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THE WORLD-HERALD
Nebraska defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh is one of six Huskers on the FWAA 75th anniversary teams.
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Column by Lee Barfknecht / World-Herald staff writer | Updated 7 hours ago
Imagine Tommie Frazier flipping option pitches to Bo Jackson.
Or Tim Tebow dumping off a pass to Mike Ditka.
Or Archie Griffin and Herschel Walker lining up in the same backfield, with their three Heisman Trophies (plus a second-place, a third and a fifth in the voting).
Or Dick Butkus and Brian Bosworth blitzing through the same gap together.
If we could bring the Football Writers Association of America 75th anniversary teams to life, those things could happen. Since we can’t, the next best thing is dreaming about how some of these greats of the game in the post-World War II era might have meshed.
Nebraska fans will find plenty to like while looking through the first, second and third teams of 25 players each.
The Huskers have the most first-team selections (four) and the most overall picks (six).
The first-teamers are return specialist Johnny Rodgers, center Dave Rimington, offensive lineman Will Shields and defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh. Two Nebraskans made the third team: quarterback Tommie Frazier and offensive lineman Dean Steinkuhler.
Next with five overall selections were Ohio State and Pittsburgh. Schools with four were Alabama, Oklahoma and Texas. Those with three were Florida State, Georgia, Michigan and USC.
Iowa got a second-team spot with offensive lineman Calvin Jones, the 1955 Outland Trophy winner. Iowa State had no eligible candidates.
That’s a lot of blue blood from royalty programs. But the teams weren’t limited to players from big-name schools. You’ll see Mississippi Valley State (wide receiver Jerry Rice), Kentucky (return specialist Derek Abney) and Louisiana Tech (offensive lineman Willie Roaf) represented.
As proof that on-the-field college performance was the key criterion for selection, note that the second team includes a felon.
Punter Russell Erxleben, a three-time All-American at Texas, is serving a 7½-year prison term for wire fraud and money laundering from a series of foreign trading scams, including a $2 million Ponzi scheme.
So who was eligible for consideration?
To be eligible, honorees must have been a first-team FWAA All-American. (So don’t yell at me for Gale Sayers not making it. He wasn’t on the list.) The votes from our 1,400 members went to the 11-member selection committee.
I am the FWAA president this year, but don’t think that had anything to do with Nebraska having the most picks.
Our board has more than 300 years experience covering college football, and each of the 11 had just one vote. We spent 3½ delightfully draining hours without a break swapping stories, perusing statistics, voting and re-voting.
“This was one of the most fun yet difficult exercises I’ve had in life,” said committee chairman and FWAA immediate past president Kirk Bohls of the Austin American-Statesman. “It was an exciting if impossible task.”
We felt there were no wrong answers, just some more “right” than others.
Overall, 41 schools were represented. And a player from all eight decades of the FWAA was included, from SMU running back Doak Walker from the 1940s to Alabama lineman Barrett Jones from the 2010s.
The longest wrestling matches occurred in picking quarterbacks and running backs.
At quarterback, it didn’t take long to get to a final three of Navy’s Roger Staubach, Florida’s Tim Tebow and Frazier. We zeroed in on players who did big things, won big games and in some way changed the way the position was viewed or played.
All three had claims in each category. But Staubach, one of the first real run-pass threats, got the nod by winning the Heisman Trophy in 1963 — the last service-academy player to do so — and taking Navy to No. 2 nationally and a national championship matchup against No. 1 Texas.
At running back, Ohio State’s Archie Griffin got a first-team spot as the only two-time Heisman winner. Georgia’s Herschel Walker earned the other by finishing third in Heisman voting as a freshman, second as a sophomore and first as a junior.
How deep was the backfield talent pool? Oklahoma State’s Barry Sanders was second team, Auburn’s Bo Jackson was third team and USC’s Marcus Allen and Nebraska’s Mike Rozier, both Heisman winners with nearly 5,000 yards rushing, didn’t make the cut.
Upon review, I would take any of the three teams against the others.
How about that third-team defensive front of Michigan State’s Bubba Smith, Florida’s Jack Youngblood, Washington’s Steve Emtman and Tennessee’s Reggie White? Or a second-team offensive line that includes UCLA’s Jonathan Ogden, Ohio State’s John Hicks and Pittsburgh’s Bill Fralic?
So there you have it. Cuss it, discuss it and hash it out with friends and family. Let us know what you think. My email is at the bottom and the Football Writers organization is on Twitter (@TheFWAA).
May this help tide you over until toe meets leather on Sept. 3.
