imported>1ctinus: Adding local short description: "Official list of the best college football players of 1972", overriding Wikidata description "All american team college football in 1972"

2024-02-08T18:25:03Z

Adding local short description: "Official list of the best college football players of 1972", overriding Wikidata description "All american team college football in 1972"

New page

{{Short description|Official list of the best college football players of 1972}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2023}}
{{sidebar
| width = 25em
| title = 1972 College Football All-America Team
| headingstyle = border-top:#aaa 1px solid
| content1style = border-top:1px #aaa solid
| content1 = [[College Football All-America Team]]
| heading2 =
| content2 = [[1972 NCAA University Division football season]]
| heading3 =
| content3 =
| content4style = border-top:1px #aaa solid
| content4 = [[1970 College Football All-America Team|1970]] [[1971 College Football All-America Team|1971]] ← → [[1973 College Football All-America Team|1973]] [[1974 College Football All-America Team|1974]]
}}
The '''1972 College Football All-America team''' is composed of [[college football]] players who were selected as [[All-America]]ns by various organizations and writers that chose [[College Football All-America Team]]s in 1972. The [[National Collegiate Athletic Association]] (NCAA) recognizes six selectors as "official" for the 1972 season. They are:<ref>{{cite web|title=Football Award Winners|publisher=[[National Collegiate Athletic Association]] (NCAA)|year=2016|access-date=March 17, 2017|page=3|url=http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/stats/football_records/2016/Awards.pdf}}</ref> (1) the [[American Football Coaches Association]] (AFCA) which selected its team for Kodak based on a vote of the nation's coaches;<ref name=AFCA/> (2) the [[Associated Press]] (AP) selected based on the votes of sports writers at AP newspapers;<ref name=AP/> (3) the [[Football Writers Association of America]] (FWAA) selected by the nation's football writers;<ref name=FW/> (4) the [[Newspaper Enterprise Association]] (NEA) selected based on the votes of sports writers at NEA newspapers;<ref name=NEA/> (5) the [[United Press International]] (UPI) selected based on the votes of sports writers at UPI newspapers;<ref name=UPI/> 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 [[1972 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team|Nebraska]]; (2) tight end [[Charles Young (tight end)|Charles Young]] of [[1972 USC Trojans football team|USC]]; (3) offensive tackle [[Jerry Sisemore]] of [[1972 Texas Longhorns football team|Texas]]; (4) offensive guard [[John Hannah (American football)|John Hannah]] of [[1972 Alabama Crimson Tide football team|Alabama]]; (5) running back [[Greg Pruitt]] of [[1972 Oklahoma Sooners football team|Oklahoma]]; (6) defensive tackle [[Greg Marx]] of [[1972 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team|Notre Dame]]; (7) middle guard [[Rich Glover]] of Nebraska; and (8) defensive back [[Brad Van Pelt]] of [[1972 Michigan State Spartans football team|Michigan State]].<ref name=CAA/>

==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.

