The History of NCAA All-American Teams

The concept of the All-American team recognizes exceptional athletic performance in college sports. Athletes selected for this honor are known as All-Americans. This tradition, which began in the late 19th century with college football, has expanded to encompass numerous sports and levels of competition, solidifying its place in the landscape of American sports.

The Origins of All-American Teams in Football

The first All-America team, selected in 1889 by Caspar Whitney and Walter Camp for The Week's Sport magazine, comprised football players. Camp, a football player, coach, and rules maker, continued making selections for Collier's magazine from 1898 to 1924, solidifying the selections' credibility. Grantland Rice, a prominent sportswriter, took over the annual selection for Collier's after Camp's death in 1925. Rice and Collier's also began compiling their selections from the findings of a nationwide board of the American Football Coaches Association, which continues to select an All-America team.

Even before 1900, other football devotees had begun making their own All-America choices. The number of these selections increased as the popularity of football grew; major newspapers, news services, feature syndicates, and eventually magazines (most notably Look) picked annual teams.

Defining Consensus and Unanimous All-Americans in Football

Starting in 2009, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) defined the criteria for "consensus" All-Americans, recognizing teams selected by the Associated Press (AP), the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA), the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA), Sporting News, and the Walter Camp Football Foundation (WCFF). A player named to the first team by more than half of these organizations receives "consensus" All-American honors. If no player meets this criterion, a player named to two first teams may be chosen. Second- and third-team selections can be used as tie-breakers, and if a tie persists, each player is listed. A player named an All-American by all five organizations receives "unanimous All-American" recognition.

Since 1889, 2,868 players from 156 colleges and universities have been selected to at least one All-American first team.

Key Organizations in Football All-American Selection

Several organizations play a crucial role in selecting All-American teams in college football:

Associated Press (AP): A panel of sportswriters votes to determine the AP All-America Team.
American Football Coaches Association (AFCA): The AFCA has selected an All-America team every year since 1945. The Selection Process is an All-America Selection Committee is made up of three head coaches from each of the AFCA's nine I-A (Bowl Division) districts, one of whom serves as a district chairman, along with another head coach who serves as the chairman of the selection committee. It is often referred to as the "Coaches' All-America Team". The Coaches' All-America Team has been sponsored by various entities throughout the years but it is now under its own banner, the AFCA.
Football Writers Association of America (FWAA): The FWAA has selected an All-America team since 1944 with the help of its members and an All-America Committee representing all regions of the country. Some who have helped to select this team over the years: Mark Blaudschun, Grantland Rice, Bert McGrane, Blackie Sherrod, Furman Bisher, Pat Harmon, Fred Russell, Edwin Pope, Murray Olderman, Paul Zimmerman. The FWAA All-America Team was first selected in 1944, three years after the organization was formed.
Walter Camp Football Foundation (WCFF): The WCFF All-America team is selected by the head coaches and sports information directors of the Football Bowl Subdivision schools and certified by UHY Advisors. Walter Camp, "The Father of American Football", first selected an All-America team in 1889.
Sporting News: Sporting News college football editors and staff select teams, a practice they have maintained since 1934. From that year through the 1962 season TSN's All-America team was picked by a poll of sportswriters.

The FWAA All-America Team: A Legacy

The Football Writers Association of America (FWAA) All-America Team, initiated in 1944, holds a significant place in college football history. The inaugural team included Army's Heisman Trophy tandem of Doc Blanchard and Glenn Davis, as well as Georgia Tech's Frank Broyles.

From 1946 to 1970, LOOK magazine published the FWAA team and hosted celebrations in New York City for players and selected writers. The team was introduced on national television shows by hosts such as Bob Hope, Steve Allen, and Perry Como. After LOOK ceased publication, the FWAA collaborated with NCAA Films (later NCAA Productions) to produce a 30-minute television program. The team was featured on ABC Television's 1981 College Football Series and, from 1983 to 1990, on either ABC or ESPN. Since 1991, it has returned to the national spotlight on ABC.

The FWAA All-America team has been among the five teams used to formulate the NCAA's annual consensus All-America team since 1945. Since the 2002 season, the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA), The Associated Press, The Sporting News and the Walter Camp Football Foundation have joined the FWAA as the five designated selectors by the NCAA.

All-America Teams in College Basketball

All-America teams in college basketball first appeared in 1929, courtesy of College Humor magazine and the Christy Walsh Syndicate. The Converse shoe company then published All-America teams in their yearly "Converse Basketball Yearbook" from 1932 until 1983.

Read also: Crafting Your NCAA Profile

While numerous media outlets now select All-America teams, the NCAA recognizes consensus All-America teams dating back to 1905. These teams are compiled from two to six major media sources and aim to reflect the consensus opinion of college basketball experts. Currently, the four outlets used to select consensus teams are the Associated Press, the National Association of Basketball Coaches, the United States Basketball Writers Association, and Sporting News magazine.

