1987 All-Big Eight Conference football team explained

The 1987 All-Big Eight Conference football team consists of American football players chosen by various organizations for All-Big Eight Conference teams for the 1987 NCAA Division I-A football season. The selectors for the 1987 season included the Associated Press (AP) and United Press International (UPI).

Offensive selections

Quarterbacks

• Steve Taylor, Nebraska (AP-1; UPI-1)
• Jamelle Holieway, Oklahoma (AP-2; UPI-2)

Running backs

• Thurman Thomas, Oklahoma State (AP-1; UPI-1)
• Keith Jones, Nebraska (AP-1; UPI-1)
• Joe Henderson, Iowa State (AP-1; UPI-2)
• Lydell Carr, Oklahoma (AP-2; UPI-2)
• Robert Delpino, Missouri (AP-2)
• Barry Sanders, Oklahoma State (AP-2)

Tight ends

• Keith Jackson, Oklahoma (AP-1; UPI-1)
• Tom Banderas, Nebraska (AP-2; UPI-2)

Wide receivers

• Hart Lee Dykes, Oklahoma State (AP-1; UPI-1)
• Dennis Ross, Iowa State (AP-2; UPI-1)
• Rod Smith, Nebraska (UPI-2)
• Willie Vaughn, Kansas (UPI-2)

Centers

• Bob Latham, Oklahoma (AP-1; UPI-1)
• Jake Young, Nebraska (AP-2; UPI-2)

Down linemen

• Anthony Phillips, Oklahoma (AP-1; UPI-1)
• Greg Johnson, Oklahoma (AP-1; UPI-1)
• Mark Hutson, Oklahoma (AP-1; UPI-1)
• John McCormick, Nebraska (AP-1; UPI-2)
• Keven Lightner, Nebraska (AP-2; UPI-1)
• Jon Phillips, Oklahoma (AP-2; UPI-2)
• Doug Meacham, Oklahoma State (AP-2; UPI-2)
• Jeff Rigman, Missouri (AP-2)
• Bob Sledge, Nebraska (UPI-2)

Defensive selections

Defensive ends

• Darrell Reed, Oklahoma (AP-1; UPI-1)
• Broderick Thomas, Nebraska (AP-1; UPI-1)
• Troy Johnson, Oklahoma (AP-2; UPI-2)
• Ricky Shaw, Oklahoma State (AP-2; UPI-2)

Down lineman

• Neil Smith, Nebraska (AP-1; UPI-1)
• Kyle Rappold, Colorado (AP-1; UPI-1)
• Tim Rother, Nebraska (AP-1; UPI-2)
• David Bailey, Oklahoma State (AP-2; UPI-2)
• Dante Williams, Oklahoma (AP-2)
• Kurt Koch, Colorado (AP-2)

Linebackers

• Dante Jones, Oklahoma (AP-1; UPI-1)
• Eric McCarty, Colorado (AP-1; UPI-1)
• Steve Forch, Nebraska (UPI-1)
• LeRoy Etienne, Nebraska (AP-2; UPI-2)
• Matt Wallerstedt, Kansas State (AP-2)
• Sim Drain III, Oklahoma State (UPI-2)
• Chris Moore, Iowa State (UPI-2)

Defensive backs

• Rickey Dixon, Oklahoma (AP-1; UPI-1)
• David Vickers, Oklahoma (AP-1; UPI-1)
• Erik McMillan, Missouri (AP-1; UPI-1)
• Mickey Pruitt, Colorado (AP-1; UPI-1)
• Charles Frayer, Nebraska (AP-2; UPI-2)
• Adrian Jones, Missouri (AP-2; UPI-2)
• Rod Smith, Oklahoma State (AP-2; UPI-2)
• Melvin Gilliam, Oklahoma State (AP-2; UPI-2)

Special teams

Place-kicker

• Jeff Shudak, Iowa State (AP-1; UPI-1)
• Tom Whelihan, Missouri (AP-2; UPI-2)

Punter

• Barry Helton, Colorado (AP-1; UPI-1)
• Tom Whelihan, Missouri (AP-2)
• Cary Cooper, Oklahoma State (UPI-2)

Key

AP = Associated Press^[1]

UPI = United Press International^[2]

See also

• 1987 College Football All-America Team

Notes and References

1. News: All-Big Eight football team. The Salina Journal. November 25, 1987. 13.
2. News: Sooners dominate all-Big Eight. The Tepegraph-Herald. December 2, 1987. 1B.