Link: https://www.espn.com/college-footba...erica-team-college-football-150th-anniversary
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.
You may be surprised that the school that put four players on this team hasn't won a national championship since 1976. But with that many Pitt Panthers, I suppose that means the sports information director has to be Beano Cook, who served the school in that capacity in the 1950s. -- Ivan Maisel
ESPN ALL-TIME ALL-AMERICA TEAM
First Team
QB - Roger Staubach, Navy (1962-64)
Pass Yds: 3,571 | Rush Yds: 682 | TD: 35
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. After four years in the Navy, including a tour in Vietnam, Staubach joined the Cowboys in 1969 and led them to the Super Bowl four times, including victories in 1972 and '78.
RB - Jim Brown, Syracuse (1954-56)
Rush Yds: 2,091 | TD: 26 | Interceptions: 8
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. He was also the Orange's place-kicker and scored 43 points -- on six touchdowns and seven extra points -- in a 61-7 decision over Colgate in 1956.
RB - Herschel Walker, Georgia (1980-82)
Rush Yds: 5,259 | TD: 52 | Rush Yds Per Game: 159.4
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. The Bulldogs went 33-3 during his three seasons.
WR - Jerry Rice, Mississippi Valley State (1981-84)
Rec: 301 | Rec Yds: 4,693 | Rec TD: 50
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. Rice still holds FCS records for catches in a game (24), touchdown catches in a season (27) and yards per game in a season (168.2), among others.
WR - Larry Fitzgerald, Pittsburgh (2002-03)
Rec: 161 | Rec Yds: 2,677 | TD: 34
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. Before leaving for the 2004 NFL draft, he set or tied four FBS, eight Big East and 11 Pitt records.
TE - Mike Ditka, Pittsburgh (1958-60)
Rec: 45 | Rec Yds: 730 | TD: 7
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. He also played on Pitt's baseball and basketball teams and was an intramural wrestling champion.
C - Chuck Bednarik, Pennsylvania (1945-48)
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. Since 1995, the Chuck Bednarik Award has been given to college football's best defensive player.
OT - Orlando Pace, Ohio State (1994-96)
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. Louis Rams in the 1997 NFL draft.
OT - Bill Fralic, Pittsburgh (1981-84)
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. According to Pittsburgh's sports information department, the Panthers devised the term "pancake block" to calculate how many times Fralic put an opponent on his back.
OG - John Hannah, Alabama (1970-72)
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. Hannah played 13 seasons for the New England Patriots and was named to the NFL All-Time Team.
OG - Jim Parker, Ohio State (1954-56)
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. In 1973, Parker became the first full-time offensive lineman inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
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DE - Hugh Green, Pittsburgh (1977-80)
Sacks: 49 | Tackles: 441
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. The Panthers went 39-8-1 during Green's four seasons, when he started every contest but one.
DE - Reggie White, Tennessee (1980-83)
Sacks: 32 | Tackles: 293 | Fumble Recoveries: 4
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. "He could turn a football game around like no one else."
DT - Bronko Nagurski, Minnesota (1927-29)
Rush Yds: 557 | TD: 6
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. It would be something close to murder and massacre." That's the reason the Bronko Nagurski Trophy is given to the best defensive player every season.
DT - Lee Roy Selmon, Oklahoma (1972-75)
Tackles: 335 | Fumble Recoveries: 8
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. "No Sooner player cast a longer shadow over its rich tradition than Lee Roy," Switzer said, after Selmon died of a stroke in 2012.
LB - Dick Butkus, Illinois (1962-64)
Tackles: 374 | Tackles Per Game: 14.4
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. In 1985, a trophy awarded to the best linebacker in college football was named in his honor.
LB - Lawrence Taylor, North Carolina (1977-80)
Sacks: 21 | Tackles for Loss: 33 | Tackles: 192
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. The Tar Heels finished 11-1 and claimed their last ACC title in 1980.
