The 1972 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 1972. The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) recognizes six selectors as "official" for the 1972 season. They are: (1) the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) which selected its team for Kodak based on a vote of the nation's coaches; (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; (4) the Newspaper Enterprise Association (NEA) selected based on the votes of sports writers at NEA newspapers; (5) the United Press International (UPI) selected based on the votes of sports writers at UPI newspapers; 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.
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 OtherRich GloverMiddle guardNebraska6/3/9AFCA, AP, FWAA, NEA, UPI, WCFN, Time, TSNJohn HannahOffensive guardAlabama6/3/9AFCA, AP, FWAA, NEA, UPI, WCFN, Time, TSNGreg MarxDefensive tackleNotre Dame6/3/9AFCA, AP, FWAA, NEA, UPI, WCFN, Time, TSNJohnny RodgersWide receiverNebraska6/3/9AFCA, AP, FWAA, NEA, UPI, WCFN, Time, TSNJerry SisemoreOffensive tackleTexas6/3/9AFCA, AP, FWAA, NEA, UPI, WCFN, Time, TSNCharle YoungTight endUSC6/3/9AFCA, AP, FWAA, NEA, UPI, WCFN, Time, TSNGreg PruittRunning backOklahoma6/2/8AFCA, AP, FWAA, NEA, UPI, WCFN, TSNBrad Van PeltDefensive backMichigan State6/2/8AFCA, AP, FWAA, NEA, UPI, WCTime, TSNTom BrahaneyCenterOklahoma5/3/8AP, FWAA, NEA, UPI, WCFN, Time, TSNWillie HarperDefensive endNebraska5/2/7AFCA, AP, NEA, UPI, WCFN, TSNDave ButzDefensive tacklePurdue4/2/6AFCA, NEA, UPI, WCTime, TSNBert JonesQuarterbackLSU3/3/6AFCA, NEA, UPIFN, Time, TSNOtis ArmstrongRunning backPurdue4/1/5AP, FWAA, UPI, WCTSNBruce BannonDefensive endPenn State4/1/5AFCA, NEA, UPI, WCFNRandy GradisharLinebackerOhio State4/1/5AFCA, AP, FWAA, UPIFNCullen BryantDefensive backColorado3/2/5AFCA, NEA, UPITime, TSNPaul SeymourOffensive tackleMichigan3/2/5AFCA, FWAA, NEATime, TSNRon RusnakOffensive guardNorth Carolina4/0/4AFCA, AP, FWAA, UPI--Randy LoganDefensive backMichigan3/1/4AFCA, UPI, WCFNWoody GreenRunning backArizona State3/0/3AP, NEA, UPI--Robert PopelkaDefensive backSMU3/0/3AP, FWAA, WC--John SkorupanLinebackerPenn State3/0/3AP, FWAA, NEA--
Offense Receivers
Johnny Rodgers, Nebraska Steve Holden, Arizona State Barry Smith, Florida State Jason Caldwell, North Carolina Central Mike Creaney, Notre Dame
Tight ends
Charle Young, USC Billy Joe DuPree, Michigan State Al Chandler, Oklahoma Gary Butler, Rice Steve Sweeney, California Daryl White, Nebraska
Tackles
Jerry Sisemore, Texas Paul Seymour, Michigan John Hicks, Ohio State Pete Adams, USC John Dampeer, Notre Dame Curtis Wester, East Texas State Bruce Walton, UCLA
Guards
John Hannah, Alabama Ron Rusnak, North Carolina Skip Singletary, Temple Joe DeLamielleure, Michigan State Geary Murdock, Iowa State Ken Jones, Oklahoma Larry Ulmer, Western Michigan
Centers
Tom Brahaney, Oklahoma Jim Krapf, Alabama Doug Dumler, Nebraska Orderia Mitchell, Air Force Gerald Schultze, West Virginia
Quarterbacks
Bert Jones, LSU John Hufnagel, Penn State Gary Huff, Florida State Tony Adams, Utah State Don Strock, Virginia Tech
Running backs
Greg Pruitt, Oklahoma Otis Armstrong, Purdue Woody Green, Arizona State Dick Jauron, Yale Sam Cunningham, USC George Amundson, Iowa State Howard Stevens, Louisville Roosevelt Leaks, Texas Charlie Davis, Colorado Anthony Davis, USC Bob Hitchens, Miami (OH) Steve Jones, Duke Pete Van Valkenburg, BYU
Defense
Defensive ends
Willie Harper, Nebraska Bruce Bannon, Penn State Wally Chambers, Eastern Kentucky John Matuszak, Tampa Ernie Price, Texas A&I Tab Bennett, Illinois Danny Sanspree, Auburn Steve Bogosian, Army Merv Krakau, Iowa State
Defensive tackles
Greg Marx, Notre Dame Dave Butz, Purdue Roger Goree, Baylor John Grant, Southern California Derland Moore, Oklahoma John LeHeup, South Carolina Bud Magrum, Colorado George Hasenohrl, Ohio State Bob Leyen, Yale Charlie Davis, Texas Christian
Middle guards
Rich Glover, Nebraska Don Rives, Texas Tech Lucious Selmon, Oklahoma Tony Cristiani, Miami (FL)
Linebackers
Randy Gradishar, Ohio State John Skorupan, Penn State Steve Brown, Oregon State Jamie Rotella, Tennessee Rich Wood, USC Jim Youngblood, Tennessee Tech Tom Jackson, Louisville Warren Capone, LSU John Mitchell, Alabama Jackie Wallace, Arizona Matt Blair, Iowa State Glen Gaspard, Texas Jim Merlo, Stanford Eddie Sheats, Kansas
Defensive backs
Brad Van Pelt, Michigan State Cullen Bryant, Colorado Randy Logan, Michigan Robert Popelka, Southern Methodist Burgess Owens, Miami Jackie Wallace, Arizona Conrad Graham, Tennessee Randy Rhino, Georgia Tech Calvin Jones, Washington Drane Scrivener, Tulsa Ray Guy, Southern Miss Frank Dowsing, Mississippi State Joe Blahak, Nebraska J. T. Thomas, Florida State John Provost, Holy Cross
Special teams
Kickers
Ricky Townsend, Tennessee Chris Gartner, Indiana
Punters
Ray Guy, Southern Miss
Key Bold – Consensus All-American -1 – First-team selection -2 – Second-team selection -3 – Third-team selection
Official selectors AFCA – American Football Coaches Association for Kodak AP – Associated Press FWAA – Football Writers Association of America NEA – Newspaper Enterprise Association UPI – United Press International 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