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Disambiguating links to John Jefferson (link changed to John Jefferson (American football); link changed to John Jefferson (American football)) using DisamAssist.

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{{Short description|Official list of the best college football players of 1977}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2023}}
{{sidebar
| width = 25em
| title = 1977 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 = [[1977 NCAA Division I football season]]
| heading3 =
| content3 =
| content4style = border-top:1px #aaa solid
| content4 = [[1975 College Football All-America Team|1975]] [[1976 College Football All-America Team|1976]] ← → [[1978 College Football All-America Team|1978]] [[1979 College Football All-America Team|1979]]
}}
The '''1977 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 1977. The [[National Collegiate Athletic Association]] (NCAA) recognizes four selectors as "official" for the 1977 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/> (3) the [[Football Writers Association of America]] (FWAA) selected by the nation's football writers;<ref name=FW/> and (4) the [[United Press International]] (UPI) selected based on the votes of sports writers at UPI newspapers.<ref name=UPI/> 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 the [[Walter Camp Football Foundation]] (WC).

Eight players were unanimously selected by all four official selectors and all four unofficial selectors. They were [[Ken MacAfee]] of Notre Dame, offensive tackle [[Chris Ward (American football)|Chris Ward]] of Ohio State, offensive guard [[Mark Donahue]] of Michigan, running backs [[Earl Campbell]] of Texas and [[Terry Miller (running back)|Terry Miller]] of Oklahoma State, defensive ends [[Art Still]] of Kentucky and [[Ross Browner]] of Notre Dame, defensive tackle [[Brad Shearer]] of Texas.

==Consensus All-Americans==
The following charts identify the NCAA-recognized consensus All-Americans for the year 1977 and displays which first-team designations they received.

===Offense===
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! bgcolor="#DDDDFF" width="15%" | Name
! bgcolor="#DDDDFF" width="10%" | Position
! bgcolor="#DDDDFF" width="10%" | School
! bgcolor="#DDDDFF" width="7%" | Number<ref name=Key>This column lists the number of selectors choosing the player as a first-team All-American as follows: official selectors/other selectors/total selectors.</ref>
! bgcolor="#DDDDFF" width="18%" | Official
! bgcolor="#DDDDFF" width="18%" | Other
|-align="left"
|[[Earl Campbell]]||Running back||[[1977 Texas Longhorns football team|Texas]]||4/4/8||AFCA, AP, FWAA, UPI||FN, NEA, TSN, WC
|-align="left"
|[[Mark Donahue]]||Offensive guard||[[1977 Michigan Wolverines football team|Michigan]]||4/4/8||AFCA, AP, FWAA, UPI||FN, NEA, TSN, WC
|-align="left"
|[[Ken MacAfee]]||Tight end||[[1977 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team|Notre Dame]]||4/4/8||AFCA, AP, FWAA, UPI||FN, NEA, TSN, WC
|-align="left"
|[[Terry Miller (running back)|Terry Miller]]||Running back||[[Oklahoma State Cowboys football|Oklahoma State]]||4/4/8||AFCA, AP, FWAA, UPI||FN, NEA, TSN, WC
|-align="left"
|[[Chris Ward (American football)|Chris Ward]]||Offensive tackle||[[1977 Ohio State Buckeyes football team|Ohio State]]||4/4/8||AFCA, AP, FWAA, UPI||FN, NEA, TSN, WC
|-align="left"
|[[Ozzie Newsome]]||Receiver||[[1977 Alabama Crimson Tide football team|Alabama]]||3/4/7||AFCA, AP, FWAA||FN, NEA, TSN, WC
|-align="left"
|[[Leotis Harris]]||Offensive guard||[[1977 Arkansas Razorbacks football team|Arkansas]]||3/4/8||AFCA, AP, UPI||NEA, WC
|-align="left"
|[[Charles Alexander (running back)|Charles Alexander]]||Running back||[[1977 LSU Tigers football team|LSU]]||3/1/4||AFCA, FWAA, UPI||WC
|-align="left"
|[[Guy Benjamin]]||Quarterback||[[1977 Stanford Cardinals football team|Stanford]]||2/2/4||FWAA, UPI||FN, NEA
|-align="left"
|[[Dan Irons]]||Offensive tackle||[[1977 Texas Tech Red Raiders football team|Texas Tech]]||2/2/4||AFCA, UPI||FN, WC
|-align="left"
|[[John Jefferson (American football)|John Jefferson]]||Receiver||[[1977 Arizona State Sun Devils football team|Arizona State]]||3/0/3||AFCA, AP, FWAA||--
|-align="left"
|[[Tom Brzoza]]||Center||[[1977 Pittsburgh Panthers football team|Pittsburgh]]||2/1/3||AP, UPI||WC
|-align="left"
|}