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! bgcolor="#DDDDFF" width="15%" | Name
! bgcolor="#DDDDFF" width="10%" | Position
! bgcolor="#DDDDFF" width="10%" | School
! bgcolor="#DDDDFF" width="7%" | Number
! bgcolor="#DDDDFF" width="25%" | Official
! bgcolor="#DDDDFF" width="10%" | Other
|-align="left"
|[[Rich Glover]]||Middle guard||[[1972 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team|Nebraska]]||6/3/9||AFCA, AP, FWAA, NEA, UPI, WC||FN, Time, TSN
|-align="left"
|[[John Hannah (American football)|John Hannah]]||Offensive guard||[[1972 Alabama Crimson Tide football team|Alabama]]||6/3/9||AFCA, AP, FWAA, NEA, UPI, WC||FN, Time, TSN
|-align="left"
|[[Greg Marx]]||Defensive tackle||[[1972 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team|Notre Dame]]||6/3/9||AFCA, AP, FWAA, NEA, UPI, WC||FN, Time, TSN
|-align="left"
|[[Johnny Rodgers]]||Wide receiver||Nebraska||6/3/9||AFCA, AP, FWAA, NEA, UPI, WC||FN, Time, TSN
|-align="left"
|[[Jerry Sisemore]]||Offensive tackle||[[1972 Texas Longhorns football team|Texas]]||6/3/9||AFCA, AP, FWAA, NEA, UPI, WC||FN, Time, TSN
|-align="left"
|[[Charle Young]]||Tight end||[[1972 USC Trojans football team|USC]]||6/3/9||AFCA, AP, FWAA, NEA, UPI, WC||FN, Time, TSN
|-align="left"
|[[Greg Pruitt]]||Running back||[[1972 Oklahoma Sooners football team|Oklahoma]]||6/2/8||AFCA, AP, FWAA, NEA, UPI, WC||FN, TSN
|-align="left"
|[[Brad Van Pelt]]||Defensive back||[[1972 Michigan State Spartans football team|Michigan State]]||6/2/8||AFCA, AP, FWAA, NEA, UPI, WC||Time, TSN
|-align="left"
|[[Tom Brahaney]]||Center||Oklahoma||5/3/8||AP, FWAA, NEA, UPI, WC||FN, Time, TSN
|-align="left"
|[[Willie Harper]]||Defensive end||Nebraska||5/2/7||AFCA, AP, NEA, UPI, WC||FN, TSN
|-align="left"
|[[Dave Butz]]||Defensive tackle||[[1972 Purdue Boilermakers football team|Purdue]]||4/2/6||AFCA, NEA, UPI, WC||Time, TSN
|-align="left"
|[[Bert Jones]]||Quarterback||[[1972 LSU Tigers football team|LSU]]||3/3/6||AFCA, NEA, UPI||FN, Time, TSN
|-align="left"
|[[Otis Armstrong]]||Running back||Purdue||4/1/5||AP, FWAA, UPI, WC||TSN
|-align="left"
|[[Bruce Bannon]]||Defensive end||[[1972 Penn State Nittany Lions football team|Penn State]]||4/1/5||AFCA, NEA, UPI, WC||FN
|-align="left"
|[[Randy Gradishar]]||Linebacker||[[1972 Ohio State Buckeyes football team|Ohio State]]||4/1/5||AFCA, AP, FWAA, UPI||FN
|-align="left"
|[[Cullen Bryant]]||Defensive back||[[1972 Colorado Buffaloes football team|Colorado]]||3/2/5||AFCA, NEA, UPI||Time, TSN
|-align="left"
|[[Paul Seymour (American football)|Paul Seymour]]||Offensive tackle||[[1972 Michigan Wolverines football team|Michigan]]||3/2/5||AFCA, FWAA, NEA||Time, TSN
|-align="left"
|[[Ron Rusnak]]||Offensive guard||[[1972 North Carolina Tar Heels football team|North Carolina]]||4/0/4||AFCA, AP, FWAA, UPI||--
|-align="left"
|[[Randy Logan]]||Defensive back||Michigan||3/1/4||AFCA, UPI, WC||FN
|-align="left"
|[[Woody Green]]||Running back||[[1972 Arizona State Sun Devils football team|Arizona State]]||3/0/3||AP, NEA, UPI||--
|-align="left"
|[[Robert Popelka]]||Defensive back||[[1972 SMU Mustangs football team|SMU]]||3/0/3||AP, FWAA, WC||--
|-align="left"
|[[John Skorupan]]||Linebacker||Penn State||3/0/3||AP, FWAA, NEA||--
|-align="left"
|}

== Offense ==
=== Receivers ===

* '''[[Johnny Rodgers]]''', Nebraska {{small|(AFCA [flanker], AP-1, FWAA, NEA-1, UPI-1, WC, FN, Time TSN)}}
* [[Steve Holden (American football)|Steve Holden]], Arizona State {{small|(FWAA, NEA-2, TSN, Time, FN)}}
* [[Barry Smith (American football)|Barry Smith]], Florida State {{small|(AFCA [off. end], AP-2, UPI-2)}}
* Jason Caldwell, North Carolina Central {{small|(NEA-2)}}
* Mike Creaney, Notre Dame {{small|(AP-3 [TE])}}

