1972 College Football All-America Team

The 1972 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 1972. The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) recognizes six selectors as "official" for the 1972 season. They are:[1] (1) the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) which selected its team for Kodak based on a vote of the nation's coaches;[2] (2) the Associated Press (AP) selected based on the votes of sports writers at AP newspapers;[3] (3) the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA) selected by the nation's football writers;[4] (4) the Newspaper Enterprise Association (NEA) selected based on the votes of sports writers at NEA newspapers;[5] (5) the United Press International (UPI) selected based on the votes of sports writers at UPI newspapers;[6] and (6) the Walter Camp Football Foundation (WC).

Eight players are recognized by the NCAA as unanimous All-America selections. They are: (1) wide receiver and 1972 Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Rodgers of Nebraska; (2) tight end Charles Young of USC; (3) offensive tackle Jerry Sisemore of Texas; (4) offensive guard John Hannah of Alabama; (5) running back Greg Pruitt of Oklahoma; (6) defensive tackle Greg Marx of Notre Dame; (7) middle guard Rich Glover of Nebraska; and (8) defensive back Brad Van Pelt of Michigan State.[7]

Consensus All-Americans

The following chart identifies the NCAA-recognized consensus All-Americans for the year 1972 and displays which first-team designations they received.

Name	Position	School	Number	Official	Other
Rich Glover	Middle guard	Nebraska	6/3/9	AFCA, AP, FWAA, NEA, UPI, WC	FN, Time, TSN
John Hannah	Offensive guard	Alabama	6/3/9	AFCA, AP, FWAA, NEA, UPI, WC	FN, Time, TSN
Greg Marx	Defensive tackle	Notre Dame	6/3/9	AFCA, AP, FWAA, NEA, UPI, WC	FN, Time, TSN
Johnny Rodgers	Wide receiver	Nebraska	6/3/9	AFCA, AP, FWAA, NEA, UPI, WC	FN, Time, TSN
Jerry Sisemore	Offensive tackle	Texas	6/3/9	AFCA, AP, FWAA, NEA, UPI, WC	FN, Time, TSN
Charle Young	Tight end	USC	6/3/9	AFCA, AP, FWAA, NEA, UPI, WC	FN, Time, TSN
Greg Pruitt	Running back	Oklahoma	6/2/8	AFCA, AP, FWAA, NEA, UPI, WC	FN, TSN
Brad Van Pelt	Defensive back	Michigan State	6/2/8	AFCA, AP, FWAA, NEA, UPI, WC	Time, TSN
Tom Brahaney	Center	Oklahoma	5/3/8	AP, FWAA, NEA, UPI, WC	FN, Time, TSN
Willie Harper	Defensive end	Nebraska	5/2/7	AFCA, AP, NEA, UPI, WC	FN, TSN
Dave Butz	Defensive tackle	Purdue	4/2/6	AFCA, NEA, UPI, WC	Time, TSN
Bert Jones	Quarterback	LSU	3/3/6	AFCA, NEA, UPI	FN, Time, TSN
Otis Armstrong	Running back	Purdue	4/1/5	AP, FWAA, UPI, WC	TSN
Bruce Bannon	Defensive end	Penn State	4/1/5	AFCA, NEA, UPI, WC	FN
Randy Gradishar	Linebacker	Ohio State	4/1/5	AFCA, AP, FWAA, UPI	FN
Cullen Bryant	Defensive back	Colorado	3/2/5	AFCA, NEA, UPI	Time, TSN
Paul Seymour	Offensive tackle	Michigan	3/2/5	AFCA, FWAA, NEA	Time, TSN
Ron Rusnak	Offensive guard	North Carolina	4/0/4	AFCA, AP, FWAA, UPI	--
Randy Logan	Defensive back	Michigan	3/1/4	AFCA, UPI, WC	FN
Woody Green	Running back	Arizona State	3/0/3	AP, NEA, UPI	--
Robert Popelka	Defensive back	SMU	3/0/3	AP, FWAA, WC	--
John Skorupan	Linebacker	Penn State	3/0/3	AP, FWAA, NEA	--

Offense

Receivers

• Johnny Rodgers, Nebraska (AFCA [flanker], AP-1, FWAA, NEA-1, UPI-1, WC, FN, Time TSN)
• Steve Holden, Arizona State (FWAA, NEA-2, TSN, Time, FN)
• Barry Smith, Florida State (AFCA [off. end], AP-2, UPI-2)
• Jason Caldwell, North Carolina Central (NEA-2)
• Mike Creaney, Notre Dame (AP-3 [TE])

