The 1961 Little All-America college football team was composed of college football players from small colleges and universities who were selected by the Associated Press (AP) as the best players at each position. For 1961, the AP selected three teams of 11 players each, with no separate defensive platoons.[1]
Halfback Leroy Jackson of Western Illinois finished third in the NCAA in the 100-yard dash and was selected by the Cleveland Browns in the first round (11th overall pick) of the 1962 NFL draft.[1]
Back Joe Iacone of West Chester was the only junior selected for the first team.[1] He repeated as a first-team player in 1962.
| Position | Player | Team | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| B | Leroy Jackson | Style = | Western Illinois | |
| Bobby Jancik | Style = | Lamar Tech | ||
| Gary Snadon | Style = | Pittsburg State | ||
| Joe Iacone | Style = | West Chester | ||
| E | Drew Roberts | Style = | Humboldt State | |
| Powell McClellan | Style = | Arkansas Tech | ||
| T | Ray Jacobs | Style = | Howard Payne | |
| David Baxter | Style = | Tennessee Tech | ||
| G | Dan Lewis | Style = | Wofford | |
| Wendell Williams | Style = | State College of Iowa | ||
| C | Curtis Miranda | Style = | Florida A&M |
| Position | Player | Team | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| B | Carey Henley | Style = | Chattanooga | |
| Donald Lee Smith | Style = | Langston | ||
| Sid Blanks | Style = | Texas A&I | ||
| Joe Thorne | Style = | South Dakota State | ||
| E | Paul Blazevich | Style = | Omaha | |
| John Murlo | Style = | Whitworth | ||
| T | Frank Annweiler | Style = | Texas Lutheran | |
| Dave Kemna | Style = | Wheaton (IL) | ||
| G | Douglas Brown | Style = | Fresno State | |
| James Lightner | Style = | Coast Guard | ||
| C | Terry Fohs | Style = | Washington & Lee |
| Position | Player | Team | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| B | Kenneth Fults | Style = | Tennessee Tech | |
| Dennis Spurlock | Style = | Whitworth | ||
| Steve Beguin | Style = | Linfield | ||
| Roy Curry | Style = | Jackson State | ||
| E | John Budde | Style = | Carroll (WI) | |
| Stuart Hall | Style = | Willamette | ||
| T | John Lamoski | Style = | Western Michigan | |
| Paul Abodeely | Style = | Amherst | ||
| G | Al Sandona | Style = | Northern Michigan | |
| Charles Speleotis | Style = | Bowdoin | ||
| C | Michael Reilly | Style = | Williams |