imported>1ctinus: Adding short description: "Official list of the best college football players of 1974"

2024-02-08T18:24:32Z

Adding short description: "Official list of the best college football players of 1974"

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{{Short description|Official list of the best college football players of 1974}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2023}}
{{sidebar
| width = 25em
| title = 1974 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 = [[1974 NCAA Division I football season]]
| heading3 =
| content3 =
| content4style = border-top:1px #aaa solid
| content4 = [[1972 College Football All-America Team|1972]] [[1973 College Football All-America Team|1973]] ← → [[1975 College Football All-America Team|1975]] [[1976 College Football All-America Team|1976]]
}}
The '''1974 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 1974. The [[National Collegiate Athletic Association]] (NCAA) recognizes five selectors as "official" for the 1974 season. They are:<ref name=CAA/> (1) the [[American Football Coaches Association]] (AFCA);<ref name=AFCA/> (2) the [[Associated Press]] (AP) selected based on the votes of sports writers at AP newspapers;<ref name=AP/><ref name=ergpc8>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=x8dVAAAAIBAJ&sjid=PuADAAAAIBAJ&pg=3896%2C1636962 |work=Eugene Register-Guard |location=(Oregon) |agency=Associated Press |title=Pacific-8 has three AP All-Americans |date=December 6, 1974 |page=3D}}</ref> (3) the [[Football Writers Association of America]] (FWAA) selected by the nation's football writers;<ref name=FW/> (4) the [[United Press International]] (UPI) selected based on the votes of sports writers at UPI newspapers;<ref name=UPI/> and (5) the [[Walter Camp Football Foundation]] (WC). Other selectors included ''Football News'' (FN),<ref name=FN/> the [[Newspaper Enterprise Association]] (NEA),<ref name=NEA/> ''[[Sporting News|The Sporting News]]'' (TSN),<ref name=TSN/> and ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'' magazine.<ref name=Time/>

Six players were selected unanimously by all five of the official selectors. The six unanimous All-Americans included running backs [[Archie Griffin]] of Ohio State (the 1974 [[Heisman Trophy]] winner), [[Joe Washington]] of Oklahoma, and [[Anthony Davis (USC running back)|Anthony Davis]] of USC. On defense, the unanimous All-Americans were defensive back [[Dave Brown (cornerback)|Dave Brown]] of Michigan, linebacker [[Rod Shoate]] of Oklahoma, and defensive end [[Randy White (American football)|Randy White]] of Maryland.

The [[1974 Ohio State Buckeyes football team|Ohio State]] and [[1974 Oklahoma Sooners football team|Oklahoma]] teams each had eight players who received first-team honors. The Ohio State honorees were Archie Griffin, tight end Doug France, tackle [[Kurt Schumacher (American football)|Kurt Schumacher]], center Steve Myers, defensive end [[Van DeCree]], defensive tackle Pete Cusick, defensive back [[Neal Colzie]], and punter [[Tom Skladany]]. The Oklahoma honorees were Joe Washington, Rod Shoate, receiver [[Tinker Owens]], guard [[John Roush (American football)|John Roush]], center [[Kyle Davis (American football)|Kyle Davis]], defensive tackle [[Lee Roy Selmon]], middle guard [[Dewey Selmon]], and defensive back [[Randy Hughes]].

