Arthur Robie Best (March 18, 1953 – October 14, 2014) was an American professional

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...

running back A running back (RB) is a member of the offensive backfield in gridiron football. The primary roles of a running back are to receive American football plays#Offensive terminology, handoffs from the quarterback to Rush (American football)#Offense ...

who played three seasons in the

National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a Professional gridiron football, professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National ...

(NFL) with the

Chicago Bears The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. They are one of two remaining ...

and

New York Giants The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The ...

. He was selected by the

Los Angeles Rams The Los Angeles Rams are a professional American football team based in the Greater Los Angeles, Greater Los Angeles area. The Rams compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC West, West ...

in the sixth round of the

1977 NFL draft The 1977 NFL draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held May 3–4, 1977, at the Roosevelt Hotel ...

. He played

college football College football is gridiron football that is played by teams of amateur Student athlete, student-athletes at universities and colleges. It was through collegiate competition that gridiron football American football in the United States, firs ...

at the

University of Notre Dame The University of Notre Dame du Lac (known simply as Notre Dame; ; ND) is a Private university, private Catholic research university in Notre Dame, Indiana, United States. Founded in 1842 by members of the Congregation of Holy Cross, a Cathol ...

and

Kent State University Kent State University (KSU) is a Public university, public research university in Kent, Ohio, United States. The university includes seven regional campuses in Northeast Ohio located in Kent State University at Ashtabula, Ashtabula, Kent State ...

Early life

Arthur Robie Best was born on March 18, 1953, in

Camden, New Jersey Camden is a City (New Jersey), city in Camden County, New Jersey, Camden County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It is part of the Delaware Valley metropolitan region. The city was incorporated on February 13, 1828.Snyder, John P''The Story of ...

. He grew up in

Gahanna, Ohio Gahanna is a city in northeastern Franklin County, Ohio, United States. It is a suburb of Columbus, Ohio, Columbus. The population was 35,726 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. It was founded in 1849. History Gahanna was founded al ...

and attended Bishop Hartley High School in

Columbus, Ohio Columbus (, ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of cities in Ohio, most populous city of the U.S. state of Ohio. With a 2020 United States census, 2020 census population of 905,748, it is the List of United States ...

College career

Best first played

for the

Notre Dame Fighting Irish The Notre Dame Fighting Irish are the athletic teams that represent the University of Notre Dame. The Fighting Irish participate in 26 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I intercollegiate sports and in the NCAA's Division ...

of the

from 1972 to 1974. He rushed 17 times for 158 yards and two touchdowns in 1972. In 1973, he totaled 118 carries for 700 yards and three touchdowns, and four catches for 48 yards. The 1973 Fighting Irish were AP Poll national champions. Best recorded 51 rushing attempts for 241 yards and three receptions for 54 yards in 1974. Best then transferred to

, where he lettered for the

Kent State Golden Flashes The Kent State Golden Flashes are the athletic teams that represent Kent State University. The university fields 19 varsity athletic teams in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at the NCAA Division I, Division I level with footba ...

in 1976. He rushed 194 times for 1,030 yards and ten touchdowns that season while also returning six kicks for 102 yards.

Professional career

Best was selected by the

in the sixth round, with the 156th overall pick, of the

, and thereafter signed with the team. On October 7, 1977, he was traded to the

. He played in all 14 games for the Bears during his rookie year in 1977, recording six carries for 20 yards and six kick returns for 127 yards. He also played in one playoff game that season. He appeared in all 16 games in 1978, rushing two times for 11 yards. Best was released by the Bears on August 27, 1979. Best signed with the

on March 1, 1980. He played in the first game of the 1980 season before being released on September 8, 1980.

Personal life

Best worked as a construction project manager after his NFL career. He died on October 14, 2014, in

Pickerington, Ohio Pickerington is a city in Fairfield County, Ohio, Fairfield and Franklin County, Ohio, Franklin counties in the central region of the U.S. state of Ohio. It is a suburb of Columbus, Ohio, Columbus. The population was 23,094 at the United States Ce ...

. He had cancer and liver problems for at least five years before his death.

References

External links

College stats
{{DEFAULTSORT:Best, Art 1953 births 2014 deaths Players of American football from Louisiana American football running backs Notre Dame Fighting Irish football players Kent State Golden Flashes football players Chicago Bears players New York Giants players Players of American football from Camden, New Jersey 20th-century American sportsmen