also

References