The son of an Italian-born mother and a first-generation Croatian-American father,[2] Beban graduated from Sequoia High School in Redwood City, California.
Beban, known as "The Great One", excelled in both academics and athletics, majoring in European history while quarterbacking the Bruins across three straight winning seasons.
As a quarterback at the University of California, Los Angeles, he was named to the all-conference team three times, and led the Bruins to a 24–5–2 record.
Although USC eventually won the game 21–20 on a blocked PAT, and went on to the Rose Bowl, Beban would go on to win the Heisman Trophy.
Although the UCLA football program has turned out a high proportion of successful professional players through the years, Beban remains the only Bruin to win the Heisman.
But, sitting behind veteran quarterback and future Hall of Famer Sonny Jurgensen, Beban was given little game time, and the professional stardom portended by his college career was not forthcoming.
Released from the Redskins on September 8, 1970,[17] Beban signed with the Denver Broncos after the 1970 season,[18] but was waived on August 5, 1971, and retired from professional football afterwards.
[19] In 1971, Beban joined the Los Angeles office of CB Richard Ellis, a global real estate services company.