LB - Tommy Nobis, Texas (1963-65)
Interceptions: 7
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. Nobis was a two-time All-American in 1964 and '65, averaged nearly 20 tackles per game, and won the Outland Trophy and Maxwell Award as a senior.
CB - Deion Sanders, Florida State (1985-88)
Interceptions: 14 | Punt Return TD: 3 | Punt Return Yds: 1,429
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. He was a unanimous All-American in 1987 and '88 and won the Thorpe Award as the sport's best defensive back as a senior.
CB - Charles Woodson, Michigan (1995-97)
Interceptions: 18 | Tackles: 162 | Total TD: 6
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. Most importantly, he helped the Wolverines win their first national title since 1948.
S - Jack Tatum, Ohio State (1968-70)
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. Tatum was a two-time All-American and placed seventh in Heisman voting as a senior.
S - Ronnie Lott, USC (1977-80)
Tackles: 250 | Interceptions: 14 | Fumble Recoveries: 10
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. The Lott IMPACT Trophy is given to the sport's impact defensive player each season.
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K - Sebastian Janakowski, Florida State (1997-99)
Points: 323 | Field Goals Made: 66 | PAT's Made: 125
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. He set FSU and ACC records with 27 field goals in 1998.
P - Ray Guy, Southern Mississippi (1970-72)
Punt Average: 44 yards | Longest Punt: 93 yards
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. He was the first punter ever selected in the first round of the NFL draft, and he won three Super Bowl titles in a 14-year career with the Oakland Raiders.
AP - Johnny Rodgers, Nebraska (1970-72)
Receiving Yds: 2,479 | Punt Return Yds: 1,515 | Punt Return TD: 7
Johnny "The Jet" Rodgers helped the Cornhuskers win their first two national championships, in 1970 and 1971, with his scintillating kick and punt returns and big plays on offense. In 1972, he became the Nebraska's first Heisman Trophy winner -- and the 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 all-time lead, and averaged 13.8 yards each time he touched the ball. He is Nebraska's all-time leader with 25 touchdown catches and 1,515 punt return yards.
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.
You may be surprised that the school that put four players on this team hasn't won a national championship since 1976. But with that many Pitt Panthers, I suppose that means the sports information director has to be Beano Cook, who served the school in that capacity in the 1950s. -- Ivan Maisel
ESPN ALL-TIME ALL-AMERICA TEAM
First Team
QB - Roger Staubach, Navy (1962-64)
Pass Yds: 3,571 | Rush Yds: 682 | TD: 35
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. After four years in the Navy, including a tour in Vietnam, Staubach joined the Cowboys in 1969 and led them to the Super Bowl four times, including victories in 1972 and '78.
RB - Jim Brown, Syracuse (1954-56)
Rush Yds: 2,091 | TD: 26 | Interceptions: 8
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. He was also the Orange's place-kicker and scored 43 points -- on six touchdowns and seven extra points -- in a 61-7 decision over Colgate in 1956.
RB - Herschel Walker, Georgia (1980-82)
Rush Yds: 5,259 | TD: 52 | Rush Yds Per Game: 159.4
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. The Bulldogs went 33-3 during his three seasons.
WR - Jerry Rice, Mississippi Valley State (1981-84)
Rec: 301 | Rec Yds: 4,693 | Rec TD: 50
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. Rice still holds FCS records for catches in a game (24), touchdown catches in a season (27) and yards per game in a season (168.2), among others.
WR - Larry Fitzgerald, Pittsburgh (2002-03)
Rec: 161 | Rec Yds: 2,677 | TD: 34
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. Before leaving for the 2004 NFL draft, he set or tied four FBS, eight Big East and 11 Pitt records.
TE - Mike Ditka, Pittsburgh (1958-60)
Rec: 45 | Rec Yds: 730 | TD: 7
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. He also played on Pitt's baseball and basketball teams and was an intramural wrestling champion.
C - Chuck Bednarik, Pennsylvania (1945-48)
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. Since 1995, the Chuck Bednarik Award has been given to college football's best defensive player.
