1971 College Football All-America Team Explained

The 1971 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 1971. The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) recognizes five selectors as "official" for the 1971 season. They are: (1) the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA), (2) the Associated Press (AP),^[1] (3) the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA), (4) the Newspaper Enterprise Association (NEA), and (5) the United Press International (UPI).

Nine players are recognized by the NCAA as unanimous All-America selections: quarterback and 1971 Heisman Trophy winner Pat Sullivan of Auburn; running backs Ed Marinaro of Cornell and Greg Pruitt of Oklahoma; receiver Terry Beasley of Auburn; tackle Jerry Sisemore of Texas; guard Royce Smith of Georgia; defensive end Walt Patulski of Notre Dame; linebacker Mike Taylor of Michigan; and defensive back Bobby Majors of Tennessee.

Consensus All-Americans

The following chart identifies the NCAA-recognized consensus All-Americans for the year 1971 and displays which first-team designations they received.

Name	Position	School	Number^[2]	Official	Other
Terry Beasley	Receiver	Auburn	5/4/9	AFCA, AP, FWAA, NEA, UPI	FN, Time, TSN, WC
Bobby Majors	Defensive back	Tennessee	5/4/9	AFCA, AP, FWAA, NEA, UPI	FN, Time, TSN, WC
Walt Patulski	Defensive end	Notre Dame	5/4/9	AFCA, AP, FWAA, NEA, UPI	FN, Time, TSN, WC
Royce Smith	Offensive guard	Georgia	5/4/9	AFCA, AP, FWAA, NEA, UPI	FN, Time, TSN, WC
Mike Taylor	Linebacker	Michigan	5/4/9	AFCA, AP, FWAA, NEA, UPI	FN, Time, TSN, WC
Ed Marinaro	Running back	Cornell	5/3/8	AFCA, AP, FWAA, NEA, UPI	FN, Time, TSN
Pat Sullivan	Quarterback	Auburn	5/3/8	AFCA, AP, FWAA, NEA, UPI	FN, TSN, WC
Clarence Ellis	Defensive back	Notre Dame	4/4/8	AFCA, AP, NEA, UPI	FN, Time, TSN, WC
Reggie McKenzie	Offensive guard	Michigan	4/4/8	AP, FWAA, NEA, UPI	FN, Time, TSN, WC
Greg Pruitt	Running back	Oklahoma	5/2/7	AFCA, AP, FWAA, NEA, UPI	FN, WC
Jerry Sisemore	Offensive tackle	Texas	5/2/7	AFCA, AP, FWAA, NEA, UPI	FN, WC
Sherman White	Defensive tackle	California	3/4/7	AFCA, FWAA, NEA	FN, Time, TSN, WC
Johnny Rodgers	Receiver	Nebraska	4/2/6	AFCA, FWAA, NEA, UPI	FN, WC
Jeff Siemon	Linebacker	Stanford	4/2/6	AFCA, AP, FWAA, UPI	FN, Time
Larry Jacobson	Defensive tackle	Nebraska	4/1/5	AFCA, AP, FWAA, UPI	Time
Tom Brahaney	Center	Oklahoma	3/2/5	AFCA, AP, FWAA	FN, WC
Dave Joyner	Offensive tackle	Penn State	3/2/5	AFCA, FWAA, UPI	FN, WC
Johnny Musso	Running back	Alabama	3/2/5	AFCA, FWAA, UPI	FN, WC
Tommy Casanova	Defensive back	LSU	2/3/5	FWAA, UPI	FN, Time, WC
Mel Long	Defensive tackle	Toledo	4/0/4	AP, FWAA, NEA, UPI	--
Willie Harper	Defensive end	Nebraska	2/2/4	NEA, UPI	FN, WC
Ernie Jackson	Defensive back	Duke	2/0/2	AFCA, FWAA	--

Offense

Receivers

• Terry Beasley, Auburn (AFCA, AP-1, FWAA, NEA-1, UPI-1, FN, Time, TSN, WC)
• Johnny Rodgers, Nebraska (AFCA, AP-2, FWAA, NEA-1, UPI-1, FN, WC)
• Mike Siani, Villanova (NEA-2, UPI-2, TSN)
• Tom Gatewood, Notre Dame (UPI-2, Time)
• Cliff Branch, Colorado (FN)
• Rhett Dawson, Florida State (AP-3)