Since 1984, the NCAA has used a standardized point system to determine consensus teams from those designated as "major" All-American teams. This system awards three points for first-team selection, two points for second-team, and one point for third-team. Honorable mentions and lower team selections are not included in the computation.

Academic All-America Teams

In 1963, the first Academic All-American basketball team was named by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). The inaugural team consisted of Rod Thorn of West Virginia, Ken Charlton of Colorado, Gerry Ward of Boston College, Art Becker of Arizona State, and Ray Flynn of Providence. CoSIDA has continued to name Academic All-America teams every year since.

Preseason All-America Teams

The Associated Press (AP) named the first preseason All-America team for the 1986-87 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. Navy's David Robinson received the most votes that year.

Women's Basketball All-America Teams

The Eastman Kodak Company became the first corporate sponsor of collegiate women’s basketball in 1975, sponsoring the first women’s basketball coaches clinic in conjunction with the AIAW championship and the first-ever Kodak All-America team. The latter was the first All-America team selected in college women’s basketball. The WBCA assumed responsibility for selecting the Kodak All-America team in 1983. It became known as the State Farm Coaches’ All-America team in 2008 when State Farm Insurance replaced Kodak as title sponsor.

The All-Time All-America Team

The unifying theme of the 25 players on the All-Time All-America team is that their presence on the field changed the game: how it is played, the expectation of a position, even how we watch. The All-Time All-America team derived from the vote of a blue-ribbon panel assembled earlier this year. The 25 players represent a span of nearly 90 years, from the Roaring '20s to the 21st century. They represent 19 schools, from Ohio State to Mississippi Valley State; nine conferences, from the Southeastern to the Ivy League; and both segments of Division I.