OT - Orlando Pace, Ohio State (1994-96)
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. Louis Rams in the 1997 NFL draft.
OT - Bill Fralic, Pittsburgh (1981-84)
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. According to Pittsburgh's sports information department, the Panthers devised the term "pancake block" to calculate how many times Fralic put an opponent on his back.
OG - John Hannah, Alabama (1970-72)
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. Hannah played 13 seasons for the New England Patriots and was named to the NFL All-Time Team.
OG - Jim Parker, Ohio State (1954-56)
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. In 1973, Parker became the first full-time offensive lineman inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
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DE - Hugh Green, Pittsburgh (1977-80)
Sacks: 49 | Tackles: 441
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. The Panthers went 39-8-1 during Green's four seasons, when he started every contest but one.
DE - Reggie White, Tennessee (1980-83)
Sacks: 32 | Tackles: 293 | Fumble Recoveries: 4
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. "He could turn a football game around like no one else."
DT - Bronko Nagurski, Minnesota (1927-29)
Rush Yds: 557 | TD: 6
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. It would be something close to murder and massacre." That's the reason the Bronko Nagurski Trophy is given to the best defensive player every season.
DT - Lee Roy Selmon, Oklahoma (1972-75)
Tackles: 335 | Fumble Recoveries: 8
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. "No Sooner player cast a longer shadow over its rich tradition than Lee Roy," Switzer said, after Selmon died of a stroke in 2012.
LB - Dick Butkus, Illinois (1962-64)
Tackles: 374 | Tackles Per Game: 14.4
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. In 1985, a trophy awarded to the best linebacker in college football was named in his honor.
LB - Lawrence Taylor, North Carolina (1977-80)
Sacks: 21 | Tackles for Loss: 33 | Tackles: 192
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. The Tar Heels finished 11-1 and claimed their last ACC title in 1980.
LB - Tommy Nobis, Texas (1963-65)
Interceptions: 7
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. Nobis was a two-time All-American in 1964 and '65, averaged nearly 20 tackles per game, and won the Outland Trophy and Maxwell Award as a senior.
CB - Deion Sanders, Florida State (1985-88)
Interceptions: 14 | Punt Return TD: 3 | Punt Return Yds: 1,429
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. He was a unanimous All-American in 1987 and '88 and won the Thorpe Award as the sport's best defensive back as a senior.
CB - Charles Woodson, Michigan (1995-97)
Interceptions: 18 | Tackles: 162 | Total TD: 6
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. Most importantly, he helped the Wolverines win their first national title since 1948.
S - Jack Tatum, Ohio State (1968-70)
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. Tatum was a two-time All-American and placed seventh in Heisman voting as a senior.
S - Ronnie Lott, USC (1977-80)
Tackles: 250 | Interceptions: 14 | Fumble Recoveries: 10
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. The Lott IMPACT Trophy is given to the sport's impact defensive player each season.
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K - Sebastian Janakowski, Florida State (1997-99)
Points: 323 | Field Goals Made: 66 | PAT's Made: 125
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. He set FSU and ACC records with 27 field goals in 1998.
P - Ray Guy, Southern Mississippi (1970-72)
Punt Average: 44 yards | Longest Punt: 93 yards
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. He was the first punter ever selected in the first round of the NFL draft, and he won three Super Bowl titles in a 14-year career with the Oakland Raiders.
AP - Johnny Rodgers, Nebraska (1970-72)
Receiving Yds: 2,479 | Punt Return Yds: 1,515 | Punt Return TD: 7
Johnny "The Jet" Rodgers helped the Cornhuskers win their first two national championships, in 1970 and 1971, with his scintillating kick and punt returns and big plays on offense. In 1972, he became the Nebraska's first Heisman Trophy winner -- and the 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 all-time lead, and averaged 13.8 yards each time he touched the ball. He is Nebraska's all-time leader with 25 touchdown catches and 1,515 punt return yards.
