Born in Geraldine, Arland’s parents moved to Valley Head when he was 18 months old. He began to play high school sports in the eighth grade. In the summer of 1954 his family moved to Fort Payne where Arlan played three sports. Football was his favorite. After graduation in 1956 he was given a scholarship to the University of Alabama. In 1958 Coach Paul Bryant was hired as coach. He had a rule of no married players on the team, so Arland was removed from scholarship. After being out of school for two years he signed Jacksonville State. Hal Hays, journalist for the Birmingham News, The Atlanta Journal Constitution, The Sporting News and Sports Illustrated wrote about Arland, “the football career of Arland Carter reads like a masterful piece of fiction. Yet, it was real and exciting as the morning’s sun rise. Stardom was a given for the talented youngster from the first moment he was handed a football and in the direction of the end zone.” His heroics continued in brilliance at the University of Alabama and Jacksonville where the Associated Press named hime a two-time Little All American (tailback).
