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1977 All-America college football team

Official list of the best college football players of 1977


Summary

Official list of the best college football players of 1977

The 1977 All-America college football team is composed of college football players who were selected as All-Americans by various organizations and writers that chose College Football All-America Teams in 1977. The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) recognizes four selectors as "official" for the 1977 season. They are: (1) the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA); (2) the Associated Press (AP) selected based on the votes of sports writers at AP newspapers; (3) the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA) selected by the nation's football writers; and (4) the United Press International (UPI) selected based on the votes of sports writers at UPI newspapers. Other selectors included Football News (FN), the Newspaper Enterprise Association (NEA), The Sporting News (TSN), and the Walter Camp Football Foundation (WC).

Eight players were unanimously selected by all four official selectors and all four unofficial selectors. They were Ken MacAfee of Notre Dame, offensive tackle Chris Ward of Ohio State, offensive guard Mark Donahue of Michigan, running backs Earl Campbell of Texas and Terry Miller of Oklahoma State, defensive ends Art Still of Kentucky and Ross Browner of Notre Dame, defensive tackle Brad Shearer of Texas.

Consensus All-Americans

The following charts identify the NCAA-recognized consensus All-Americans for the year 1977 and displays which first-team designations they received.

Offense

NamePositionSchoolNumberOfficialOther
Earl CampbellRunning backTexas4/4/8AFCA, AP, FWAA, UPIFN, NEA, TSN, WC
Mark DonahueOffensive guardMichigan4/4/8AFCA, AP, FWAA, UPIFN, NEA, TSN, WC
Ken MacAfeeTight endNotre Dame4/4/8AFCA, AP, FWAA, UPIFN, NEA, TSN, WC
Terry MillerRunning backOklahoma State4/4/8AFCA, AP, FWAA, UPIFN, NEA, TSN, WC
Chris WardOffensive tackleOhio State4/4/8AFCA, AP, FWAA, UPIFN, NEA, TSN, WC
Ozzie NewsomeReceiverAlabama3/4/7AFCA, AP, FWAAFN, NEA, TSN, WC
Leotis HarrisOffensive guardArkansas3/4/8AFCA, AP, UPINEA, WC
Charles AlexanderRunning backLSU3/1/4AFCA, FWAA, UPIWC
Guy BenjaminQuarterbackStanford2/2/4FWAA, UPIFN, NEA
Dan IronsOffensive tackleTexas Tech2/2/4AFCA, UPIFN, WC
John JeffersonReceiverArizona State3/0/3AFCA, AP, FWAA--
Tom BrzozaCenterPittsburgh2/1/3AP, UPIWC

Defense

NamePositionSchoolNumberOfficialOther
Ross BrownerDefensive endNotre Dame4/4/8AFCA, AP, FWAA, UPIFN, NEA, TSN, WC
Brad ShearerDefensive tackleTexas4/4/8AFCA, AP, FWAA, UPIFN, NEA, TSN, WC
Art StillDefensive endKentucky4/4/8AFCA, AP, FWAA, UPIFN, NEA, TSN, WC
Zac HendersonDefensive backOklahoma4/3/7AFCA, AP, FWAA, UPIFN, NEA, WC
Jerry RobinsonLinebackerUCLA4/3/7AFCA, AP, FWAA, UPIFN, NEA, WC
Randy HollowayDefensive tacklePittsburgh3/4/7AFCA, FWAA, UPIFN, NEA, TSN, WC
Dennis ThurmanDefensive backUSC4/2/6AFCA, AP, FWAA, UPIFN, WC
Luther BradleyDefensive backNotre Dame2/3/5AFCA, UPIFN, TSN, WC
Bob JuryDefensive backPittsburgh2/2/4AP, FWAATSN, WC
Tom CousineauLinebackerOhio State2/1/3FWAA, UPIWC
Gary SpaniLinebackerKansas State2/1/3AFCA, UPIFN
Dee HardisonDefensive tackleNorth Carolina2/1/3AP, FWAAFN

Offense

Receivers

  • Ozzie Newsome, Alabama (AFCA [split end], AP-1, FWAA, UPI-2, FN [end], NEA-1, TSN, WC)
  • John Jefferson, Arizona State (AFCA [flanker], AP-1, FWAA, NEA-2)
  • Wes Chandler, Florida (AP-2, UPI-1, FN [running back], NEA-1, TSN)
  • James Lofton, Stanford (AP-2, NEA-2)
  • Gordon Jones, Pittsburgh (AP-3)
  • Mike Renfro, TCU (AP-3)