Tight ends

• Charle Young, USC (AFCA [off. end], AP-1, FWAA, NEA-1, UPI-1, WC, FN, Time, TSN)
• Billy Joe DuPree, Michigan State (NEA-2)
• Al Chandler, Oklahoma (UPI-2)
• Gary Butler, Rice (AP-2)
• Steve Sweeney, California (AP-3)
• Daryl White, Nebraska (AP-3 [OT], NEA-1)

Tackles

• Jerry Sisemore, Texas (AFCA, AP-1, FWAA, NEA-1, UPI-1, WC, TSN, Time, FN)
• Paul Seymour, Michigan (AFCA, AP-2, FWAA, NEA-1, UPI-2, Time, TSN)
• John Hicks, Ohio State (AP-1, UPI-2, WC, NEA-1 [OG])
• Pete Adams, USC (AP-2, NEA-2, UPI-1, Time)
• John Dampeer, Notre Dame (FN)
• Curtis Wester, East Texas State (NEA-2)
• Bruce Walton, UCLA (AP-3)

Guards

• John Hannah, Alabama (AFCA, AP-1, FWAA, NEA-1, UPI-1, WC, FN, Time, TSN)
• Ron Rusnak, North Carolina (AFCA, AP-1, FWAA, UPI-1)
• Skip Singletary, Temple (AP-2, NEA-2, UPI-2, WC)
• Joe DeLamielleure, Michigan State (AP-2, TSN)
• Geary Murdock, Iowa State (FN)
• Ken Jones, Oklahoma (AP-3, UPI-2)
• Larry Ulmer, Western Michigan (AP-3)

Centers

• Tom Brahaney, Oklahoma (AP-1, UPI-1, NEA-1, WC, FWAA, TSN, Time, FN)
• Jim Krapf, Alabama (AFCA, UPI-2)
• Doug Dumler, Nebraska (NEA-2)
• Orderia Mitchell, Air Force (AP-2)
• Gerald Schultze, West Virginia (AP-3)

Quarterbacks

• Bert Jones, LSU (AFCA, NEA-1, UPI-1, FN, Time, TSN)
• John Hufnagel, Penn State (AP-1, WC)
• Gary Huff, Florida State (FWAA, NEA-2, UPI-2)
• Tony Adams, Utah State (AP-2)
• Don Strock, Virginia Tech (AP-3)

Running backs

• Greg Pruitt, Oklahoma (AFCA [HB], AP-1, FWAA, NEA-1 [WR], UPI-1, WC, FN, TSN)
• Otis Armstrong, Purdue (AP-1, FWAA, UPI-1, WC, TSN)
• Woody Green, Arizona State (AP-1, NEA-1, UPI-1)
• Dick Jauron, Yale (AFCA [HB], AP-2, WC)
• Sam Cunningham, USC (AFCA [FB], NEA-1)
• George Amundson, Iowa State (NEA-2)
• Howard Stevens, Louisville (AP-2, NEA-2, UPI-2)
• Roosevelt Leaks, Texas (AP-2)
• Charlie Davis, Colorado (UPI-2)
• Anthony Davis, USC (UPI-2)
• Bob Hitchens, Miami (OH) (AP-3)
• Steve Jones, Duke (AP-3)
• Pete Van Valkenburg, BYU (AP-3)

Defense

Defensive ends

• Willie Harper, Nebraska (AFCA [LB], AP-1, NEA-1, UPI-1, WC, FN, TSN)
• Bruce Bannon, Penn State (AFCA, AP-2, NEA-1, UPI-1, WC, FN)
• Wally Chambers, Eastern Kentucky (NEA-2, TSN, Time)
• John Matuszak, Tampa (AP-3 [DT], NEA-2 [DT], TSN, Time)
• Ernie Price, Texas A&I (NEA-2)
• Tab Bennett, Illinois (UPI-2)
• Danny Sanspree, Auburn (AP-2)
• Steve Bogosian, Army (AP-3)
• Merv Krakau, Iowa State (AP-3)

Defensive tackles

• Greg Marx, Notre Dame (AFCA [DE], AP-1, FWAA, NEA-1, UPI-1, WC, FN, Time, TSN)
• Dave Butz, Purdue (UPI-1, NEA-1, WC, AFCA, TSN, Time)
• Roger Goree, Baylor (AP-1 [DE], FWAA, UPI-2 [DE])
• John Grant, Southern California (AP-2, FWAA)
• Derland Moore, Oklahoma (AP-1, UPI-2)
• John LeHeup, South Carolina (AFCA)
• Bud Magram, Colorado (FWAA, UPI-2 [LB])
• George Hasenohrl, Ohio State (AP-2, UPI-2, FN)
• Bob Leyen, Yale (NEA-2)
• Charlie Davis, Texas Christian (AP-3)