Tight ends

• Riley Odoms, Houston (AP-3, NEA-2 [receiver], Time, TSN)
• Doug Kingsriter, Minnesota (AP-1)
• Charle Young, USC (AP-2)

Tackles

• Jerry Sisemore, Texas (AFCA, AP-1, FWAA, NEA-1, UPI-1, FN, WC)
• Dave Joyner, Penn State (AFCA, AP-2, FWAA, NEA-2, UPI-1, FN, WC)
• John Vella, USC (AP-1, NEA-1, UPI-2, FN, TSN)
• John Hannah, Alabama (AFCA, AP-2, UPI-2)
• Tom Drougas, Oregon (TSN)
• Lionel Antoine, Southern Illinois (Time)
• Tom Luken, Purdue (AP-2, NEA-2 [OG])
• Carl Johnson, Nebraska (AP-3)
• Mike Stark, Memphis State (AP-3)

Guards

• Reggie McKenzie, Michigan (AP-1, FWAA, NEA-1, UPI-1, FN, Time, TSN, WC)
• Royce Smith, Georgia (AFCA, AP-1, FWAA, NEA-1, UPI-1, FN, Time, TSN, WC)
• Gordon Gravelle, BYU (AP-2, NEA-2)
• Dick Rupert, Nebraska (AP-3, UPI-2)
• B. C. Williams, West Virginia (AP-3)
• Ken Jones, Oklahoma (UPI-2)

Centers

• Tom Brahaney, Oklahoma (AFCA, AP-1, FWAA, UPI-2, FN, WC)
• Tom DeLeone, Ohio State (AP-2, NEA-1, UPI-1, FN, Time, TSN)
• Dave Dalby, UCLA (AP-3, NEA-2, TSN)

Quarterbacks

• Pat Sullivan, Auburn (AFCA, AP-1, FWAA, NEA-1, UPI-1, FN, TSN, WC)
• Chuck Ealey, Toledo, (AP-3, FWAA, UPI-2, FN)
• Jerry Tagge, Nebraska (AP-2, FN)
• Jack Mildren, Oklahoma (NEA-2, FN)
• John Reaves, Florida (Time)

Running backs

• Ed Marinaro, Cornell (AFCA, AP-1, FWAA, NEA-1, UPI-1, FN, Time, TSN)
• Greg Pruitt, Oklahoma (AFCA, AP-1, FWAA, NEA-1, UPI-1, FN, WC)
• Johnny Musso, Alabama (AFCA, AP-2, FWAA, NEA-2, UPI-1, FN, WC)
• Ahmad Rashad (born Bobby Moore), Oregon (AP-3, NEA-1, UPI-2, FN, Time, TSN)
• Lydell Mitchell, Penn State (AP-1, NEA-2, UPI-2, FN)
• Eric Allen, Michigan State (AFCA, AP-2, NEA-2)
• Billy Taylor, Michigan (AP-3, UPI-2, FN)
• Robert Newhouse, Houston (AP-2)
• Jeff Kinney, Nebraska (AP-3)

Defense

Defensive ends

• Walt Patulski, Notre Dame (AFCA, AP-1, FWAA, NEA-1, UPI-1, FN, Time, TSN, WC)
• Willie Harper, Nebraska (AP-2, NEA-1, UPI-1, FN, WC)
• Smylie Gebhart, Georgia Tech (AP-1)
• Robin Parkhouse, Alabama (AP-2, NEA-2, UPI-2)
• Junior Ah You, Arizona State (UPI-2)
• Mike Keller, Michigan (AP-3)
• Gene Ogilvie, Air Force (AP-3)

Defensive tackles

• Larry Jacobson, Nebraska (AFCA, AP-1, FWAA, NEA-2 [OT], UPI-1, Time)
• Mel Long, Toledo (AP-1, FWAA, NEA-1, UPI-1)
• Sherman White, California (AFCA, AP-2, FWAA, NEA-1, FN, Time, TSN, WC)
• Herb Orvis, Colorado (AFCA, AP-3, NEA-2 [DE], UPI-2, TSN [DE], WC)
• Mike Kadish, Notre Dame (Time, TSN)
• Ron Estay, LSU (AFCA [guard], AP-2, NEA-2 [MG], UPI-2)
• Pete Lazetich, Stanford (NEA-2, FN)