===Defense===
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! bgcolor="#DDDDFF" width="15%" | Name
! bgcolor="#DDDDFF" width="10%" | Position
! bgcolor="#DDDDFF" width="10%" | School
! bgcolor="#DDDDFF" width="7%" | Number<ref name=Key/>
! bgcolor="#DDDDFF" width="18%" | Official
! bgcolor="#DDDDFF" width="18%" | Other
|-align="left"
|[[Ross Browner]]||Defensive end||[[1977 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team|Notre Dame]]||4/4/8||AFCA, AP, FWAA, UPI||FN, NEA, TSN, WC
|-align="left"
|[[Brad Shearer]]||Defensive tackle||[[1977 Texas Longhorns football team|Texas]]||4/4/8||AFCA, AP, FWAA, UPI||FN, NEA, TSN, WC
|-align="left"
|[[Art Still]]||Defensive end||[[1977 Kentucky Wildcats football team|Kentucky]]||4/4/8||AFCA, AP, FWAA, UPI||FN, NEA, TSN, WC
|-align="left"
|[[Zac Henderson]]||Defensive back||[[1977 Oklahoma Sooners football team|Oklahoma]]||4/3/7||AFCA, AP, FWAA, UPI||FN, NEA, WC
|-align="left"
|[[Jerry Robinson (linebacker)|Jerry Robinson]]||Linebacker||[[1977 UCLA Bruins football team|UCLA]]||4/3/7||AFCA, AP, FWAA, UPI||FN, NEA, WC
|-align="left"
|[[Randy Holloway]]||Defensive tackle||[[1977 Pittsburgh Panthers football team|Pittsburgh]]||3/4/7||AFCA, FWAA, UPI||FN, NEA, TSN, WC
|-align="left"
|[[Dennis Thurman]]||Defensive back||[[1977 USC Trojans football team|USC]]||4/2/6||AFCA, AP, FWAA, UPI||FN, WC
|-align="left"
|[[Luther Bradley]]||Defensive back||Notre Dame||2/3/5||AFCA, UPI||FN, TSN, WC
|-align="left"
|[[Bob Jury]]||Defensive back||[[1977 Pittsburgh Panthers football team|Pittsburgh]]||2/2/4||AP, FWAA||TSN, WC
|-align="left"
|[[Tom Cousineau]]||Linebacker||[[1977 Ohio State Buckeyes football team|Ohio State]]||2/1/3||FWAA, UPI||WC
|-align="left"
|[[Gary Spani]]||Linebacker||[[1977 Kansas State Wildcats football team|Kansas State]]||2/1/3||AFCA, UPI||FN
|-align="left"
|[[Dee Hardison]]||Defensive tackle||[[1977 North Carolina Tar Heels football team|North Carolina]]||2/1/3||AP, FWAA||FN

|}

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

* '''[[Ozzie Newsome]]''', Alabama (AFCA [split end], AP-1, FWAA, UPI-2, FN [end], NEA-1, TSN, WC)
* '''[[John Jefferson (American football)|John Jefferson]]''', Arizona State (AFCA [flanker], AP-1, FWAA, NEA-2)
* [[Wes Chandler]], Florida (AP-2, UPI-1, FN [running back], NEA-1, TSN)
* [[James Lofton]], Stanford (AP-2, NEA-2)
* [[Gordon Jones (American football)|Gordon Jones]], Pittsburgh (AP-3)
* [[Mike Renfro]], TCU (AP-3)