Notable Players on the All-Time All-America Team

Roger Staubach (Navy): Before Staubach led America's Team in the NFL, he won the Heisman Trophy as Navy's quarterback in 1963. Known as "Roger the Dodger," Staubach passed for 1,474 yards as a junior in 1963, while also winning the Maxwell Trophy and Walter Camp Memorial Award.
Jim Brown (Syracuse): Brown was the greatest all-around athlete in Syracuse history -- and perhaps in all of collegiate sports. While Brown is best known as the running back who launched the legend of jersey No. 44, he earned 10 varsity letters in four sports at Syracuse -- basketball, football, lacrosse and track. Brown did it all on the football field, too. He led the nation in kickoff-return average in 1955 and rushing TDs in 1956, when he became Syracuse's first unanimous All-American and led the Orange to the Cotton Bowl.
Herschel Walker (Georgia): If not Brown, Walker might be the player whom every college running back is measured against. He ran for 1,616 yards with 15 touchdowns as a freshman in 1980, leading the Bulldogs to a 12-0 record and national championship. Walker ran for 150 yards with two touchdowns -- after separating his shoulder -- in a 17-10 win over Notre Dame in the Sugar Bowl. He ran for 1,891 yards as a sophomore and 1,752 as a junior, when he won the 1982 Heisman Trophy. During his three-year collegiate career, Walker set 41 Georgia, 16 SEC and 11 NCAA records.
Jerry Rice (Mississippi Valley State): Mississippi Valley State coach Archie "Gunslinger" Cooley once said that Rice had the kind of hands that could "catch a BB in the dark." His hands, which were developed by catching bricks from his father as a boy, caught more passes (102) than any other NCAA player in 1983 and more touchdowns (27) than anyone else in 1984. He finished ninth in Heisman Trophy voting as a senior despite playing at the Division I-AA (FCS) level.
Larry Fitzgerald (Pittsburgh): The son of a Minnesota sportswriter, Fitzgerald had his hands on a football at an early age as a Vikings ball boy. In just two seasons at Pittsburgh, Fitzgerald made his mark as one of the greatest pass-catchers in FBS history. He averaged 16.6 yards per catch and set an FBS record with at least one TD in 18 consecutive games. He finished second in 2003 Heisman Trophy voting, the highest for a receiver since Michigan's Desmond Howard won in 1991. Fitzgerald won the Walter Camp and Biletnikoff awards and was a unanimous first-team All-American in 2003.
Mike Ditka (Pittsburgh): Former Pittsburgh coach Foge Fazio, one of Ditka's teammates with the Panthers, once compared him to a prizefighter: "He just couldn't wait for the bell to ring and get back out there." Ditka once punched two Pitt guards in the huddle in the same game because he didn't think they were playing hard enough. That was never a problem for Ditka, who led Pitt in receptions for three straight years and was a menacing defensive lineman and punter.
Chuck Bednarik (Pennsylvania): After finishing high school, Bednarik enlisted in the Army Air Forces and flew 30 bombing missions over Germany as an aerial gunner during World War II. He was named All-American in 1947 and '48, when he finished third in Heisman Trophy voting and won the Maxwell Award. "Concrete Charlie" was one of the most ferocious players in the pros and was named All-Pro eight times.
Orlando Pace (Ohio State): In three seasons with the Buckeyes, Pace earned the moniker "Pancake Man" for his uncanny ability to flatten opponents and leave them lying on their backs. Pace was a unanimous All-American in 1995 and 1996 and became the first player in history to win the Lombardi trophy as a sophomore and was the first repeat Lombardi winner. As a junior in 1996, he finished fourth in Heisman Trophy voting, the highest finish by a lineman since 1980, and won the Outland Trophy. He didn't allow a sack in his final two seasons and had 80 pancake blocks as a junior. He was the No. 1 pick by the St.
Bill Fralic (Pittsburgh): When Fralic was in the eighth grade, he stood 6 feet, 3 inches and weighed 235 pounds -- before he started lifting weights. Then-Pitt coach Jackie Sherrill met Fralic at a golf course and asked, "What college do you play for?" Fralic was a three-time All-American (unanimous in 1983 and 1984) at Pitt and became the first offensive lineman to twice finish in the top 10 in voting for the Heisman Trophy, finishing eighth in 1983 and sixth in '84.
John Hannah (Alabama): Hannah weighed 10½ pounds at birth, and family members joked that his mother fed him hamburger, instead of baby food, as a toddler. When Hannah signed with the Crimson Tide, he was the heaviest player Paul "Bear" Bryant had ever recruited. He also was the best lineman to ever play at Alabama, earning All-America honors in 1971 and '72 and winning the Jacobs award as the sport's best blocker as a senior.
Jim Parker (Ohio State): Parker, a cat-quick guard and menacing blocker, was the measuring stick for any lineman under legendary Ohio State coach Woody Hayes. Parker was the Buckeyes' first Outland Trophy winner in 1956 and a two-time All-American. During his three seasons, the Buckeyes won 23 of 28 games, captured back-to-back Big Ten titles in 1954 and '55 and claimed the 1954 national championship. At 273 pounds, Parker was the biggest player the Baltimore Colts had ever drafted. "He blocked out the sun," Colts general manager Ernie Accorsi said.
Hugh Green (Pittsburgh): Pittsburgh coach Jackie Sherrill once said Green had only one speed: full speed. "He's so reckless and so quick," Sherrill told Sports Illustrated. "Nobody in college football can block him." Green was a three-time first-team All-American. In 1980, he won the Maxwell Award as the country's best player, won the Lombardi Award as the best lineman and won the Walter Camp as the nation's most outstanding player. He finished second to South Carolina's George Rogers in Heisman Trophy voting as a senior, the highest-ever finish by a full-time defensive player.
Reggie White (Tennessee): Before White became the "Minister of Defense" and retired as the NFL's all-time sack leader, he was the most menacing pass-rusher in Tennessee history. During White's senior season in 1983, he had 100 tackles, 72 unassisted, and set a UT single-season record with 15 sacks. He had a sack in every game but two and had four in a 45-6 victory over The Citadel, another school record. White was a consensus All-American and was named SEC Player of the Year. "There's never been a better one," former Volunteers coach Johnny Majors said.
