Michigan State University Athletics
Former Spartan Captain and All-Time AFL Player Fred Arbanas Passes Away
4/19/2021 3:17:00 PM | Football
EAST LANSING, Mich. – Former Michigan State captain Fred Arbanas has passed away at the age of 82 (1939-2021). A three-time letterwinner under Duffy Daugherty from 1958-60, Arbanas went on to become one of the greatest tight ends in Kansas City Chiefs history, earning All-AFL honors six times and helping the franchise win its first Super Bowl.
A native of Detroit, Arbanas had 20 receptions for 371 yards and five TDs as a Spartan. He earned honorable mention All-Big Ten honors as a junior in 1959 after leading MSU with a career-best 15 catches for 255 yards and two TDs. Arbanas earned second-team All-Big Ten accolades and was also named a team captain in 1960 as MSU finished No. 13 in the UPI Poll and No. 15 in the AP Poll with a 6-2-1 record.
Arbanas had the unique distinction of catching his first pass and his last pass as a Spartan for touchdowns; he scored in the 1958 opener vs. California and in his last game against Detroit. A physical education major, Arbanas was the president of the Varsity S Club his senior year. He played in the Senior Bowl and the College All-Star Game in 1961.
After his collegiate playing career, Arbanas was drafted in the second round of the 1961 NFL Draft by St. Louis and in the seventh round of the AFL Draft by the Dallas Texans. He began his pro career with the Texans in 1962, earning second-team All-AFL honors, and played six more seasons (1963-67; 1970) with the Chiefs in Kansas City. Arbanas had 198 catches for 3,101 yards and 34 touchdowns in his professional career. He was named to five AFL All-Star teams and is one of 29 Spartans to win a Super Bowl ring (Super IV over Minnesota). Miraculously, Arbanas returned from an eye injury he suffered in 1965, and although he was legally blind in that eye, he maintained his All-Pro performance on the field.
Arbanas was named to the Kansas City Chiefs Hall of Fame in 1973 and is a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame All-Time AFL Team. He was inducted into the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame in 1997 and the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame in 2012. Following his career with the Chiefs, Arbanas was a member of the Jackson County Legislature in Missouri for more than 40 years.
A native of Detroit, Arbanas had 20 receptions for 371 yards and five TDs as a Spartan. He earned honorable mention All-Big Ten honors as a junior in 1959 after leading MSU with a career-best 15 catches for 255 yards and two TDs. Arbanas earned second-team All-Big Ten accolades and was also named a team captain in 1960 as MSU finished No. 13 in the UPI Poll and No. 15 in the AP Poll with a 6-2-1 record.
Arbanas had the unique distinction of catching his first pass and his last pass as a Spartan for touchdowns; he scored in the 1958 opener vs. California and in his last game against Detroit. A physical education major, Arbanas was the president of the Varsity S Club his senior year. He played in the Senior Bowl and the College All-Star Game in 1961.
After his collegiate playing career, Arbanas was drafted in the second round of the 1961 NFL Draft by St. Louis and in the seventh round of the AFL Draft by the Dallas Texans. He began his pro career with the Texans in 1962, earning second-team All-AFL honors, and played six more seasons (1963-67; 1970) with the Chiefs in Kansas City. Arbanas had 198 catches for 3,101 yards and 34 touchdowns in his professional career. He was named to five AFL All-Star teams and is one of 29 Spartans to win a Super Bowl ring (Super IV over Minnesota). Miraculously, Arbanas returned from an eye injury he suffered in 1965, and although he was legally blind in that eye, he maintained his All-Pro performance on the field.
Arbanas was named to the Kansas City Chiefs Hall of Fame in 1973 and is a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame All-Time AFL Team. He was inducted into the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame in 1997 and the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame in 2012. Following his career with the Chiefs, Arbanas was a member of the Jackson County Legislature in Missouri for more than 40 years.
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