==Consensus All-Americans==
The following chart identifies the NCAA-recognized consensus All-Americans for the year 1974 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{{efn|This column lists the number of selectors choosing the player as a first-team All-American as follows: official selectors/other selectors/total selectors.}}
! bgcolor="#DDDDFF" width="25%" | Official
! bgcolor="#DDDDFF" width="10%" | Other
|-align="left"
|[[Dave Brown (cornerback)|Dave Brown]]||Defensive back||[[1974 Michigan Wolverines football team|Michigan]]||5/4/9||AFCA, AP, FWAA, UPI, WC||FN, NEA, Time, TSN
|-align="left"
|[[Rod Shoate]]||Linebacker||[[1974 Oklahoma Sooners football team|Oklahoma]]||5/4/9||AFCA, AP, FWAA, UPI, WC||FN, NEA, Time, TSN
|-align="left"
|[[Randy White (American football)|Randy White]]||Defensive end||[[1974 Maryland Terrapins football team|Maryland]]||5/4/9||AFCA, AP, FWAA, UPI, WC||FN, NEA, Time, TSN
|-align="left"
|[[Archie Griffin]]||Running back||[[1974 Ohio State Buckeyes football team|Ohio State]]||5/3/8||AFCA, AP, FWAA, UPI, WC||FN, NEA, TSN
|-align="left"
|[[Joe Washington]]||Running back||[[1974 Oklahoma Sooners football team|Oklahoma]]||5/3/8||AFCA, AP, FWAA, UPI, WC||FN, NEA, TSN
|-align="left"
|[[Anthony Davis (USC running back)|Anthony Davis]]||Running back||[[1974 USC Trojans football team|USC]]||5/2/7||AFCA, AP, FWAA, UPI, WC||FN, TSN
|-align="left"
|[[Ken Huff]]||Offensive guard||North Carolina||4/3/7||AFCA, AP, UPI, WC||NEA, Time, TSN
|-align="left"
|[[Kurt Schumacher (American football)|Kurt Schumacher]]||Offensive tackle||[[1974 Ohio State Buckeyes football team|Ohio State]]||4/3/7||AFCA, FWAA, UPI, WC||NEA, Time, TSN
|-align="left"
|[[Peter Demmerle]]||Wide receiver||[[1974 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team|Notre Dame]]||4/1/5||AFCA, AP, UPI, WC||NEA
|-align="left"
|[[Mike Hartenstine]]||Defensive tackle||Penn State||4/0/4||AFCA, AP, FWAA, UPI||--
|-align="left"
|[[Marvin Crenshaw]]||Offensive tackle||[[1974 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team|Nebraska]]||3/1/4||AFCA, FWAA, UPI||FN
|-align="left"
|[[Ken Bernich]]||Linebacker||Auburn||3/0/3||AFCA, AP, WC||--
|-align="left"
|[[Bennie Cunningham]]||Tight end||[[1974 Clemson Tigers football team|Clemson]]||3/0/3||AFCA, AP, UPI||--
|-align="left"
|[[Pat Donovan (American football)|Pat Donovan]]||Defensive end||[[1974 Stanford Cardinals football team|Stanford]]||3/0/3||AFCA, FWAA, UPI||--
|-align="left"
|[[Steve Bartkowski]]||Quarterback||[[1974 California Golden Bears football team|California]]||2/2/4||AP, UPI||NEA, Time
|-align="left"
|[[Richard Wood (American football)|Richard Wood]]||Linebacker||USC||2/2/4||AP, UPI||FN, NEA
|-align="left"
|[[Gerry DiNardo]]||Offensive guard||Notre Dame||2/1/3||AFCA, UPI||FN
|-align="left"
|[[Louie Kelcher]]||Defensive tackle||SMU||2/1/3||AP, FWAA||FN
|-align="left"
|[[Woodrow Lowe]]||Linebacker||Alabama||2/1/3||UPI, WC||FN
|-align="left"
|Steve Myers||Center||Ohio State||2/1/3||AP, UPI||FN
|-align="left"
|[[John Roush (American football)|John Roush]]||Offensive guard||Oklahoma||2/1/3||FWAA, UPI||FN
|-align="left"
|[[Pat Thomas (defensive back)|Pat Thomas]]||Defensive back||Texas A&M||2/1/3||AP, FWAA||NEA
|-align="left"
|[[Rubin Carter (American football)|Rubin Carter]]||Middle guard||Miami (FL)||2/0/2||AFCA, UPI||--
|-align="left"
|[[Leroy Cook]]||Defensive end||Mississippi State||2/0/2||AP, FWAA||--
|-align="left"
|[[John Provost]]||Defensive back||Holy Cross||2/0/2||AP, WC||--
|-align="left"
|[[Jimmy Webb (American football)|Jimmy Webb]]||Defensive end||Mississippi State||2/0/2||AFCA, WC||--
|-align="left"
|}

{{notelist}}

== Offense ==

=== Receivers ===

* '''[[Peter Demmerle]]''', Notre Dame (AFCA [split end], AP-1, UPI-1, WC, NEA-1)
* [[Pat McInally]], Harvard (AFCA [flanker], AP-2, FWAA, UPI-2, WC, FN, NEA-2)
* [[Larry Burton]], Purdue (FWAA, NEA-2, TSN, Time)
* [[Tinker Owens]], Oklahoma (NEA-1)
* [[Emmett Edwards]], Kansas (TSN)
* [[Danny Buggs]], West Virginia (Time)
* Barry Burton, Vanderbilt (AP-2 [te], FN)
* [[Steve Rivera]], California (AP-3)