=== Tight ends ===

* '''[[Charle Young]]''', USC {{small|(AFCA [off. end], AP-1, FWAA, NEA-1, UPI-1, WC, FN, Time, TSN)}}
* [[Billy Joe DuPree]], Michigan State {{small|(NEA-2)}}
* [[Al Chandler]], Oklahoma {{small|(UPI-2)}}
* [[Gary Butler (tight end)|Gary Butler]], Rice {{small|(AP-2)}}
* [[Steve Sweeney (American football)|Steve Sweeney]], California {{small|(AP-3)}}
* Daryl White, Nebraska {{small|(AP-3 [OT], NEA-1 [OG]) }}

=== Tackles ===

* '''[[Jerry Sisemore]]''', Texas {{small|(AFCA, AP-1, FWAA, NEA-1, UPI-1, WC, TSN, Time, FN)}}
* '''[[Paul Seymour (American football)|Paul Seymour]]''', Michigan {{small|(AFCA, AP-2, FWAA, NEA-1, UPI-2, Time, TSN)}}
* [[John Hicks (American football)|John Hicks]], Ohio State {{small|(AP-1, UPI-2, WC, NEA-1 [OG])}}
* [[Pete Adams]], USC {{small|(AP-2, NEA-2, UPI-1, Time)}}
* John Dampeer, Notre Dame {{small|(FN)}}
* [[Curtis Wester]], East Texas State {{small|(NEA-2)}}
* [[Bruce Walton (American football)|Bruce Walton]], UCLA {{small|(AP-3)}}

=== Guards ===

* '''[[John Hannah (American football)|John Hannah]]''', Alabama {{small|(AFCA, AP-1, FWAA, NEA-1, UPI-1, WC, FN, Time, TSN)}}
* '''[[Ron Rusnak]]''', North Carolina {{small|(AFCA, AP-1, FWAA, UPI-1)}}
* Skip Singletary, Temple {{small|(AP-2, NEA-2, UPI-2, WC)}}
* [[Joe DeLamielleure]], Michigan State {{small|(AP-2, TSN)}}
* Geary Murdock, Iowa State {{small|(FN)}}
* Ken Jones, Oklahoma {{small|(AP-3, UPI-2)}}
* Larry Ulmer, Western Michigan {{small|(AP-3)}}

=== Centers ===

* '''[[Tom Brahaney]]''', Oklahoma {{small|(AP-1, UPI-1, NEA-1, WC, FWAA, TSN, Time, FN)}}
* [[Jim Krapf]], Alabama {{small|(AFCA, UPI-2)}}
* [[Doug Dumler]], Nebraska {{small|(NEA-2)}}
* Orderia Mitchell, Air Force {{small|(AP-2)}}
* Gerald Schultze, West Virginia {{small|(AP-3)}}

=== Quarterbacks ===

* '''[[Bert Jones]]''', LSU {{small|(AFCA, NEA-1, UPI-1, FN, Time, TSN)}}
* [[John Hufnagel]], Penn State {{small|(AP-1, WC)}}
* [[Gary Huff]], Florida State {{small|(FWAA, NEA-2, UPI-2)}}
* [[Tony Adams (quarterback)|Tony Adams]], Utah State {{small|(AP-2)}}
* [[Don Strock]], Virginia Tech {{small|(AP-3)}}

=== Running backs ===

* '''[[Greg Pruitt]]''', Oklahoma {{small|(AFCA [HB], AP-1, FWAA, NEA-1 [WR], UPI-1, WC, FN, TSN)}}
* '''[[Otis Armstrong]]''', Purdue {{small|(AP-1, FWAA, UPI-1, WC, TSN)}}
* '''[[Woody Green]]''', Arizona State {{small|(AP-1, NEA-1, UPI-1)}}
* [[Dick Jauron]], Yale {{small|(AFCA [HB], AP-2, WC)}}
* [[Sam Cunningham]], USC {{small|(AFCA [FB], NEA-1)}}
* [[George Amundson]], Iowa State {{small|(NEA-2)}}
* [[Howard Stevens]], Louisville {{small|(AP-2, NEA-2, UPI-2)}}
* [[Roosevelt Leaks]], Texas {{small|(AP-2)}}
* [[Charlie Davis (running back)|Charlie Davis]], Colorado {{small|(UPI-2)}}
* [[Anthony Davis (running back, born 1952)|Anthony Davis]], USC {{small|(UPI-2)}}
* [[Bob Hitchens]], Miami (OH) {{small|(AP-3)}}
* [[Steve Jones (American football)|Steve Jones]], Duke {{small|(AP-3)}}
* [[Pete Van Valkenburg]], BYU {{small|(AP-3)}}