=== Tight ends ===

* '''[[Ken MacAfee]]''', Notre Dame (AFCA, AP-1, FWAA, UPI-1, FN [end], NEA-1, TSN, WC)
* [[Mickey Shuler]], Penn State (AP-2, NEA-2)
* Clennie Brundidge, Army (UPI-2)
* Mike Moore, Grambling (AP-3)

=== Tackles ===

* '''[[Chris Ward (American football)|Chris Ward]]''', Ohio State (AFCA, AP-1, FWAA, UPI-1, FN, NEA-1, TSN, WC)
* '''[[Dan Irons]]''', Texas Tech (AFCA, UPI-1, FN, WC)
* [[Keith Dorney]] Penn State (AP-3, FWAA)
* [[Gordon King (American football)|Gordon King]], Stanford (UPI-2, NEA-1, TSN)
* Dennis Baker, Wyoming (AP-1)
* William Fifer, West Texas State (AP-2)
* [[Mike Kenn]], Michigan (AP-2)
* [[J. T. Taylor (American football)|J. T. Taylor]], Missouri (AP-3, UPI-2)
* [[Frank Myers (American football)|Frank Myers]], Texas A&M (NEA-2)
* Jeff Morrow, Minnesota (NEA-2)

=== Guards ===

* '''[[Mark Donahue]]''', Michigan (AFCA, AP-1, FWAA, UPI-1, FN, NEA-1, TSN, WC)
* '''[[Leotis Harris]]''', Arkansas (AFCA, AP-1, UPI-1, NEA-1, WC)
* [[Joe Bostic]], Clemson (AP-3, FWAA, NEA-2)
* [[Greg Roberts (American football)|Greg Roberts]], Oklahoma (AP-3, FN)
* [[George Collins (American football)|George Collins]], Georgia (TSN)
* [[Jim Hough]], Utah State (AP-2)
* [[Ernie Hughes]], Notre Dame (AP-2, UPI-2)
* [[Big Van Vader|Leon White]], Colorado (UPI-2)
* [[Bob Cryder]], Alabama (NEA-2)

=== Centers ===

* '''[[Tom Brzoza]]''', Pittsburgh (AP-1, UPI-1, WC)
* [[Walt Downing]], Michigan (AFCA, AP-3, FN, NEA-2, TSN)
* Tom Davis, Nebraska (FWAA, UPI-2)
* [[Blair Bush]], Washington (AP-2, NEA-1)

=== Quarterbacks ===

* '''[[Guy Benjamin]]''', Stanford (AP-2, FWAA, UPI-1, FN, NEA-1)
* [[Doug Williams (quarterback)|Doug Williams]], Grambling State (AP-1, UPI-2, NEA-2, TSN, WC)
* [[Matt Cavanaugh]], Pittsburgh (AFCA)
* [[Derrick Ramsey]], Kentucky (AP-3)

=== Running backs ===

* '''[[Earl Campbell]]''', Texas (AFCA, AP-1, FWAA, UPI-1, FN, NEA-1, TSN, WC)
* '''[[Terry Miller (running back)|Terry Miller]]''', Oklahoma State (AFCA, AP-1, FWAA, UPI-1, FN, NEA-1, TSN, WC)
* '''[[Charles Alexander (running back)|Charles Alexander]]''', LSU (AFCA, AP-2, FWAA, UPI-1, NEA-2, WC)
* John Pagliaro, Yale (AP-3, WC)
* Jerome Persell, Western Michigan (AP-2)
* [[I. M. Hipp]], Nebraska (UPI-2, NEA-2)
* [[Johnny Davis (American football)|Johnny Davis]], Alabama (UPI-2)
* [[Ben Cowins]], Arkansas (UPI-2)
* [[Bo Robinson]], West Texas State (AP-3)

