1961 College Football All-America Team
Official list of the best college football players of 1961
The 1961 College Football All-America 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 1961. The six selectors recognized by the NCAA as "official" for the 1961 season are (1) the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA), (2) the Associated Press (AP), (3) the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA), (4) the Newspaper Enterprise Association (NEA), (5) the Sporting News , and (6) the United Press International (UPI).
Consensus All-Americans
For the year 1961, the NCAA recognizes six published All-American teams as "official" designations for purposes of its consensus determinations. The following chart identifies the NCAA-recognized consensus All-Americans and displays which first-team designations they received.
Name
Position
School
Number
Official
Other
Roy Winston
Guard
LSU
6/6
AFCA, AP, FWAA, NEA, SN, UPI
CP, Time, WC
Ernie Davis
Halfback
Syracuse
6/6
AFCA, AP, FWAA, NEA, SN, UPI
CP, Time, WC
Bob Ferguson
Fullback
Ohio State
6/6
AFCA, AP, FWAA, NEA, SN, UPI
CP, Time, WC
Billy Neighbors
Tackle
Alabama
6/6
AFCA, AP, FWAA, NEA, SN, UPI
CP, WC
Jimmy Saxton
Halfback
Texas
6/6
AFCA, AP, FWAA, NEA, SN, UPI
CP, WC
Gary Collins
End
Maryland
5/6
AFCA, FWAA, NEA, SN, UPI
CP, Time, WC
Joe Romig
Guard
Colorado
5/6
AFCA, FWAA, NEA, SN, UPI
WC
Alex Kroll
Center
Rutgers
5/6
AFCA, AP, FWAA, NEA, UPI
WC
Sandy Stephens
Quarterback
Minnesota
5/6
AP, FWAA, NEA, SN, UPI
WC
Bill Miller
End
Miami (Fla.)
4/6
AP, FWAA, NEA, SN
Time, WC
Merlin Olsen
Tackle
Utah State
4/6
AP, FWAA, NEA, UPI
Time, WC
All-American selections for 1961
Ends
Gary Collins , Maryland (AFCA, AP-2, FWAA, NEA, SN, UPI-1, CP, Time, WC)
Bill Miller , Miami (Fla.) (AP-1, FWAA, NEA, SN, UPI-2, Time, WC)
Greg Mather, Navy (AP-3, FWAA, UPI-2, CP)
Jerry Hillebrand , Colorado (AP-1, FWAA)
Pat Richter , Wisconsin (AP-2, UPI-1)
Robert Mitinger , Penn State (AFCA, UPI-3)
Hugh Campbell , Washington State (AP-3, UPI-3)
Tackles
Billy Neighbors , Alabama (AFCA, AP-1, FWAA [guard], NEA, SN, UPI-1, CP, WC)
Merlin Olsen , Utah State (AP-1, FWAA, NEA, UPI-1, Time, WC)
Bobby Bell , Minnesota (AFCA, AP-3, FWAA, SN, UPI-2, CP)
Ed Blaine , Missouri (AP-2, FWAA)
Don Talbert , Texas (FWAA, UPI-3)
Fate Echols , Northwestern (Time)
Steve Barnett , Oregon (AP-2)
Jim Dunaway , Ole Miss (UPI-2)
Art Gregory, Duke (AP-3)
Guards
Roy Winston , LSU (AFCA, AP-1, FWAA, NEA, SN, UPI-1, CP, Time, WC)
Joe Romig , Colorado (AFCA, FWAA, NEA, SN, UPI-1, WC)
Dave Behrman , Michigan State (AP-1, FWAA, UPI-3 [tackle])
Nick Buoniconti , Notre Dame (UPI-2, CP)
Bookie Bolin , Mississippi (Time)
Mike Ingram, Ohio State (AP-2, UPI-2)
Dave Watson , Georgia Tech (AP-2)
Stan Sczurek , Purdue (AP-3, UPI-3)
Larry Vignali, Pitt (AP-3, UPI-3)
Centers
Alex Kroll , Rutgers (AFCA, AP-1, FWAA, NEA, UPI-1, WC)
Bill Van Buren , Iowa (SN, CP)
Ron Hull , UCLA (AP-2, FWAA, UPI-3)
Irv Goode , Kentucky (Time)
Larry Onesti , Northwestern (AP-3, UPI-2)
Quarterbacks
Sandy Stephens , Minnesota (AP-1, FWAA, NEA, SN, UPI-1, WC)
Roman Gabriel , North Carolina State (AFCA, AP-2, FWAA, UPI-2, Time)
John Hadl , Kansas (FWAA-1, AP-3, UPI-2)
Doug Elmore , Mississippi (CP)
Eddie Wilson , Arizona (AP-3)
Halfbacks
Ernie Davis , Syracuse (AFCA, AP-1,FWAA, NEA, SN, UPI-1, CP, Time, WC)
Jimmy Saxton , Texas (AFCA, AP-1, FWAA, NEA, SN, UPI-1, CP, WC)
Lance Alworth , Arkansas (AP-2, FWAA, UPI-2)
Ronnie Bull , Baylor (UPI-3, Time)
Pat Trammell , Alabama (AP-2, UPI-2)
Bennie McRae , Michigan (AP-3)
Dave Hoppman, Iowa State (AP-3, UPI-3)
Fullbacks
Bob Ferguson , Ohio State (AFCA, AP-1, FWAA, NEA, SN, UPI-1, CP, Time, WC)
Billy Ray Adams , Mississippi (AP-2, FWAA, UPI-3)
George Saimes , Michigan State (UPI-3)
Key
Bold – Consensus All-American[ 1]
-1 – First-team selection
-2 – Second-team selection
-3 – Third-team selection
Official selectors
Other selectors
See also
References
^ "Football Award Winners" (PDF) . National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). 2016. p. 9. Retrieved October 21, 2017 .
^ "Coaches' All-America". AFCA.
^ "Big Line Tops Classy AP All-America Team". AP.
^ "Miami's Bill Miller Chosen As All-American" . Sarasota Herald-Tribune . (Florida). Associated Press. December 8, 1961. p. 36.
^ "Giant line, brilliant backs mark AP All-America team" . Lewiston Morning Tribune . (Idaho). Associated Press. December 8, 1961. p. 18.
^ Ted Gangi (ed.). "FWAA All-America Since 1944: The All-Time Team" (PDF) . Archived from the original (PDF) on June 12, 2015. Retrieved February 8, 2015 .
^ "Collins on NEA All-America Team". Gastonia Gazette . Gastonia, NC.
^ "The Sporting News: College Football TSN All America Teams" . The Sporting News . Archived from the original on July 27, 2009. Retrieved April 19, 2009 .
^ "UPI Selects 1961 All-America Club". Salt Lake Tribune . Salt Lake, Utah.
^ "Ferguson, Davis, Romig Are Repeats On All-America Team" . Lodi News-Sentinel . (California). UPI. December 7, 1961. p. 8.
^ "Ferguson, Davis head UPI squad" . Eugene Register-Guard . (Oregon). UPI. December 7, 1961. p. 3D.
^ "Captains All-America Teams". Central Press.
^ "The Sporting News: 1961 All-America Teams". Time .
^ "All-America Teams" . Walter Camp Football Foundation. Archived from the original on December 18, 2007. Retrieved April 19, 2009 .