Heisman winners highlight FWAA 75th anniversary team

The Football Writers Association of American recently released its 75th Anniversary All-America Team, celebrating the association’s All-America teams from near the end of World War II through the 2014 season. The FWAA, which was founded in 1941, has picked an annual All-America team since the 1944 season, making it the second longest continuously selected team in major college football.

As one would expect, Heisman winners played a prominent role on the FWAA’s final squad. Eleven former Heisman winners made the three-deep, with the first-team group featuring six of them: Roger Staubach at quarterback, Archie Griffinand Herschel Walker at running back, Leon Hart at defensive end, Charles Woodson at defensive back and Johnny Rodgers at return specialist.

The second team featured Tim Tebow at quarterback and Tony Dorsett and Barry Sanders at running back, while the third team saw Bo Jackson and Doak Walkeras running back selections.

A few Heisman runner ups also made the squads: Larry Fitzgerald as a first-team wide out, John Hicks as a second-team offensive lineman, Hugh Green as a second-team defensive end, Raghib Ismail as a second-team return specialist and Tommy Frazier as a third-team quarterback.

See the teams below:

75th ANNIVERSARY FWAA ALL-AMERICA TEAM OFFENSE POS FIRST TEAM SECOND TEAM THIRD TEAM QB Roger Staubach, Navy Tim Tebow, Florida Tommie Frazier, Nebraska RB Archie Griffin, Ohio State Tony Dorsett, Pittsburgh Bo Jackson, Auburn RB Herschel Walker, Georgia Barry Sanders, Oklahoma State Doak Walker, SMU WR Larry Fitzgerald, Pittsburgh Fred Biletnikoff, Florida State Anthony Carter, Michigan WR Jerry Rice, Mississippi Valley State Randy Moss, Marshall Calvin Johnson, Georgia Tech TE Keith Jackson, Oklahoma Mike Ditka, Pittsburgh Gordon Hudson, BYU OL John Hannah, Alabama Bill Fralic, Pittsburgh Barrett Jones, Alabama OL Orlando Pace, Ohio State John Hicks, Ohio State Willie Roaf, Louisiana Tech OL Will Shields, Nebraska Calvin Jones, Iowa Jerry Sisemore, Texas OL Ron Yary, USC Jonathan Ogden, UCLA Dean Steinkuhler, Nebraska C Dave Rimington, Nebraska Chuck Bednarik, Penn Jim Ritcher, N.C. State DEFENSE POS FIRST TEAM SECOND TEAM THIRD TEAM DT Lee Roy Selmon, Oklahoma Merlin Olsen, Utah State Steve Emtman, Washington DT Ndamukong Suh, Nebraska Randy White, Maryland Reggie White, Tennessee DE Leon Hart, Notre Dame Hugh Green, Pittsburgh Bubba Smith, Michigan State DE Ted Hendricks, Miami (Fla.) Bruce Smith, Virginia Tech Jack Youngblood, Florida LB Tommy Nobis, Texas Brian Bosworth, Oklahoma Jack Ham, Penn State LB Mike Singletary, Baylor Dick Butkus, Illinois Lee Roy Jordan, Alabama LB Derrick Thomas, Alabama Luke Kuechly, Boston College Chris Spielman, Ohio State DB Ronnie Lott, USC Champ Bailey, Georgia Dré Bly, North Carolina DB Deion Sanders, Florida State Kenny Easley, UCLA Dave Brown, Michigan DB Jack Tatum, Ohio State Jerry Gray, Texas Troy Polamalu, USC DB Charles Woodson, Michigan Ed Reed, Miami (Fla.) Roy Williams, Oklahoma SPECIALISTS POS FIRST TEAM SECOND TEAM THIRD TEAM P Ray Guy, Southern Miss Russell Erxleben, Texas Rohn Stark, Florida State K Kevin Butler, Georgia Mason Crosby, Colorado Tony Franklin, Texas A&M RS Johnny Rodgers, Nebraska Raghib Ismail, Notre Dame Derek Abney, Kentucky 75th Anniversary All-Americans by school (75 players from 41 schools): Nebraska 6, Ohio State 5, Pittsburgh 5, Alabama 4, Oklahoma 4, Texas 4, Florida State 3, Georgia 3, Michigan 3, USC 3, Florida 2, Miami (Fla.) 2, Notre Dame 2, UCLA 2, Auburn 1, Baylor 1, Boston College 1, BYU 1, Colorado 1, Georgia Tech 1, Illinois 1, Iowa 1, Kentucky 1, Louisiana Tech 1, Marshall 1, Maryland 1, Michigan State 1, Mississippi Valley State 1, Navy 1, North Carolina 1, N.C. State 1, Oklahoma State 1, Penn 1, Penn State 1, SMU 1, Southern Miss 1, Tennessee 1, Texas A&M 1, Utah State 1, Virginia Tech 1, Washington 1. 75th Anniversary All-Americans by current conference: Big Ten Conference 19, Atlantic Coast Conference 15, Southeastern Conference 13, Big 12 Conference 10, Pac-12 Conference 7, Conference USA 3, Independents 3, American Athletic Conference 2, Ivy League 1, Mountain West Conference 1, Southwestern Athletic Conference 1.