=== Tight ends ===

* '''[[Bennie Cunningham]]''', Clemson (AFCA, AP-1, UPI-1)
* Jim O'Bradovich, USC (NEA-1)
* Charles Waddell, North Carolina (TSN)
* Elmore Stephens, Kentucky (Time-t)
* [[Oscar Roan]], Southern Methodist (Time-t)
* Dan Natale, Penn State (UPI-2)
* [[Doug France]], Ohio State (NEA-2, Time [t])
* Dick Pawlewicz, William & Mary (AP-3)

=== Tackles ===

* '''[[Kurt Schumacher (American football)|Kurt Schumacher]]''', Ohio State (AFCA, FWAA, UPI-1, WC, NEA-1, TSN, Time)
* '''[[Marvin Crenshaw]]''', Nebraska (AFCA, AP-2, FWAA, UPI-1, FN, NEA-2)
* [[Dennis Harrah]], University of Miami (Fla.) (AP-2, TSN, UPI-2, NEA-1, Time)
* [[Craig Hertwig]], Georgia (AP-1, NEA-2)
* [[Al Krevis]], Boston College (AP-1)
* [[Bob Simmons (offensive lineman)|Bob Simmons]], Texas (UPI-2, WC)
* [[Dennis Lick]], Wisconsin (FN)
* Mike Biehle, Miami (OH) (AP-3)
* [[Steve Sylvester (American football)|Steve Sylvester]], Notre Dame (AP-3)

=== Guards ===

* '''[[Ken Huff]]''', North Carolina (AFCA, AP-1, UPI-2, WC, NEA-1, Time, TSN)
* '''[[Gerry DiNardo]]''', Notre Dame (AFCA, UPI-1, FN)
* '''[[John Roush (American football)|John Roush]]''', Oklahoma (AP-2, FWAA, UPI-1, FN)
* [[Bill Bain (American football)|Bill Bain]], USC (TSN, Time)
* [[Burton Lawless]], Florida (NEA-1)
* [[John Nessel]], Penn State (WC)
* Andy Dearman, VMI (AP-2)
* [[Revie Sorey]], Illinois (NEA-2)
* Carl Dean, New Mexico State (AP-3)
* Steve Ostermann, Washington State (AP-3, UP-2)

=== Centers ===

* '''Steve Myers''', Ohio State (AP-1 [g], UPI-1, FN, NEA-2 [g])
* [[Rik Bonness]], Nebraska (AP-1)
* [[Geoff Reece]], Washington State (WC, NEA-2, Time)
* [[Sylvester Croom]], Alabama (AFCA, UPI-2)
* Aubrey Schulz, Baylor (AP-2, FWAA)
* [[Rick Nuzum]], Kentucky (NEA-1)
* [[Kyle Davis (American football)|Kyle Davis]], Oklahoma (TSN)
* Jack Balorunos, Penn State (AP-3)

=== Quarterbacks ===

* '''[[Steve Bartkowski]]''', California (AP-1, UPI-1, NEA-1, Time-t)
* [[David Humm]], Nebraska (AFCA, AP-2, TSN, Time-t, FN)
* [[Tom Clements]] Notre Dame (FWWA)
* [[Steve Joachim]], Temple (AP-3, UPI-2, WC)
* [[Freddie Solomon]], Tampa (NEA-2)

=== Running backs ===

* '''[[Archie Griffin]]''', Ohio State (AFCA, AP-1, FWAA, UPI-1, WC, FN, NEA-1, TSN)
* '''[[Joe Washington]]''', Oklahoma (AFCA, AP-1, FWAA, UPI-1, WC, FN, NEA-1, TSN)
* '''[[Anthony Davis (USC running back)|Anthony Davis]]''', USC (AFCA, AP-1, FWAA, UPI-1, WC, FN, NEA-2, Time)
* [[Walter Payton]], Jackson State (Time)
* [[Don Hardeman]], Texas A&M (Time)
* [[Stan Fritts]], NC State (AP-2)
* [[Willard Harrell]], Pacific (AP-2)
* [[Billy Marek]], Wisconsin (AP-2, UPI-2)
* [[Tony Dorsett]], Pittsburgh (AP-3, UPI-2, NEA-2)
* [[Louie Giammona]], Utah State (AP-3, UPI-2)
* Walt Snickenberger, Princeton (AP-3)

