Michigan's Greatest Pro Football Players

Here is a short capsule of one of Michigan's 50 greatest pro football players. From time to time I'll highlight a former Michigander who grew up in this state and/or played high school football here before going on to star at the professional level. Players from high schools throughout the Upper and Lower Peninsulas have gone on to receive Hall of Fame enshrinement, earn All-Pro accolades and start in Super Bowls during their distinguished professional football careers.

Here is a small write up for Fred Arbanas from my book "Michigan's All-Time Top 50 Pro Football Players." Arbanas, one of the AFL's best ever, is one of the greatest tight ends in Michigan gridiron history.

FRED ARBANAS

Despite losing sight in one eye, Fred Arbanas would go on to become the American Football League’s prototype tight end. A strong blocker as well as receiver, Arbanas started for the Kansas City Chiefs in two of the first four Super Bowls, including Super Bowl I against the Green Bay Packers.

Drafted by the Dallas Texans (later the Kansas City Chiefs) in the second round of the 1962 AFL draft, Arbanas played eight years in the AFL and one season in the NFL, all with the Chiefs. He was a six-time Sporting News All-AFL selection as a tight end and a six-time AFL All-Star pick. Making his accomplishments even more impressive was the fact Arbanas played six years with sight in only one eye after suffering an off-field injury early in his career.

Arbanas (6-foot-3, 240 pounds) played in 118 career games, catching 198 passes for 3,101 yards and 34 touchdowns. His reception and touchdown totals were Chief records for a tight end until broken by Tony Gonzalez. Snaring passes for the majority of his career from future Hall of Fame quarterback Len Dawson, Arbanas finished with a 15.7 yards per catch average during his pro tenure.

A Michigan State University graduate, Arbanas helped lead Kansas City to three AFL championships throughout his career. His best season was 1964 when he caught 34 passes for 686 yards and eight touchdowns. That year, Arbanas had a 20.2 yards per catch average.

On Jan. 15, 1967, in Super Bowl I at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Arbanas faced the Green Bay Packers as a member of the Kansas City Chiefs. In what has now virtually become a national holiday in America, the Chiefs, the AFL champions, fell to the Packers, the NFL title-winners, 35-10 in the first-ever Super Bowl contest. Also starting alongside Arbanas for Kansas City in Super Bowl I was fellow Michigan All-Time Top 50 player, offensive lineman Detroit native Ed Budde.

On Jan. 11, 1970, Arbanas started for the Chiefs at tight end in Super Bowl IV. Kansas City defeated the Minnesota Vikings 23-7 in the game. While the contest itself on the field was significant, Super Bowl IV would go down in history, and eventually be remembered more, as the last match-up between the AFL and the NFL in football’s greatest game. The following season would see the AFL merge into the NFL forming one league, separated by two divisions, the NFC and the AFC. The win by Kansas City against the Vikings evened the Super Bowl series between the AFL and NFL at 2-2. The year before, in Super Bowl III, the New York Jets, out of the AFL, and spurred on by quarterback Joe Namath’s guarantee of victory, defeated the heavily favored NFL champion Baltimore Colts.

Super Bowl IV had a distinct Michigan flavor as Arbanas and Budde suited up for the Chiefs, while the Vikings started Michigan All-Time Top 50 players, offensive lineman Madison Heights’ Grady Alderman and future Hall of Fame defensive back Flint’s Paul Krause.

A graduate of Redford St. Mary High School, Arbanas was named to the All-Time All-AFL team as a tight end. He is enshrined in the Kansas City Chiefs Hall of Fame. He also was inducted into the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame.