J.C. Arban (1983) - Southern Miss M-Club Hall of Fame

J.C. Arban

Induction:
1983

   J.C. Arban was a speedy and elusive halfback for Southern Mississippi from 1955 to 1958 whose pride and dedication carried him into the history books as one of the outstanding Golden Eagle players of all time.
   There were players that were bigger and stronger than Arban but throughout his career he was able to utilize his knowledge of the game and his will to win to come out on top more times than not.
   As a freshman he saw extensive action at halfback, both offensively and defensively, and also was a valuable member of the special teams. On a 1955 team that went 9-1, Arban rushed 34 times for 210 yards (5.5 average), was the team’s second leading receiver with seven catches for 89 yards (12.4 average) and a touchdown and returned six punts for a 12.0 yard average, the best on the team. That 1955 team’s only loss was 10-0 at Tennessee-Chattanooga, but offensively they scored 33 points or more five times and defensively recorded five shutouts.
   The 1956 team would finish the year at 7-2-1 and Arban was the second leading rusher on the team with 84 carries for 380 yards (4.5 average) and two touchdowns. He also caught nine passes for 117 yards (13.0 average) and again led the team in punt returns with 13 for a 12.4 yard average. That 1956 team won its first seven games of the year, before losing a heartbreaker 20-19 at Florida State. There other loss was 20-13 against West Texas State in the Tangerine Bowl and the tie was a 13-13 standout against Alabama.
   Arban continued to be one of the most versatile players the Golden Eagles had ever had and in 1957 his role expanded even more. He rushed 49 times for 184 yards (3.8 average) and a touchdown and led the team in receiving with six catches for 124 yards (20.7 average) and two touchdowns. Also that season he returned 10 punts for a 7.1 yard average, returned three kickoffs for a 17.7 yard average, had three interceptions and even threw a pass that was good for 16 yards. The 1957 team was 8-3, winning its first seven that year and gaining a post-season bid, playing in the Tangerine Bowl for a second straight year.
   He was a key member of the 1958 Southern Miss team that won the UPI College Division National Championship in 1958. Arban helped lead that team to a perfect 9-0 record as once again he played many different roles. He rushed 43 times for 232 yards (5.4 average), caught seven passes for 118 yards (16.9 average) and returned five punts for a 6.6 yard average.
   Arban would finish his career with 210 carries for 1,006 yards (5.7 average) and five touchdowns, caught 29 passes for 448 yards (12.1 average) and three touchdowns and returned 34 punts for 337 yards (9.9 average).
   He later served as an assistant coach at Southern Miss under P.W. Underwood in 1973 and 1974 and has also been a successful coach on the junior college level as both an assistant coach and head coach.