== Defense ==

=== Defensive ends ===

* '''[[Art Still]]''', Kentucky (AFCA, AP-1, FWAA, UPI-1, FN, NEA-1, TSN, WC)
* '''[[Ross Browner]]''', Notre Dame (AFCA, AP-1, FWAA, UPI-1, FN, NEA-1, TSN, WC)
* [[John Anderson (American football)|John Anderson]], Michigan (UPI-2)
* Kelton Dansler, Ohio State (AP-2)
* [[Willie Fry]], Notre Dame (UPI-2)
* [[Hugh Green (American football)|Hugh Green]], Pittsburgh (AP-2)
* [[Al Harris (defensive lineman)|Al Harris]], Arizona State (NEA-2)
* [[Jerry DeLoach]], California (AP-3)
* Chuck Schott, Army (AP-3)

=== Defensive tackles ===
* '''[[Brad Shearer]]''', Texas (AFCA, AP-1, FWAA, UPI-1, FN, NEA-1, TSN, WC)
* '''[[Randy Holloway]]''', Pittsburgh (AFCA, AP-2, FWAA, UPI-1, FN, NEA-1, TSN, WC)
* '''[[Dee Hardison]]''', North Carolina (AP-1, FWAA, UPI-2, FN, NEA-2)
* [[Mike Bell (defensive lineman)|Mike Bell]], Colorado State (AP-2)
* [[Manu Tuiasosopo]], UCLA (UPI-2)
* [[Mekeli Ieremia]], Brigham Young (NEA-2)
* [[Larry Bethea]], Michigan State (AP-3, NEA-2 [DE])
* Jimmy Walker, Arkansas (AP-3)

=== Middle guards ===
* [[Aaron Brown (linebacker)|Aaron Brown]], Ohio St. (AFCA, UPI-2, WC)
* [[Reggie Kinlaw]], Oklahoma (AP-3, UPI-1)
* [[Randy Sidler]], Penn State (AP-1)
* [[Don Latimer]], Pittsburgh (AP-2)

=== Linebackers ===

* '''[[Jerry Robinson (linebacker)|Jerry Robinson]]''', UCLA (AFCA, AP-1, FWAA, UPI-1, FN, NEA-1, WC)
* '''[[Tom Cousineau]]''', Ohio State (AP-2, FWAA, UPI-1, NEA-2, WC)
* '''[[Gary Spani]]''', Kansas St. (AFCA, AP-3, UPI-1, FN, NEA-2)
* [[Mike Woods (American football)|Mike Woods]], Cincinnati (AP-1, NEA-1, TSN)
* [[Lucius Sanford]], Georgia Tech (AFCA, AP-2, UPI-2, TSN)
* [[Clay Matthews, Jr.]], USC (NEA-1, TSN)
* [[Daryl Hunt]], Oklahoma (AP-3, UPI-2, FN, WC)
* [[John Anderson (American football)|John Anderson]], Michigan (FWAA)
* [[George Cumby]], Oklahoma (AP-1)
* [[Bob Golic]], Notre Dame (AP-2, UPI-2)
* [[Harold Randolph]], East Carolina (NEA-2)
* [[Michael Jackson (linebacker)|Michael Jackson]], Washington (AP-3)

=== Defensive backs ===

* '''[[Zac Henderson]]''', Oklahoma (AFCA, AP-1, FWAA, UPI-1, FN, NEA-1, WC)
* '''[[Dennis Thurman]]''', USC (AFCA, AP-1, FWAA, UPI-1, FN, NEA-2, WC)
* '''[[Luther Bradley]]''', Notre Dame (AFCA, AP-2, UPI-1, FN, NEA-2, TSN, WC)
* '''[[Bob Jury]]''', Pittsburgh (AP-1, FWAA, UPI-2, NEA-2, TSN, WC)
* [[Keith Simpson (American football)|Keith Simpson]], Memphis State (NEA-1, TSN)
* [[Ray Griffin]], Ohio State (UPI-2, NEA-1, TSN)
* [[Ken Greene]], Washington State (NEA-1)
* [[Dwight Hicks]], Michigan (AP-2)
* Bill Krug, Georgia (UPI-2)
* [[Charles Williams (gridiron football)|Charles Williams]], Jackson State (AP-2)
* [[Eric Felton]], Texas Tech (NEA-2)
* [[Larry Anderson (American football)|Larry Anderson]], Louisiana Tech (AP-3)
* [[Ron Johnson (cornerback)|Ron Johnson]], Eastern Michigan (AP-3)
* John Sturges, Navy (AP-3)