Middle guards

• Rich Glover, Nebraska (AFCA, AP-1, FWAA, NEA-1, UPI-1, WC, FN, Time TSN)
• Don Rives, Texas Tech (AP-2)
• Lucious Selmon, Oklahoma (UPI-2)
• Tony Cristiani, Miami (FL) (AP-3)

Linebackers

• Randy Gradishar, Ohio State (AFCA, AP-1, FWAA, UPI-1, FN)
• John Skorupan, Penn State (AP-1, FWAA, NEA-1)
• Steve Brown, Oregon State (AP-3, NEA-1, WC, Time, TSN)
• Jamie Rotella, Tennessee (AFCA, AP-2, UPI-1, FN)
• Rich Wood, USC (AP-1, NEA-2 [MG], UPI-2, FN)
• Jim Youngblood, Tennessee Tech (NEA-1, Time)
• Tom Jackson, Louisville (AP-2, WC)
• Warren Capone, LSU (FWAA)
• John Mitchell, Alabama (AFCA)
• Jackie Wallace, Arizona (NEA-2, UPI-2)
• Conrad Graham, Tennessee (NEA-2)
• Matt Blair, Iowa State (NEA-2)
• Glen Gaspard, Texas (AP-2)
• Jim Merlo, Stanford (AP-3)
• Eddie Sheats, Kansas (AP-3)

Defensive backs

• Brad Van Pelt, Michigan State (AFCA, AP-1, FWAA, NEA-1, UPI-1, WC, Time, TSN)
• Cullen Bryant, Colorado (AFCA, AP-3, NEA-1, UPI-1, Time, TSN)
• Randy Logan, Michigan (AFCA, AP-2, NEA-2, UPI-1, WC, FN)
• Robert Popelka, Southern Methodist (AP-1, FWAA, UPI-2, WC)
• Burgess Owens, Miami (NEA-2, TSN, Time)
• Jackie Wallace, Arizona State (AP-3, Time, TSN)
• Conrad Graham, Tennessee (UPI-1, FN)
• Randy Rhino, Georgia Tech (AP-2, FWAA)
• Calvin Jones, Washington (AP-1, UPI-2)
• Drane Scrivener, Tulsa (NEA-1)
• Frank Dowsing, Mississippi State (FN)
• Joe Blahak, Nebraska (AP-2, UPI-2)
• Jim Thomas, Florida State (NEA-2)
• John Provost, Holy Cross (AP-3)

Special teams

Kickers

• Ricky Townsend, Tennessee (FWAA)
• Chris Gartner, Indiana (TSN)

Punters

• Ray Guy, Southern Miss (FWAA, WC [DB], TSN, Time)

Key

• Bold – Consensus All-American[7]
• -1 – First-team selection
• -2 – Second-team selection
• -3 – Third-team selection

Official selectors

• AFCA – American Football Coaches Association for Kodak[2]
• AP – Associated Press[3]
• FWAA – Football Writers Association of America[4]
• NEA – Newspaper Enterprise Association[5]
• UPI – United Press International[6]
• WC = Walter Camp Football Foundation

Other selectors

• FN – Football News
• PFW – Pro Football Weekly
• Time – Time magazine
• TSN – The Sporting News

See also

• 1972 All-Big Eight Conference football team
• 1972 All-Big Ten Conference football team
• 1972 All-Pacific-8 Conference football team
• 1972 All-SEC football team
• 1972 All-Southwest Conference football team

References

1. "Football Award Winners" (PDF). National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). 2016. p. 3. Retrieved March 17, 2017.
2. "Kodak All-America Picks". Fairbanks Daily News-Miner. November 24, 1972. p. 13.
3. "Southern Cal, Nebraska Head AP All-America". The Bee (Danville, VA). December 7, 1972. p. D1.
4. "Huff Gets Spot On Writers 11". Panama City News-Herald (Panama City, Florida). November 30, 1972. p. 27.
5. "All America Team Named". The Herald (Provo, UT). November 29, 1972. p. 8.
6. "UPI All-Americans". The Republic (Columbus, Indiana). December 6, 1972. p. 20.
7. "Football Award Winners" (PDF). National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). 2016. p. 10. Retrieved October 21, 2017.