Tight ends

  • Ken MacAfee, Notre Dame (AFCA, AP-1, FWAA, UPI-1, FN [end], NEA-1, TSN, WC)
  • Mickey Shuler, Penn State (AP-2, NEA-2)
  • Clennie Brundidge, Army (UPI-2)
  • Mike Moore, Grambling (AP-3)

Tackles

  • Chris Ward, Ohio State (AFCA, AP-1, FWAA, UPI-1, FN, NEA-1, TSN, WC)
  • Dan Irons, Texas Tech (AFCA, UPI-1, FN, WC)
  • Keith Dorney Penn State (AP-3, FWAA)
  • Gordon King, Stanford (UPI-2, NEA-1, TSN)
  • Dennis Baker, Wyoming (AP-1)
  • William Fifer, West Texas State (AP-2)
  • Mike Kenn, Michigan (AP-2)
  • J. T. Taylor, Missouri (AP-3, UPI-2)
  • Frank Myers, Texas A&M (NEA-2)
  • Jeff Morrow, Minnesota (NEA-2)

Guards

  • Mark Donahue, Michigan (AFCA, AP-1, FWAA, UPI-1, FN, NEA-1, TSN, WC)
  • Leotis Harris, Arkansas (AFCA, AP-1, UPI-1, NEA-1, WC)
  • Joe Bostic, Clemson (AP-3, FWAA, NEA-2)
  • Greg Roberts, Oklahoma (AP-3, FN)
  • George Collins, Georgia (TSN)
  • Jim Hough, Utah State (AP-2)
  • Ernie Hughes, Notre Dame (AP-2, UPI-2)
  • Leon White, Colorado (UPI-2)
  • Bob Cryder, Alabama (NEA-2)

Centers

  • Tom Brzoza, Pittsburgh (AP-1, UPI-1, WC)
  • Walt Downing, Michigan (AFCA, AP-3, FN, NEA-2, TSN)
  • Tom Davis, Nebraska (FWAA, UPI-2)
  • Blair Bush, Washington (AP-2, NEA-1)

Quarterbacks

  • Guy Benjamin, Stanford (AP-2, FWAA, UPI-1, FN, NEA-1)
  • Doug Williams, Grambling State (AP-1, UPI-2, NEA-2, TSN, WC)
  • Matt Cavanaugh, Pittsburgh (AFCA)
  • Derrick Ramsey, Kentucky (AP-3)

Running backs

  • Earl Campbell, Texas (AFCA, AP-1, FWAA, UPI-1, FN, NEA-1, TSN, WC)
  • Terry Miller, Oklahoma State (AFCA, AP-1, FWAA, UPI-1, FN, NEA-1, TSN, WC)
  • Charles Alexander, LSU (AFCA, AP-2, FWAA, UPI-1, NEA-2, WC)
  • John Pagliaro, Yale (AP-3, WC)
  • Jerome Persell, Western Michigan (AP-2)
  • I. M. Hipp, Nebraska (UPI-2, NEA-2)
  • Johnny Davis, Alabama (UPI-2)
  • Ben Cowins, Arkansas (UPI-2)
  • Bo Robinson, West Texas State (AP-3)

Defense

Defensive ends

  • Art Still, Kentucky (AFCA, AP-1, FWAA, UPI-1, FN, NEA-1, TSN, WC)
  • Ross Browner, Notre Dame (AFCA, AP-1, FWAA, UPI-1, FN, NEA-1, TSN, WC)
  • John Anderson, Michigan (UPI-2)
  • Kelton Dansler, Ohio State (AP-2)
  • Willie Fry, Notre Dame (UPI-2)
  • Hugh Green, Pittsburgh (AP-2)
  • Al Harris, Arizona State (NEA-2)
  • Jerry DeLoach, California (AP-3)
  • Chuck Schott, Army (AP-3)

Defensive tackles

  • Brad Shearer, Texas (AFCA, AP-1, FWAA, UPI-1, FN, NEA-1, TSN, WC)
  • Randy Holloway, Pittsburgh (AFCA, AP-2, FWAA, UPI-1, FN, NEA-1, TSN, WC)
  • Dee Hardison, North Carolina (AP-1, FWAA, UPI-2, FN, NEA-2)
  • Mike Bell, Colorado State (AP-2)
  • Manu Tuiasosopo, UCLA (UPI-2)
  • Mekeli Ieremia, Brigham Young (NEA-2)
  • Larry Bethea, Michigan State (AP-3, NEA-2 [DE])
  • Jimmy Walker, Arkansas (AP-3)