== Defense ==

=== Defensive ends ===

* '''[[Willie Harper]]''', Nebraska {{small|(AFCA [LB], AP-1, NEA-1, UPI-1, WC, FN, TSN)}}
* '''[[Bruce Bannon]]''', Penn State {{small|(AFCA, AP-2, NEA-1, UPI-1, WC, FN)}}
* [[Wally Chambers]], Eastern Kentucky {{small|(NEA-2, TSN, Time)}}
* [[John Matuszak]], Tampa {{small|(AP-3 [DT], NEA-2 [DT], TSN, Time)}}
* [[Ernie Price]], Texas A&I {{small|(NEA-2)}}
* Tab Bennett, Illinois {{small|(UPI-2)}}
* Danny Sanspree, Auburn {{small|(AP-2)}}
* Steve Bogosian, Army {{small|(AP-3)}}
* [[Merv Krakau]], Iowa State {{small|(AP-3)}}

=== Defensive tackles ===

* '''[[Greg Marx]]''', Notre Dame {{small|(AFCA [DE], AP-1, FWAA, NEA-1, UPI-1, WC, FN, Time, TSN)}}
* '''[[Dave Butz]]''', Purdue {{small|(UPI-1, NEA-1, WC, AFCA, TSN, Time)}}
* [[Roger Goree]], Baylor {{small|(AP-1 [DE], FWAA, UPI-2 [DE])}}
* [[John Grant (American football)|John Grant]], Southern California {{small|(AP-2, FWAA)}}
* [[Derland Moore]], Oklahoma {{small|(AP-1, UPI-2)}}
* [[John LeHeup]], South Carolina {{small|(AFCA)}}
* [[Bud Magrum]], Colorado {{small|(FWAA, UPI-2 [LB])}}
* [[George Hasenohrl]], Ohio State {{small|(AP-2, UPI-2, FN)}}
* Bob Leyen, Yale {{small|(NEA-2)}}
* [[Charlie Davis (defensive tackle)|Charlie Davis]], Texas Christian {{small|(AP-3)}}

=== Middle guards ===

* '''[[Rich Glover]]''', Nebraska {{small|(AFCA, AP-1, FWAA, NEA-1, UPI-1, WC, FN, Time TSN)}}
* [[Don Rives]], Texas Tech {{small|(AP-2)}}
* [[Lucious Selmon]], Oklahoma {{small|(UPI-2)}}
* [[Tony Cristiani]], Miami (FL) {{small|(AP-3)}}

=== Linebackers ===

* '''[[Randy Gradishar]]''', Ohio State {{small|(AFCA, AP-1, FWAA, UPI-1, FN)}}
* '''[[John Skorupan]]''', Penn State {{small|(AP-1, FWAA, NEA-1)}}
* Steve Brown, Oregon State {{small|(AP-3, NEA-1, WC, Time, TSN)}}
* Jamie Rotella, Tennessee {{small|(AFCA, AP-2, UPI-1, FN)}}
* [[Richard Wood (American football)|Rich Wood]], USC {{small|(AP-1, NEA-2 [MG], UPI-2, FN)}}
* [[Jim Youngblood]], Tennessee Tech {{small|(NEA-1, Time)}}
* [[Tom Jackson (American football, born 1951)|Tom Jackson]], Louisville {{small|(AP-2, WC)}}
* [[Warren Capone]], LSU {{small|(FWAA)}}
* [[John Mitchell (American football coach)|John Mitchell]], Alabama {{small|(AFCA)}}
* [[Jackie Wallace]], Arizona {{small|(NEA-2, UPI-2)}}
* [[Matt Blair]], Iowa State {{small|(NEA-2)}}
* Glen Gaspard, Texas {{small|(AP-2)}}
* [[Jim Merlo]], Stanford {{small|(AP-3)}}
* Eddie Sheats, Kansas {{small|(AP-3)}}

