1977 All-Big Ten Conference football team explained

The 1977 All-Big Ten Conference football team consists of American football players chosen by various organizations for All-Big Ten Conference teams for the 1977 Big Ten Conference football season. Conference co-champions Ohio State and Michigan led with eight and six first-team selections, respectively. Ohio State's first-team selections included running back Ron Springs and linebacker Tom Cousineau. Michigan's first-team selections included quarterback Rick Leach and offensive guard Mark Donahue.

Offensive selections

Quarterbacks

• Rick Leach, Michigan (AP-1; UPI-2)
• Rod Gerald, Ohio State (UPI-1)
• Mark Herrmann, Purdue (AP-2)

Running backs

• Ron Springs, Ohio State (AP-1; UPI-1)
• Ric Enis, Indiana (AP-1; UPI-1)
• Jeff Logan, Ohio State (UPI-1)
• Russell Davis, Michigan (AP-2; UPI-2)
• John Skibinski, Purdue (AP-2)
• Harlan Huckleby, Michigan (UPI-2)

Flankers

• Keith Calvin, Indiana (AP-1)
• David Charles, Wisconsin (AP-2)

Wide receivers

• Reggie Arnold, Purdue (AP-1; UPI-1)
• Jim Harrell, Ohio State (AP-2)
• Kirk Gibson, Michigan State (UPI-2)

Tight ends

• Jimmy Moore, Ohio State (AP-1; UPI-1)
• Gene Johnson, Michigan (AP-2)
• Mark Brammer, Michigan State (UPI-2)

Centers

• Walt Downing, Michigan (AP-1)
• Al Pitts, Michigan State (AP-2; UPI-1)
• Mark Slater, Minnesota (UPI-2)

Guards

• Mark Donahue, Michigan (AP-1; UPI-1)
• Kevin Pancratz, Illinois (AP-1; UPI-1)
• Frank Malec, Northwestern (AP-2; UPI-2)
• Gary Jurczyk, Illinois (AP-2)
• Mark Lang, Ohio State (UPI-2)

Tackles

• Chris Ward, Ohio State (AP-1; UPI-1)
• Mike Kenn, Michigan (AP-1; UPI-2)
• Charles Peal, Indiana (AP-2; UPI-1)
• Joe Robinson, Ohio State (AP-2)
• Tony Ardizzone, Northwestern (UPI-2)

Defensive selections

Front five

• Larry Bethea, Michigan State (AP-1; UPI-1 [def. tackle])
• Aaron Brown, Ohio State (AP-1; UPI-1 [middle guard])
• Kelton Dansler, Ohio State (AP-1; UPI-1 [def. end])
• Steve Midboe, Minnesota (AP-1; UPI-1 [def. tackle])
• Dennis Stejskal, Wisconsin (AP-1; UPI-1 [def. end])
• John Anderson, Michigan (AP-2; UPI-1 [def. end])
• Paul Ross, Ohio State (AP-2; UPI-2 [def. end])
• John Harty, Iowa (AP-2)
• Tom Schremp, Wisconsin (AP-2)
• Mark Merrill, Minnesota (AP-2)
• Eddie Beamon, Ohio State (UPI-2 [def. tackle])
• Byron Cato, Ohio State (UPI-2 [def. tackle])
• Steve Graves, Michigan (UPI-2 [middle guard])

Linebackers

• Tom Cousineau, Ohio State (AP-1; UPI-1)
• Tom Rusk, Iowa (AP-1; UPI-1)
• John Sullivan, Illinois (AP-1)
• Ron Simpkins, Michigan (AP-2; UPI-1)
• Dom Tedesco, Michigan (AP-2)
• Paul Maly, Northwestern (AP-2)
• Paul Rudzinski, Michigan State (UPI-2)

Defensive backs

• Ray Griffin, Ohio State (AP-1; UPI-1)
• Mike Guess, Ohio State (AP-1; UPI-1)
• Dwight Hicks, Michigan (AP-1; UPI-1)
• Jim Pickens, Michigan (AP-2; UPI-1)
• Derek Howard, Michigan (UPI-2)
• Lawrence Johnson, Wisconsin (UPI-2)
• Mark Anderson, Michigan State (AP-2; UPI-2)
• Bobby Weber, Minnesota (AP-2)
• Dave Abrams, Indiana (UPI-2)

Special teams

Placekicker

• Paul Rogind, Minnesota (AP-1)
• Hans Nielsen, Michigan State (UPI-1)
• Vlade Janakievski, Ohio State (AP-2)
• Keith Calvin, Indiana (UPI-2)

Punter

• Ray Stachowicz, Michigan State (AP-1; UPI-1)
• John Anderson, Michigan (AP-2; UPI-2)

Key

AP = Associated Press, selected by a panel of 12 sports writers and broadcasters^{[1] [2]}

UPI = United Press International, selected by the Big Ten coaches^[3]

Bold = Consensus first-team selection of both the AP and UPI

See also

• 1977 College Football All-America Team

Notes and References

1. News: Blue places five on AP's Big Ten squad. The Michigan Daily. November 29, 1977. 12.
2. News: 1977 All-Big Ten Football. The Times Recorder. November 29, 1977. 13.
3. News: OSU, Michigan Dominate Big 10. The Salem News (Salem, Ohio). November 23, 1977. 9.