San Francisco Chronicle

Editor's note: The University Alumni Association paid special tribute to six people at the sixth annual Achievement Day Banquet. Following is a special story on Joe Arenas, who received the 1954 Citation for Alumnus Achievement.

In a backfield that captured everything but the National Football League championship, Omaha's Joe Arenas was the least publicized of the San Francisco 49er quartet, but he was recognized by his won team and opponents as one of the most dangerous members.

Arenas worked at left halfback, in the combination that included the league's leading ground gainer, Joe Perry, at fullback, spectacular "sophomore" Hugh McElhenny at right half, and the accurate Y.A. Tittle at quarterback. For the first half of the 1953 season, Arenas, Perry and McElhenny were all among the NFL's top ten ground gainers. Then in the latter half, Arenas dropped from among the leaders.

But the reason was that the 49er coaches, faced with a shaky defensive alignment, called on Joe to operate on defense as well as offense. As a result, through the later, stretch-drive games, Arenas was playing virtually 60 minutes of the toughest, roughest football in the nation.

The coaches' confidence in arenas and his justification of that confidence established Joe as perhaps even more valuable than the backs that could go "only one way."

Arenas led the NFL in kickoff returns with 551 yards in 16 carries, for an astounding average of 34.4 yards each. In addition to his ball carrying and defensive exploits with the 49ers, he was additionally important as a 'holler guy.' On the field first and off the field last, Joe kept up a continuous enthusiastic stream of chatter and exhortation, without which no team can maintain the high pitch require din professional football.

Where Joe Arenas will be utilized in the 1954 season, only events on the field will determine. But whether it's defense or offense�or both�it's a certainty that the San Francisco 49ers won't reach as high a level without him.