== Defense ==

=== Defensive ends ===

* '''[[Randy White (American football)|Randy White]]''', Maryland (AFCA [DT], AP-1, FWAA, UPI-1 [DT], WC, FN [DT], NEA-1, TSN, Time)
* '''[[Pat Donovan (American football)|Pat Donovan]]''', Stanford (AFCA, FWAA, UPI-1)
* '''[[Jimmy Webb (American football)|Jimmy Webb]]''', Mississippi State (AFCA, AP-3 [DT], WC, NEA-2 [DT])
* '''[[Leroy Cook]]''', Alabama (AP-1, FWAA, UP-2)
* [[Mack Mitchell]], Houston (AP-2, WC, NEA-1, TSN, Time)
* [[Van DeCree]], Ohio State (UPI-1, FN)
* [[Steve Niehaus]], Notre Dame (FN)
* [[Bob Martin (American football)|Bob Martin]], Nebraska (AP-2)
* [[Ecomet Burley]], Texas Tech (NEA-2)
* [[Fred Dean]], Louisiana Tech (NEA-2)
* [[Jimbo Elrod]], Oklahoma (AP-3)
* Greg Murphy, Penn State (AP-3, UP-2)

=== Defensive tackles ===

* '''[[Mike Hartenstine]]''', Penn State (AFCA, AP-1, FWAA, UPI-1)
* '''[[Louie Kelcher]]''' SMU (AP-1 [mg], FWAA, FN, NEA-2 [mg])
* [[Mike Fanning (American football)|Mike Fanning]], Notre Dame (AP-2, WC, NEA-1, TSN, Time)
* [[Doug English]], Texas (AP-1, Time)
* [[Lee Roy Selmon]], Oklahoma (AP-2, UP-2, NEA-1)
* Pete Cusick, Ohio State (AP-3, TSN, UP-2)
* [[Wayne Baker (American football)|Wayne Baker]], BYU (NEA-2)

=== Middle guards ===

* '''[[Rubin Carter (American football)|Rubin Carter]]''', Miami (Fla.) (AFCA, AP-3, UPI-1)
* [[Gary "Big Hands" Johnson|Gary Johnson]], Grambling (NEA-1, Time [DT])
* [[Gary Burley]], Pittsburgh (UP-2, WC)
* [[Dewey Selmon]], Oklahoma (FN)

=== Linebackers ===

* '''[[Rod Shoate]]''', Oklahoma (AFCA, AP-1, FWAA, UPI-1, WC, FN, NEA-1, TSN, Time)
* '''[[Richard Wood (American football)|Richard Wood]]''', USC (AP-1, UPI-1, FN, NEA-1)
* '''[[Ken Bernich]]''', Auburn (AFCA, AP-1, WC)
* '''[[Woodrow Lowe]]''', Alabama (UPI-1, WC, FN)
* [[Bob Breunig]], Arizona State (AFCA, AP-2, UP-2, TSN, Time)
* [[Ralph Ortega]], Florida (TSN, Time)
* [[Greg Collins (American football)|Greg Collins]], Notre Dame (AP-2, FWAA)
* [[Brad Cousino]], Miami (Ohio) (AP-2 [MG], FWAA)
* [[Robert Brazile]], Jackson State (Time)
* [[Ed Simonini]], Texas A&M (AP-2, UP-2)
* [[Steve Strinko]], Michigan (UP-2)
* [[Derrel Luce]], Baylor (NEA-2)
* [[Glenn Cameron]], Florida (AP-3)
* Al Humphrey, Tulsa (AP-3)
* [[Danny Kepley]], East Carolina (AP-3, NEA-2)

