The Football Writers Association of America has released its 75-year All-America Team. Surely everyone will agree on all of it!
Most debate will probably focus on quarterback and running back. Even in just the past decade or so, I'm not sure I'd take Tim Tebow over Vince Young, Cam Newton, or Marcus Mariota, and putting Archie Griffin over Barry Sanders seems to lend Heisman Trophies a bit more value than they should have (Griffin is the only player to ever win two). What are our thoughts otherwise?
The full roster, via the FWAA:
| Offense | |||
| First team | Second team | Third team | |
| QB | Roger Staubach, Navy | Tim Tebow, Florida | Tommie Frazier, Nebraska |
| RB | Archie Griffin, Ohio State | Tony Dorsett, Pittsburgh | Bo Jackson, Auburn |
| RB | Herschel Walker, Georgia | Barry Sanders, Oklahoma State | Doak Walker, SMU |
| WR | Larry Fitzgerald, Pittsburgh | Fred Biletnikoff, Florida State | Anthony Carter, Michigan |
| WR | Jerry Rice, Mississippi Valley State | Randy Moss, Marshall | Calvin Johnson, Georgia Tech |
| TE | Keith Jackson, Oklahoma | Mike Ditka, Pittsburgh | Gordon Hudson, BYU |
| OL | John Hannah, Alabama | Bill Fralic, Pittsburgh | Barrett Jones, Alabama |
| OL | Orlando Pace, Ohio State | John Hicks, Ohio State | Willie Roaf, Louisiana Tech |
| OL | Will Shields, Nebraska | Calvin Jones, Iowa | Jerry Sisemore, Texas |
| OL | Ron Yary, USC | Jonathan Ogden, UCLA | Dean Steinkuhler, Nebraska |
| C | Dave Rimington, Nebraska | Chuck Bednarik, Penn | Jim Ritcher, NC State |
| Defense | |||
| First team | Second team | Third team | |
| DT | Lee Roy Selmon, Oklahoma | Merlin Olsen, Utah State | Steve Emtman, Washington |
| DT | Ndamukong Suh, Nebraska | Randy White, Maryland | Reggie White, Tennessee |
| DE | Leon Hart, Notre Dame | Hugh Green, Pittsburgh | Bubba Smith, Michigan State |
| DE | Ted Hendricks, Miami | Bruce Smith, Virginia Tech | Jack Youngblood, Florida |
| LB | Tommy Nobis, Texas | Brian Bosworth, Oklahoma | Jack Ham, Penn State |
| LB | Mike Singletary, Baylor | Dick Butkus, Illinois | Lee Roy Jordan, Alabama |
| LB | Derrick Thomas, Alabama | Luke Kuechly, Boston College | Chris Spielman, Ohio State |
| DB | Ronnie Lott, USC | Champ Bailey, Georgia | Dré Bly, North Carolina |
| DB | Deion Sanders, Florida State | Kenny Easley, UCLA | Dave Brown, Michigan |
| DB | Jack Tatum, Ohio State | Jerry Gray, Texas | Troy Polamalu, USC |
| DB | Charles Woodson, Michigan | Ed Reed, Miami | Roy Williams, Oklahoma |
| Special teams | |||
| First team | Second team | Third team | |
| P | Ray Guy, Southern Miss | Russell Erxleben, Texas | Rohn Stark, Florida State |
| K | Kevin Butler, Georgia | Mason Crosby, Colorado | Tony Franklin, Texas A&M |
| RS | Johnny Rodgers, Nebraska | Raghib Ismail, Notre Dame | Derek Abney, Kentucky |
The leaders by school, per the FWAA:
- Nebraska: six
- Ohio State, Pittsburgh: five
- Alabama, Oklahoma, Texas: four
- Florida State, Georgia, Michigan, USC: three
- Florida, Miami, Notre Dame, UCLA: two
And by current conference (Roger Staubach, AAC legend):
- Big Ten: 19
- ACC: 15
- SEC: 13
- Big 12: 10
- Pac-12: seven
- Conference USA, Independents: three
- American: two