When it comes to discussing his athletic accomplishments, Jim deArrieta gets downright uncomfortable. He's the type of guy who would rather hide his light under a bushel.
"He's a very humble person," Carson High football coach Blair Roman said of deArrieta, who has coached CHS kickers for approximately 30 years. "He's a very generous person, not one that feels like he needs to advertise his achievements."
However, deArrieta's achievements in high school sports certainly are noteworthy. He won 10 letters (four in track, three in football and three in basketball) in the 1960s at Humboldt County High School. He was a state champion in track and led Humboldt to the 1965 state football championship.
Those efforts led to him being named to the NIAA Hall of Fame. DeArrieta and his fellow 2012 inductees are being honored today at 11:30 a.m. at Lawlor Events Center.
"It's truly an honor," de Arrieta said Wednesday afternoon in his family room. "When I was first notified by Donnie Nelson (assistant commissioner of the NIAA), I was surprised, excited, happy and humbled. When you consider all the athletes who have played over the years, it has to run in the thousands, and the small number who are inducted, it opened my eyes to how big of an honor it is."
"It's well deserved," said Dick Peraldo, former Sparks High basketball coach, who grew up in Winnemucca with deArrieta. "He was good at everything he did.
"He's such a great guy. If you ever needed anything he'd do it for you."
DeArrieta joins his father, Joe, and his older brother Joe Jr. in the Hall of Fame.
"He's pretty proud of that," said Roman, who is attending the luncheon with several Carson High coaches and administrators. "Not only his father, but his brother are in there. They were quite an athletic family. I think that's pretty cool."
The elder deArrieta passed away two years ago, and won't be hand for today's ceremony.
DeArrieta said coming from an athletic family helped him immensely, and coming from a small school gave him the opportunity to play multiple sports. And, he readily admits there wasn't a lot to do growing up in Winnemucca but play sports.
"You grow up with the same bunch of guys, and you are playing sports together from Day 1," deArrieta said. "You're always together and playing ball whether it's in the streets, a vacant lot or a playground.
"I played football, basketball and track. I wanted to play baseball too, but it was at the same time as track and they wouldn't let me. I think baseball could have been my best sport. After I got out of college, I played fast-pitch softball and then slow-pitch. I did pretty well."
In 1965, he led Humboldt County to the State A title. There were only three divisions in Nevada sports at the time - AA, A and B. The only blemish on Humboldt's record that year was a tie against Fallon, which was a AA team.
DeArrieta played quarterback and safety on the team plus handled all the kicking. He doesn't remember any of his stats from that year.
"I'm not one of those stat guys," deArrieta said. "I didn't pay attention to them back then and I certainly don't remember them now."
"Jim was really fast and we ran a lot of rollouts," Peraldo said. "He scored a lot of touchdowns for us."
Bob O'Connor, the Humboldt County coach, urged deArrieta's dad to start shooting film of games. O'Connor went on a letter writing campaign to get his star some attention.
Once Notre Dame and Ara Parseghian made their interest known, it was no contest.
"We didn't have social media back then," deArrieta said. "You had to let college coaches know you were around and could play there. My coach started writing letters my junior year.
"Being recruited by Notre Dame in that era was big because they were a national powerhouse. I grew up with a Notre Dame banner above my bed. I was in awe of the place when I visited. Up until a few years ago, I was the only Nevada player to go there on a football scholarship. Three or four years ago a kid from Vegas went there, but he only lasted a year or two."
DeArrieta, who never got a chance to quarterback the Irish, was shifted to wide receiver on the first day of practice. He averaged 35 yards a kick in his junior and senior seasons. He said that the Irish didn't punt a lot and also liked to pooch punt to pin opponents inside their own 20.
"They brought in six quarterbacks," deArrieta said. "They liked to recruit athletes. Two stayed at quarterback and the rest of us went to other positions. I didn't say a word. I just went over and learned to play receiver."
He plans to keep helping at Carson, though he does miss games because he ushers at Notre Dame home games.
"I love coaching the kids," he said. "It keeps me young."
He's certainly young at heart. Just talking to him for a short time you realize that.