75th FWAA All-America teams
FIRST TEAM
OFFENSE
Roger Staubach, QB, Navy (1962-64)
Herschel Walker, RB, Georgia (1980-82)
Archie Griffin, RB, Ohio State (1972-75)
Keith Jackson, TE, Oklahoma (1984-87)
Jerry Rice, WR, Miss. Valley St. (1981-84)
Larry Fitzgerald, WR, Pittsburgh (2002-03)
Dave Rimington, C, Nebraska (1979-82)
Orlando Pace, OL, Ohio State (1994-96)
Will Shields, OL, Nebraska (1989-92)
Ron Yary, OL, USC (1965-67)
John Hannah, OL, Alabama (1970-72)
DEFENSE
Ted Hendricks, DE, Miami (Fla.) (1966-68)
Lee Roy Selmon, DT, Oklahoma (1972-75)
Ndamukong Suh, DT, Nebraska (2005-09)
Leon Hart, DE, Notre Dame (1946-49)
Tommy Nobis, LB, Texas (1963-65)
Mike Singletary, LB, Baylor (1977-80)
Derrick Thomas, LB, Alabama (1985-88)
Jack Tatum, DB, Ohio State (1968-70)
Charles Woodson, DB, Michigan (1995-97)
Deion Sanders, DB, Florida State (1985-88)
Ronnie Lott, DB, USC (1977-80)
SPECIALISTS
Ray Guy, P, S. Mississippi (1970-72)
Kevin Butler, K, Georgia (1981-84)
Johnny Rodgers, RET, Nebraska (1970-72)
SECOND TEAM
OFFENSE
Tim Tebow, QB, Florida (2006-09)
Tony Dorsett, RB, Pittsburgh (1973-76)
Barry Sanders, RB, Oklahoma State (1986-88)
Mike Ditka, TE, Pittsburgh (1958-60)
Randy Moss, WR, Marshall (1996-97)
Fred Biletnikoff, WR, Florida State (1962-64)
Chuck Bednarik, C, Penn (1945-48)
Calvin Jones, OL, Iowa (1953-55)
Jonathan Ogden, OL, UCLA (1992-95)
John Hicks, OL, Ohio State (1970, 72-73)
Bill Fralic, OL, Pittsburgh (1981-84)
DEFENSE
Bruce Smith, DE, Virginia Tech (1981-84)
Merlin Olsen, DT, Utah State (1959-61)
Randy White, DT, Maryland (1972-74)
Hugh Green, DE, Pittsburgh (1977-80)
Dick Butkus, LB, Illinois (1962-64)
Brian Bosworth, LB, Oklahoma (1984-86)
Luke Kuechly, LB, Boston College (2009-11)
Jerry Gray, DB, Texas (1981-84)
Ed Reed, DB, Miami (Fla.) (1998-2001)
Kenny Easley, DB, UCLA (1977-80)
Champ Bailey, DB, Georgia (1996-98)
SPECIALISTS
Russell Erxleben, P, Texas (1975-78)
Mason Crosby, K, Colorado (2003-06)
Raghib Ismail, RET, Notre Dame (1988-90)
THIRD TEAM
OFFENSE
Tommie Frazier, QB, Nebraska (1992-95)
Doak Walker, RB, SMU (1945, 1947-49)
Bo Jackson, RB, Auburn (1982-85)
Gordon Hudson, TE, BYU (1980-83)
Calvin Johnson, WR, Georgia Tech (2004-06)
Anthony Carter, WR, Michigan (1979-82)
Jim Ritcher, C, N. Carolina St. (1976-79)
Willie Roaf, OL, Louisiana Tech (1989-92)
Barrett Jones, OL, Alabama (2009-12)
Jerry Sisemore, OL, Texas (1970-72)
Dean Steinkuhler, OL, Nebraska (1980-83)
DEFENSE
Bubba Smith, DE, Michigan State (1964-66)
Steve Emtman, DT, Washington (1989-91)
Reggie White, DT, Tennessee (1980-83)
Jack Youngblood, DE, Florida (1968-70)
Lee Roy Jordan, LB, Alabama (1960-62)
Jack Ham, LB, Penn State (1968-70)
Chris Spielman, LB, Ohio State (1984-87)
Dave Brown, DB, Michigan (1972-74)
Dre Bly, DB, North Carolina (1996-98)
Roy Williams, DB, Oklahoma (1999-2001)
Troy Polamalu, DB, USC (1999-2002)
SPECIALISTS
Rohn Stark, P, Florida State (1978-81)
Tony Franklin, K, Texas A&M (1975-78)
Derek Abney, RET, Kentucky (2000-03)
Contact the writer:
402-444-1024, lee.barfknecht@owh.com, twitter.com/leebeeowh
1 imageTHE WORLD-HERALD
Nebraska defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh is one of six Huskers on the FWAA 75th anniversary teams.
