Former Glendale High School and USC football standout Dr. Charles “Chuck” Arrobio, who also played a season in the NFL with the Minnesota Vikings, died suddenly on Sunday evening at his Pasadena home. He was 73.
Arrobio, an offensive lineman, parlayed a stellar prep career at Glendale High into a scholarship to play at USC between 1962-65. In that time, he became USC’s first academic All-American in football. Arrobio also helped pave the way for Heisman Trophy winner Mike Garrett and the two were co-captains of the 1965 team.
“Chuck was one of the finest tackles to ever play at USC,” Garrett said. “I always said that I knew his ass better than his wife did, because I followed him all the time (on the field). Chuck and I had a strong connection. He and I were the only two guys to make varsity as sophomores. Chuck was always a wonderful guy and also one of the brightest in the entire athletic department. A more quality person has not lived.”
After USC, Arrobio played for the Vikings for one season before injury cut short his career. Being a pro football player actually wasn’t his first choice, but according to family lore, Arrobio’s father-in-law Nick Pappas negotiated a contract on his behalf with then Vikings head coach Norm Van Brocklin and soon Chuck was on his way to Minnesota.
We are sorry to learn of the passing of Chuck Arrobio. Chuck was a standout football players with the @glendalenitros, then on to @uscfootball and one year with the @Vikings. He was a beloved dentist in Pasadena and coached football @SFHSLaCanadaCA pic.twitter.com/SLgEqVDgBu
— Glendale Community College Football (@GlendaleCollege) March 20, 2018
It didn’t last long, though. Arrobio suffered a bad knee injury late in the season against the Green Bay Packers and was soon in his Volkswagen bug driving back to California in a cast. After informing Van Brocklin that his playing days were over, Arrobio enrolled in dental school at USC where he graduated top of his class.
For the next several decades, Arrobio operated a successful dental practice in Pasadena but football was never far from his mind. And old friend Bill Redell, who was then the head coach at St. Francis, soon came calling. Arrobio served as Redell’s offensive line coach from from 1993 until 1999.
“If you were looking for a great friend, Chuck was certainly at the top of the list,” Redell said. “I never saw him use a cross word with anybody. He coached line and all the kids loved him. He was like a big teddy hear. I can’t say enough positive things about him. It’s a big loss.”
After stopping coaching, Arrobio still attended St. Francis games until recent years when hip and knee replacements and shoulder surgeries hindered how well he got around.
“There was a while he was at every game on Friday nights,” Bonds said. “Lately, he had been unable to get to a lot of the games because he wasn’t moving so well. Chuck really loved being around the kids and coaching. He was a practicing dentist from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., and then came over and did football and he just ate it up. He loved it.”
Arrobio halted his practice in June of 2017 and lived in Pasadena with his wife Margit. Funeral arrangements are still pending and in lieu of flowers the family has asked that donations be made in Arrobio’s name to the USC Athletic Scholarship Fund.