Middle guards

• Rich Glover, Nebraska (AP-1, NEA-1, WC)
• Ron Curl, Michigan State (AFCA, AP-3, NEA-2)
• Doug Krause, Miami (OH) (AP-2)
• Bud Magrum, Colorado (AP-3)

Linebackers

• Mike Taylor, Michigan (AFCA, AP-1, FWAA, NEA-1, UPI-1, FN, Time, TSN, WC)
• Jeff Siemon, Stanford (AFCA, AP-1, FWAA, UPI-1, FN, Time)
• Jackie Walker, Tennessee (FWAA, NEA-2, UPI-1, FN, WC)
• Dave Chaney, San Jose State (AP-1, NEA-1, UPI-2)
• Willie Hall, Southern California (AP-2, UPI-2, Time, TSN, FN)
• Chuck Zapiec, Penn State (AP-3, NEA-1)
• Mark Arneson, Arizona (TSN)
• Rodrigo Barnes, Rice (UPI-2)
• Ralph Cindrich, Pittsburgh (AP-2, NEA-2)
• Joe Federspiel, Kentucky (AP-2)
• Steve Aycock, Oklahoma (UPI-2)
• Bill Light, Minnesota (AP-3)
• Harold Sears, Miami (FL) (AP-3)

Defensive backs

• Bobby Majors, Tennessee (AFCA, AP-1, FWAA, NEA-1, UPI-1, FN, Time, TSN, WC)
• Clarence Ellis, Notre Dame (AFCA, AP-1, NEA-1, UPI-1, FN, Time, TSN, WC)
• Tommy Casanova, LSU (FWAA, UPI-1, FN, Time, WC)
• Ernie Jackson, Duke (AFCA, AP-2, FWAA)
• Brad Van Pelt, Michigan State (AP-3, UPI-1, FN)
• Willie Buchanon, San Diego State (NEA-2, Time, TSN)
• Thom Darden, Michigan (AFCA, AP-2, UPI-2, TSN)
• Eric Hutchinson, Northwestern (FWAA, NEA-2, UPI-2)
• Dickie Harris, South Carolina (UPI-2, WC)
• Craig Clemons, Iowa (NEA-1, TSN)
• Windlan Hall, Arizona State (AP-3, NEA-2 [LB], UPI-2, FN)
• Tom Myers, Syracuse (AP-1)
• Robert Popelka, SMU (AP-2)
• Ralph McGill, Tulsa (AP-3, NEA-2)

Special teams

Kickers

• Bill McClard, Arkansas (FWAA TSN)
• Chester Marcol, Hillsdale College (Time)

Punters

• Marv Bateman, Utah (TSN, Time)

Key

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

Official selectors

• AFCA – American Football Coaches Association for Kodak^[4]
• AP – Associated Press^[5]
• FWAA – Football Writers Association of America^[6]
• NEA – Newspaper Enterprise Association^[7]
• UPI – United Press International^[5]

Other selectors

• FN – Football News^[8]
• Time – Time magazine
• TSN – The Sporting News^[9]
• PFW – Pro Football Weekly
• WC – Walter Camp Football Foundation

See also

• 1971 All-Atlantic Coast Conference football team
• 1971 All-Big Eight Conference football team
• 1971 All-Big Ten Conference football team
• 1971 All-Pacific-8 Conference football team
• 1971 All-SEC football team
• 1971 All-Southwest Conference football team

Notes and References

1. News: Associated Press All-America team . Eugene Register-Guard . (Oregon). Associated Press . December 2, 1971 . 2D.
2. This column lists the number of selectors choosing the player as a first-team All-American as follows: official selectors/other selectors/total selectors.
3. Web site: Football Award Winners. National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). 2016. October 21, 2017. 10.
4. News: Sullivan picked by Kodak. The Pantagraph. November 28, 1971. 19.
5. News: All-America Lists. News-Journal (Mansfield, Ohio). December 2, 1971. 42.
6. Web site: FWAA All-America Since 1944: The All-Time Team. Ted Gangi. February 8, 2015. March 4, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190304073432/http://www.sportswriters.net/fwaa/awards/allamerica/alltime.pdf. dead.
7. News: 1971 NEA All-America. Corpus Christi Caller-Times. November 27, 1971. 3D.
8. News: Walker, Majors All-Americans on Two Teams. The Nashville Tennessean. November 24, 1971. 15.
9. News: Arneson Named To Team: Sporting News Picks UA Star. Tucson Daily Citizen. December 9, 1971. 42.