Share on facebookShare on twitterShare on pinterest_shareMore Sharing Services2
Column by Lee Barfknecht / World-Herald staff writer | Updated 7 hours ago
Imagine Tommie Frazier flipping option pitches to Bo Jackson.
Or Tim Tebow dumping off a pass to Mike Ditka.
Or Archie Griffin and Herschel Walker lining up in the same backfield, with their three Heisman Trophies (plus a second-place, a third and a fifth in the voting).
Or Dick Butkus and Brian Bosworth blitzing through the same gap together.
If we could bring the Football Writers Association of America 75th anniversary teams to life, those things could happen. Since we can’t, the next best thing is dreaming about how some of these greats of the game in the post-World War II era might have meshed.
Nebraska fans will find plenty to like while looking through the first, second and third teams of 25 players each.
The Huskers have the most first-team selections (four) and the most overall picks (six).
The first-teamers are return specialist Johnny Rodgers, center Dave Rimington, offensive lineman Will Shields and defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh. Two Nebraskans made the third team: quarterback Tommie Frazier and offensive lineman Dean Steinkuhler.
Next with five overall selections were Ohio State and Pittsburgh. Schools with four were Alabama, Oklahoma and Texas. Those with three were Florida State, Georgia, Michigan and USC.
Iowa got a second-team spot with offensive lineman Calvin Jones, the 1955 Outland Trophy winner. Iowa State had no eligible candidates.
That’s a lot of blue blood from royalty programs. But the teams weren’t limited to players from big-name schools. You’ll see Mississippi Valley State (wide receiver Jerry Rice), Kentucky (return specialist Derek Abney) and Louisiana Tech (offensive lineman Willie Roaf) represented.
As proof that on-the-field college performance was the key criterion for selection, note that the second team includes a felon.
Punter Russell Erxleben, a three-time All-American at Texas, is serving a 7½-year prison term for wire fraud and money laundering from a series of foreign trading scams, including a $2 million Ponzi scheme.
So who was eligible for consideration?
To be eligible, honorees must have been a first-team FWAA All-American. (So don’t yell at me for Gale Sayers not making it. He wasn’t on the list.) The votes from our 1,400 members went to the 11-member selection committee.
I am the FWAA president this year, but don’t think that had anything to do with Nebraska having the most picks.
Our board has more than 300 years experience covering college football, and each of the 11 had just one vote. We spent 3½ delightfully draining hours without a break swapping stories, perusing statistics, voting and re-voting.
“This was one of the most fun yet difficult exercises I’ve had in life,” said committee chairman and FWAA immediate past president Kirk Bohls of the Austin American-Statesman. “It was an exciting if impossible task.”
We felt there were no wrong answers, just some more “right” than others.
Overall, 41 schools were represented. And a player from all eight decades of the FWAA was included, from SMU running back Doak Walker from the 1940s to Alabama lineman Barrett Jones from the 2010s.
The longest wrestling matches occurred in picking quarterbacks and running backs.
At quarterback, it didn’t take long to get to a final three of Navy’s Roger Staubach, Florida’s Tim Tebow and Frazier. We zeroed in on players who did big things, won big games and in some way changed the way the position was viewed or played.
All three had claims in each category. But Staubach, one of the first real run-pass threats, got the nod by winning the Heisman Trophy in 1963 — the last service-academy player to do so — and taking Navy to No. 2 nationally and a national championship matchup against No. 1 Texas.
At running back, Ohio State’s Archie Griffin got a first-team spot as the only two-time Heisman winner. Georgia’s Herschel Walker earned the other by finishing third in Heisman voting as a freshman, second as a sophomore and first as a junior.
How deep was the backfield talent pool? Oklahoma State’s Barry Sanders was second team, Auburn’s Bo Jackson was third team and USC’s Marcus Allen and Nebraska’s Mike Rozier, both Heisman winners with nearly 5,000 yards rushing, didn’t make the cut.
Upon review, I would take any of the three teams against the others.
How about that third-team defensive front of Michigan State’s Bubba Smith, Florida’s Jack Youngblood, Washington’s Steve Emtman and Tennessee’s Reggie White? Or a second-team offensive line that includes UCLA’s Jonathan Ogden, Ohio State’s John Hicks and Pittsburgh’s Bill Fralic?
So there you have it. Cuss it, discuss it and hash it out with friends and family. Let us know what you think. My email is at the bottom and the Football Writers organization is on Twitter (@TheFWAA).
May this help tide you over until toe meets leather on Sept. 3.