=== Defensive backs ===

* '''[[Dave Brown (cornerback)|Dave Brown]]''', Michigan (AFCA, AP-1, FWAA, UPI-1, WC, FN, NEA-1 [s], TSN, Time [s])
* '''[[Pat Thomas (defensive back)|Pat Thomas]]''', Texas A&M (AP-1, FWAA, NEA-1 [cb])
* '''[[John Provost]]''', Holy Cross (AP-1, UP-2, WC)
* [[Neal Colzie]], Ohio State (AP-2, UPI-1, NEA-1 [cb], TSN, Time [cb])
* [[Mike Williams (cornerback)|Mike Williams]], LSU (AFCA, TSN, Time [cb])
* [[Mike Washington]], Alabama (NEA-1 [s], FN, UP-2, Time [cb])
* [[Robert Giblin]], Houston (AFCA, TSN, Time [s])
* [[Charlie Phillips (American football)|Charles Phillips]], Southern California (FWAA)
* [[Randy Hughes]], Oklahoma (AP-2, UPI-1, NEA-2 [s])
* [[Randy Rhino]], Georgia Tech (AP-2, WC)
* [[Mike Fuller]], Auburn (FN, NEA-2 [s])
* [[Tim Gray]], Texas A&M (NEA-2)
* [[Marvin Cobb]], USC (AP-3)
* [[Barry Hill (American football)|Barry Hill]], Iowa State (AP-3, UPI-2)
* [[Louis Wright (American football)|Louie Wright]], San Jose State (AP-3, NEA-2)

== Special teams ==

=== Kickers ===

* [[Steve Mike-Mayer]], Maryland (TSN, Time)
* Dave Lawson, Air Force (FWAA)

=== Punters ===

* [[Tom Skladany]], Ohio State (FWAA)
* Skip Boyd, Washington (TSN)
* [[Jeff West (American football)|Jeff West]], Cincinnati (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]]<ref name=AFCA>{{cite news|title=Griffin, Davis Head Coaches' All-America|newspaper=Valley Morning Star (TX)|date=November 29, 1974|page=B5|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/4490892/griffin_davis_head_coaches_all_america/}}</ref>
* AP – [[Associated Press]]<ref name=AP>{{cite news|title=USC Star All-America 3rd Time; 3 SWC Players Named On Defense|newspaper=The Corpus Christi Times|date=December 6, 1974|page=10B|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/4489865/usc_star_allamerican_3rd_time/}}</ref>
* FWAA – [[Football Writers Association of America]]<ref name=FW>{{cite web|title=FWAA All-America Since 1944: The All-Time Team|editor=Ted Gangi|access-date=February 8, 2015|url=http://www.sportswriters.net/fwaa/awards/allamerica/alltime.pdf|archive-date=March 4, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190304073432/http://www.sportswriters.net/fwaa/awards/allamerica/alltime.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref>
* UPI – [[United Press International]]<ref name=UPI>{{cite news|title=UPI All-America Football Team|newspaper=The Indianapolis Star|date=December 5, 1974|page=80|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/4490157/upi_all_america_football_team/}}</ref>
* WC – [[Walter Camp Football Foundation]]{{citation needed|date=March 2016}}

===Other selectors===

* FN – ''Football News''<ref name=FN>{{cite news|title=4 Sooners Make Football News All-American|newspaper=The Indianapolis Star|date=December 2, 1974|page=26}}</ref>
* NEA – [[Newspaper Enterprise Association]]<ref name=NEA>{{cite news|title=1974 NEA All-America|newspaper=Delaware County Daily Times|date=December 6, 1974|page=22|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/4490556/1974_nea_all_america/}}</ref>
* TSN – ''The Sporting News''<ref name=TSN>{{cite news|title=Sporting News Tabs Humm All-American|newspaper=The Lincoln Star (Nebraska)|date=December 11, 1974|page=57|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/4490913/sporting_news_tabs_humm/}}</ref>
* Time – ''Time'' magazine<ref name=Time>{{cite news|title=Time Magazine Picks All-America Players|newspaper=The Naples Daily News|date=December 9, 1974|page=4C|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/4490956/time_magazine_picks_all_america_players/}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[1974 All-Atlantic Coast Conference football team]]
* [[1974 All-Big Eight Conference football team]]
* [[1974 All-Big Ten Conference football team]]
* [[1974 All-Pacific-8 Conference football team]]
* [[1974 All-SEC football team]]
* [[1974 All-Southwest Conference football team]]

== References ==
{{reflist|2}}

{{1974 College Football Consensus All-Americans}}
{{College Football All-America Teams}}

[[Category:1974 NCAA Division I football season|All-America Team]]
[[Category:College Football All-America Teams]]

1974 College Football All-America Team - Revision history

imported>1ctinus: Adding short description: "Official list of the best college football players of 1974"