Middle guards

  • Aaron Brown, Ohio St. (AFCA, UPI-2, WC)
  • Reggie Kinlaw, Oklahoma (AP-3, UPI-1)
  • Randy Sidler, Penn State (AP-1)
  • Don Latimer, Pittsburgh (AP-2)

Linebackers

  • Jerry Robinson, UCLA (AFCA, AP-1, FWAA, UPI-1, FN, NEA-1, WC)
  • Tom Cousineau, Ohio State (AP-2, FWAA, UPI-1, NEA-2, WC)
  • Gary Spani, Kansas St. (AFCA, AP-3, UPI-1, FN, NEA-2)
  • Mike Woods, Cincinnati (AP-1, NEA-1, TSN)
  • Lucius Sanford, Georgia Tech (AFCA, AP-2, UPI-2, TSN)
  • Clay Matthews, Jr., USC (NEA-1, TSN)
  • Daryl Hunt, Oklahoma (AP-3, UPI-2, FN, WC)
  • John Anderson, Michigan (FWAA)
  • George Cumby, Oklahoma (AP-1)
  • Bob Golic, Notre Dame (AP-2, UPI-2)
  • Harold Randolph, East Carolina (NEA-2)
  • Michael Jackson, Washington (AP-3)

Defensive backs

  • Zac Henderson, Oklahoma (AFCA, AP-1, FWAA, UPI-1, FN, NEA-1, WC)
  • Dennis Thurman, USC (AFCA, AP-1, FWAA, UPI-1, FN, NEA-2, WC)
  • Luther Bradley, Notre Dame (AFCA, AP-2, UPI-1, FN, NEA-2, TSN, WC)
  • Bob Jury, Pittsburgh (AP-1, FWAA, UPI-2, NEA-2, TSN, WC)
  • Keith Simpson, Memphis State (NEA-1, TSN)
  • Ray Griffin, Ohio State (UPI-2, NEA-1, TSN)
  • Ken Greene, Washington State (NEA-1)
  • Dwight Hicks, Michigan (AP-2)
  • Bill Krug, Georgia (UPI-2)
  • Charles Williams, Jackson State (AP-2)
  • Eric Felton, Texas Tech (NEA-2)
  • Larry Anderson, Louisiana Tech (AP-3)
  • Ron Johnson, Eastern Michigan (AP-3)
  • John Sturges, Navy (AP-3)

Special teams

Kickers

  • Steve Little, Arkansas (FWAA, UPI-1, NEA-1, TSN)
  • Tony Franklin, Texas A&M (NEA-2)

Punters

  • Russell Erxleben, Texas (FWAA, UPI-2, NEA-1, TSN)
  • Johnny Evans, NC State (NEA-2)

Key

  • Bold – Consensus All-American
  • -1 – First-team selection
  • -2 – Second-team selection
  • -3 – Third-team selection

Official selectors

  • AFCA – American Football Coaches Association, selected by more than 2,000 members for Kodak
  • AP – Associated Press
  • FWAA – Football Writers Association of America
  • UPI – United Press International

Other selectors

  • FN – Football News
  • NEA – Newspaper Enterprise Association
  • TSN – The Sporting News
  • WC – Walter Camp Football Foundation

References

References

  1. This column lists the number of selectors choosing the player as a first-team All-American as follows: official selectors/other selectors/total selectors.
  2. (2016). "Football Award Winners". [[National Collegiate Athletic Association]] (NCAA).
  3. (November 24, 1977). "All-American squad named". Las Cruces (NM) Sun-News.
  4. (November 30, 1977). "Grambling Senior QB Named to AP Team". Beckley (WV) Post-Herald.
  5. "FWAA All-America Since 1944: The All-Time Team".
  6. (December 2, 1977). "UPI All-America". St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
  7. (November 20, 1977). "College football". St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
  8. (December 8, 1977). "Campbell, Browner top All Americans". The Waxahachie Daily Light.
  9. (December 7, 1977). "All America teams: Sporting News". The Courier-Journal (Louisville).
  10. (December 13, 1977). "Irish, Pittsburgh, Buckeyes dominate Camp All-America". Alamogordo Daily News.
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