== Special teams ==

=== Kickers ===

* '''[[Steve Little (American football)|Steve Little]]''', Arkansas (FWAA, UPI-1, NEA-1, TSN)
* [[Tony Franklin (kicker)|Tony Franklin]], Texas A&M (NEA-2)

=== Punters ===

* [[Russell Erxleben]], Texas (FWAA, UPI-2, NEA-1, TSN)
* [[Johnny Evans (American football)|Johnny Evans]], NC State (NEA-2)

== Key ==
{{smalldiv|1=
* '''Bold''' – Consensus All-American<ref name=CAA>{{cite web|title=Football Award Winners|publisher=[[National Collegiate Athletic Association]] (NCAA)|year=2016|access-date=March 18, 2017|pages=3, 11–12|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===
{{smalldiv|1=
* AFCA – [[American Football Coaches Association]], selected by more than 2,000 members for Kodak<ref name=AFCA>{{cite news|title=All-American squad named|newspaper=Las Cruces (NM) Sun-News|date=November 24, 1977|page=12|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/4546589/all_american_squad_named/}}</ref>
* AP – [[Associated Press]]<ref name=AP>{{cite news|title=Grambling Senior QB Named to AP Team|newspaper=Beckley (WV) Post-Herald|date=November 30, 1977|page=20|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/4542665/grambling_senior_qb_named_to_ap_team/}}</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=March 2, 2016|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|newspaper=St. Louis Post-Dispatch|date=December 2, 1977|page=2C|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/4546267/notre_dame_trio_head_upi_allamerica/}}</ref>
}}

===Other selectors===
{{smalldiv|1=
* FN – ''Football News''<ref name=FN>{{cite news|title=College football|newspaper=St. Louis Post-Dispatch|date=November 20, 1977|page=9F|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/4547795/1977_football_news_all_america_team/}}</ref>
* NEA – [[Newspaper Enterprise Association]]<ref name=NEA>{{cite news|title=Campbell, Browner top All Americans|newspaper=The Waxahachie Daily Light|date=December 8, 1977|page=3|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/4547638/campbell_browner_top_all_americans/}}</ref>
* TSN – ''[[Sporting News|The Sporting News]]''<ref name=TSN>{{cite news|title=All America teams: Sporting News|newspaper=The Courier-Journal (Louisville)|date=December 7, 1977|page=D3|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/4547695/1977_tsn_all_america_team/}}</ref>
* WC – [[Walter Camp Football Foundation]]<ref>{{cite news|title=Irish, Pittsburgh, Buckeyes dominate Camp All-America|newspaper=Alamogordo Daily News|date=December 13, 1977|page=2|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/41754620/irish_pittsburgh_buckeyes_dominate/|via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref>
}}

==See also==
* [[1977 All-Atlantic Coast Conference football team]]
* [[1977 All-Big Eight Conference football team]]
* [[1977 All-Big Ten Conference football team]]
* [[1977 All-Pacific-8 Conference football team]]
* [[1977 All-SEC football team]]
* [[1977 All-Southwest Conference football team]]

== References ==
{{reflist}}

{{1977 College Football Consensus All-Americans}}
{{College Football All-America Teams}}

[[Category:1977 NCAA Division I football season|All-America Team]]
[[Category:College Football All-America Teams]]

1977 College Football All-America Team - Revision history

imported>Natg 19: Disambiguating links to John Jefferson (link changed to John Jefferson (American football); link changed to John Jefferson (American football)) using DisamAssist.