 He returned to Spokane and attended Ferris for his senior year, graduated in 1975, then played four years at Washington State University in Pullman under four head coaches (Jim Sweeney, Jackie Sherrill, Warren Powers, and Jim Walden), as a nose tackle and defensive tackle.He matched up often with his brother John in the Battle of the Palouse in 1975 and 1976, both games handily won by WSU at 

Unselected in the 1979 NFL Draft, Yarno was signed by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as a rookie free agent in 1979 and made the team on the other side of the ball, as a reserve offensive lineman.He was a starting offensive lineman a majority of his career, including starts at tackle, guard, and center.