Bronko Nagurski (Minnesota): An oft-told legend is that a college football coach, lost during a recruiting trip in Minnesota, asked a farmer for directions to the nearest town. Nagurski pointed the way -- with his plow. As a senior for the Gophers in 1929, Nagurski became the only player ever named All-American at two positions -- tackle on defense and fullback on offense. Legendary sportswriter Grantland Rice once famously wrote, "Eleven Bronko Nagurskis could beat 11 Red Granges or 11 Jim Thorpes. The 11 Nagurskis would be a mop-up.
Lee Roy Selmon (Oklahoma): Selmon, along with his older brothers Dewey and Lucious, were among nine children raised on a farm in Eufaula, Oklahoma. With the trio of Selmon brothers anchoring a dominant defensive line, OU went 32-1-1 between 1973 and '75 and won two national championships. Lee Roy was a two-time All-American in 1974 and 1975, won the Lombardi and Outland awards as a senior, and was the No. 1 overall pick in the 1976 NFL draft. Former OU coach Barry Switzer has repeatedly called Selmon the best player he ever coached.
Dick Butkus (Illinois): Legendary sportswriter Dan Jenkins once wrote that if every college football team had a linebacker like Butkus, "all fullbacks would soon be 3 feet tall and sing soprano." Few linebackers hit as hard or as often as Butkus, a two-time All-American at Illinois. He was named the Big Ten's MVP in 1963 and finished third in Heisman Trophy voting the next year. Against Ohio State in 1963, Butkus made 23 tackles, a school record at the time.
Lawrence Taylor (North Carolina): Taylor spent his first two injury-plagued seasons at North Carolina playing inside linebacker and noseguard. After the UNC coaches moved him to outside linebacker before his junior season, Taylor dominated the opposition like few players before or after him. During his senior season in 1980, he set a UNC record with 16 sacks to go with 69 tackles and six other tackles for loss. He was a unanimous All-American and ACC Player of the Year.
Tommy Nobis (Texas): After watching Nobis suffocate Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Roger Staubach in a 28-6 victory over Navy in the 1964 Cotton Bowl, Army coach Paul Dietzel called Nobis "the finest linebacker I've ever seen in college." Nobis was the only sophomore starter on Texas' 1963 national championship team -- and he still played both ways, at linebacker and guard, after the rules were changed to allow two-platoon football. As a junior, Nobis made one of the most famous tackles in Orange Bowl history, stopping Alabama's Joe Namath at the goal line on fourth-and-inches to preserve UT's 21-17 decision.
Deion Sanders (Florida State): Legendary Florida State coach Bobby Bowden coached two Heisman Trophy winners, 26 consensus All-Americans and more than 150 NFL draft choices. But Bowden is certain which Seminole was the best athlete he ever coached. "Deion Sanders, no doubt about it," Bowden says. Sanders, an electrifying cornerback and punt returner, snagged 14 interceptions, four of which he returned for touchdowns. He led the FBS in punt returns with a 15.2-yard average in 1988, and set FSU career records with 126 punt returns for 1,429 yards with three scores.
Charles Woodson (Michigan): The Wolverines' 20-14 victory over rival Ohio State encapsulated Woodson's Heisman Trophy-winning campaign in 1997. He set up Michigan's only offensive touchdown with a 37-yard catch in the first quarter, scored on a 78-yard punt return in the second, and intercepted a pass in the end zone in the third. Woodson's versatility and big-play ability allowed him to become the first primarily defensive player to win the Heisman since the sport moved to a two-platoon system in the early 1960s. As a junior, Woodson had eight interceptions with 43 tackles, while catching 11 passes for 231 yards with one score. A two-time All-American, he won the Heisman, Walter Camp Award, Bronko Nagurski Trophy, Chuck Bednarik Award and Jim Thorpe Award in 1997.
Jack Tatum (Ohio State): Woody Hayes recruited Tatum to Ohio State as a running back but moved him to defensive back -- at the behest of assistant coach Lou Holtz -- shortly after he arrived. Tatum was one of the most feared hitters and tacklers in the country as a safety. As one of OSU's "Super Sophomores" in 1968, Tatum helped lead the Buckeyes to 10-0 record, Rose Bowl victory and national championship. OSU was 27-2 and won at least a share of three straight Big Ten titles in Tatum's three seasons.
Ronnie Lott (USC): The Trojans recruited Lott and 1981 Heisman Trophy winner Marcus Allen to play safety or running back. USC coach John Robinson thought Lott was the better tackler, so he ended up in the Trojans' secondary, where he became one of the most feared hitters in the sport's history. As a sophomore in 1978, Lott helped the Trojans go 12-1 and win a share of a national title. USC went 11-0-1 and was ranked No. 2 the next season. Lott was a unanimous All-American in 1980 and later won four Super Bowl championships with the San Francisco 49ers.
Sebastian Janikowski (Florida State): After Janikowski helped the Seminoles win their second national title in 1999, FSU coach Bobby Bowden told reporters, "Boy, have you ever thought about how many national championships we might have won if we had Janikowski every year of my career?" The Seminoles were haunted by near misses -- and missed field goals -- throughout the early part of Bowden's career. That wasn't the case with the Polish-born Janikowski, who amassed 323 points in three seasons and is the only back-to-back winner of the Lou Groza Award in 1998 and '99.
Ray Guy (Southern Mississippi): Guy had a 77-yard punt in his first game for the Golden Eagles, and it was only a sign of things to come. It was the first of three 70-yard punts in his career, one of which was a 93-yarder. Guy was the first punter inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame, and the Ray Guy Award is given to the best punter in the FBS each season. As a senior in 1972, Guy led the FBS with a 46.2-yard average. He averaged 44 yards over three seasons. Guy also was the team's place-kicker and a three-year starting safety with 18 career interceptions.
Johnny Rodgers (Nebraska): Johnny "The Jet" Rodgers helped the Cornhuskers win their first two national championships, in 1970 and '71, with his scintillating kick and punt returns and big plays on offense. In 1972, he became the school's first Heisman Trophy winner -- and first receiver to win the award. Rodgers is perhaps best remembered for his 72-yard punt return for a score in Nebraska's 35-31 decision over Oklahoma in the Game of the Century in 1971. Rodgers returned eight punts or kickoffs for touchdowns, which is tied for the FBS …

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