=== Defensive backs ===

* '''[[Brad Van Pelt]]''', Michigan State {{small|(AFCA, AP-1, FWAA, NEA-1, UPI-1, WC, Time, TSN)}}
* '''[[Cullen Bryant]]''', Colorado {{small|(AFCA, AP-3, NEA-1, UPI-1, Time, TSN)}}
* '''[[Randy Logan]]''', Michigan {{small|(AFCA, AP-2, NEA-2, UPI-1, WC, FN)}}
* '''[[Robert Popelka]]''', Southern Methodist {{small|(AP-1, FWAA, UPI-2, WC)}}
* [[Burgess Owens]], Miami {{small|(NEA-2, TSN, Time)}}
* [[Jackie Wallace]], Arizona {{small|(AP-3, Time, TSN)}}
* Conrad Graham, Tennessee {{small|(UPI-1, FN, NEA-2)}}
* [[Randy Rhino]], Georgia Tech {{small|(AP-2, FWAA)}}
* [[Calvin Jones (cornerback)|Calvin Jones]], Washington {{small|(AP-1, UPI-2)}}
* [[Drane Scrivener]], Tulsa {{small|(NEA-1)}}
* [[Ray Guy]], Southern Miss {{small|(WC)}}
* [[Frank Dowsing]], Mississippi State {{small|(FN)}}
* [[Joe Blahak]], Nebraska {{small|(AP-2, UPI-2)}}
* [[J. T. Thomas (defensive back)|J. T. Thomas]], Florida State {{small|(NEA-2)}}
* [[John Provost]], Holy Cross {{small|(AP-3)}}

== Special teams ==

=== Kickers ===

* Ricky Townsend, Tennessee {{small|(FWAA)}}
* [[Chris Gartner]], Indiana {{small|(TSN)}}

=== Punters ===

* [[Ray Guy]], Southern Miss {{small|(FWAA, TSN, Time)}}

== Key ==
* '''Bold''' – Consensus All-American<ref name=CAA>{{cite web|title=Football Award Winners|publisher=National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA)|year=2016|access-date=October 21, 2017|page=10|url=http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/stats/football_records/2016/awards.pdf}}</ref>
* -1 – First-team selection
* -2 – Second-team selection
* -3 – Third-team selection

===Official selectors===
* AFCA – [[American Football Coaches Association]] for Kodak<ref name=AFCA>{{cite news|title=Kodak All-America Picks|newspaper=Fairbanks Daily News-Miner|date=November 24, 1972|page=13|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/4241784/kodak_allamerica_picks/}}</ref>
* AP – [[Associated Press]]<ref name=AP>{{cite news|title=Southern Cal, Nebraska Head AP All-America|newspaper=The Bee (Danville, VA)|date=December 7, 1972|page=D1|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/4239743/southern_cal_nebraska_head_ap_all/}}</ref>
* FWAA – [[Football Writers Association of America]]<ref name=FW>{{cite news|title=Huff Gets Spot On Writers 11|newspaper=Panama City News-Herald (Panama City, Florida)|date=November 30, 1972|page=27|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/3290022/huff_named_1st_team_allamerican_qb_by/}}</ref>
* NEA – [[Newspaper Enterprise Association]]<ref name=NEA>{{cite news|title=All America Team Named|newspaper=The Herald (Provo, UT)|date=November 29, 1972|page=8|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/4238590/all_america_team_named/}}</ref>
* UPI – [[United Press International]]<ref name=UPI>{{cite news|title=UPI All-Americans|newspaper=The Republic (Columbus, Indiana)|date=December 6, 1972|page=20|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/4238653/upi_allamericans/}}</ref>
* WC = [[Walter Camp Football Foundation]]<ref name=WC>{{cite news|title=Camp Honor To Rogers Once Again|date=November 29, 1972|newspaper=The Spokesman-Review|agency=AP|page=20|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/112535736/|via=[[Newspapers.com]]|access-date=November 4, 2022}}</ref>

===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 ==
{{reflist}}

{{1972 College Football Consensus All-Americans}}
{{College Football All-America Teams}}

[[Category:1972 NCAA University Division football season|All-America Team]]
[[Category:College Football All-America Teams]]

1972 College Football All-America Team - Revision history

imported>1ctinus: Adding local short description: "Official list of the best college football players of 1972", overriding Wikidata description "All american team college football in 1972"