the 8th round of the 1951 NFL Draft. He played seven seasons in San Francisco from 1951 to 1957. On December 16, 1951 he knocked the Detroit Lions out of the NFL division championship with 51-yard punt return. He led the NFL with 814 kick and punt return yards in 1951, and also led the NFL in yards per touch in both 1951 (13.1 yards per touch) and 1955 (11.1 yards per touch). In December 1956 two long returns by Arenas helped the 49ers beat the Baltimore Colts 30-17. The Associated Press coverage of the game opened by noting, "Little Joe Arenas, who earlier returned a kickoff 96 yards, returned a punt 68 for San Francisco's winning touchdown." After the game, 49ers coach Frank Albert said of Arenas, "He's the greatest clutch artist I've ever seen. He was the difference between the two clubs today." A newspaper columnist in 1957 described Arenas' value to the 49ers:"Arenas is a valuable man on a pro football team, specifically the 49er team. He is more than a thoroughly dependable player. He is an inspirational holler-guy who can lift flagging spirits; who refuses to be whipped even if the score is top-heavy in the other side's favor. Team devotees feel a sense of complete confidence watching a well kicked ball sail in the direction of Arenas, playing safety. Joe hardly ever bobbles one. On those rare occasions when the spinning ball briefly twists out of his waiting arms, he is on the pellet with the speed of a mongoose." Arenas was "a popular and capable performer" in his seven years with the 49ers. A columnist for the Oakland Tribune in July 1958 wrote that the 49ers lineup would not be the same without him and added, "Arenas has a spectacular quality which appeals to the customers. He is dead game, possessing in spirit and aggression what he may lack in sheer talent. He is no speedburner, yet last year and the season before he made long runs which brought the audiences to its collective feet." Arenas announced his retirement from football in September 1958, saying he was quitting to devote full-time to his job as a salesman and public relations man for the coffee company, Schilling & Co. Arenas had been working in the coffee business during the off-season for several years. He compared selling with football in a 1957 interview: "Selling is like