75th FWAA All-America teams
FIRST TEAM
OFFENSE
Roger Staubach, QB, Navy (1962-64)
Herschel Walker, RB, Georgia (1980-82)
Archie Griffin, RB, Ohio State (1972-75)
Keith Jackson, TE, Oklahoma (1984-87)
Jerry Rice, WR, Miss. Valley St. (1981-84)
Larry Fitzgerald, WR, Pittsburgh (2002-03)
Dave Rimington, C, Nebraska (1979-82)
Orlando Pace, OL, Ohio State (1994-96)
Will Shields, OL, Nebraska (1989-92)
Ron Yary, OL, USC (1965-67)
John Hannah, OL, Alabama (1970-72)
DEFENSE
Ted Hendricks, DE, Miami (Fla.) (1966-68)
Lee Roy Selmon, DT, Oklahoma (1972-75)
Ndamukong Suh, DT, Nebraska (2005-09)
Leon Hart, DE, Notre Dame (1946-49)
Tommy Nobis, LB, Texas (1963-65)
Mike Singletary, LB, Baylor (1977-80)
Derrick Thomas, LB, Alabama (1985-88)
Jack Tatum, DB, Ohio State (1968-70)
Charles Woodson, DB, Michigan (1995-97)
Deion Sanders, DB, Florida State (1985-88)
Ronnie Lott, DB, USC (1977-80)
SPECIALISTS
Ray Guy, P, S. Mississippi (1970-72)
Kevin Butler, K, Georgia (1981-84)
Johnny Rodgers, RET, Nebraska (1970-72)
SECOND TEAM
OFFENSE
Tim Tebow, QB, Florida (2006-09)
Tony Dorsett, RB, Pittsburgh (1973-76)
Barry Sanders, RB, Oklahoma State (1986-88)
Mike Ditka, TE, Pittsburgh (1958-60)
Randy Moss, WR, Marshall (1996-97)
Fred Biletnikoff, WR, Florida State (1962-64)
Chuck Bednarik, C, Penn (1945-48)
Calvin Jones, OL, Iowa (1953-55)
Jonathan Ogden, OL, UCLA (1992-95)
John Hicks, OL, Ohio State (1970, 72-73)
Bill Fralic, OL, Pittsburgh (1981-84)
DEFENSE
Bruce Smith, DE, Virginia Tech (1981-84)
Merlin Olsen, DT, Utah State (1959-61)
Randy White, DT, Maryland (1972-74)
Hugh Green, DE, Pittsburgh (1977-80)
Dick Butkus, LB, Illinois (1962-64)
Brian Bosworth, LB, Oklahoma (1984-86)
Luke Kuechly, LB, Boston College (2009-11)
Jerry Gray, DB, Texas (1981-84)
Ed Reed, DB, Miami (Fla.) (1998-2001)
Kenny Easley, DB, UCLA (1977-80)
Champ Bailey, DB, Georgia (1996-98)
SPECIALISTS
Russell Erxleben, P, Texas (1975-78)
Mason Crosby, K, Colorado (2003-06)
Raghib Ismail, RET, Notre Dame (1988-90)
THIRD TEAM
OFFENSE
Tommie Frazier, QB, Nebraska (1992-95)
Doak Walker, RB, SMU (1945, 1947-49)
Bo Jackson, RB, Auburn (1982-85)
Gordon Hudson, TE, BYU (1980-83)
Calvin Johnson, WR, Georgia Tech (2004-06)
Anthony Carter, WR, Michigan (1979-82)
Jim Ritcher, C, N. Carolina St. (1976-79)
Willie Roaf, OL, Louisiana Tech (1989-92)
Barrett Jones, OL, Alabama (2009-12)
Jerry Sisemore, OL, Texas (1970-72)
Dean Steinkuhler, OL, Nebraska (1980-83)
DEFENSE
Bubba Smith, DE, Michigan State (1964-66)
Steve Emtman, DT, Washington (1989-91)
Reggie White, DT, Tennessee (1980-83)
Jack Youngblood, DE, Florida (1968-70)
Lee Roy Jordan, LB, Alabama (1960-62)
Jack Ham, LB, Penn State (1968-70)
Chris Spielman, LB, Ohio State (1984-87)
Dave Brown, DB, Michigan (1972-74)
Dre Bly, DB, North Carolina (1996-98)
Roy Williams, DB, Oklahoma (1999-2001)
Troy Polamalu, DB, USC (1999-2002)
SPECIALISTS
Rohn Stark, P, Florida State (1978-81)
Tony Franklin, K, Texas A&M (1975-78)
Derek Abney, RET, Kentucky (2000-03)
Contact the writer:
402-444-1024, lee.barfknecht@owh.com, twitter.com/leebeeowh
