The 1961 College Football All-America team is composed of college football players who were selected as

All-America The All-America designation is an annual honor bestowed upon an amateur sports person from the United States who is considered to be one of the best amateurs in their sport. Individuals receiving this distinction are typically added to an All-Am ...

ns by various organizations and writers that chose

College Football All-America Team The College Football All-America Team is an honor given annually to the best college football players in the United States at their respective positions. The original use of the term '' All-America'' seems to have been to the 1889 College Footbal ...

s in 1961. The six selectors recognized by the

NCAA The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges an ...

as "official" for the 1961 season are (1) the

American Football Coaches Association The American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) is an association of over 11,000 American football coaches and staff on all levels. According to its constitution, some of the main goals of the American Football Coaches Association are to "mainta ...

(AFCA), (2) the

Associated Press The Associated Press (AP) is an American non-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association. It produces news reports that are distributed to its members, U.S. ne ...

(AP), (3) the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA), (4) the

Newspaper Enterprise Association The Newspaper Enterprise Association (NEA) is an editorial column and comic strip newspaper syndication service based in the United States and established in 1902. The oldest syndicate still in operation, the NEA was originally a secondary news ...

(NEA), (5) the '' Sporting News'', and (6) the

United Press International United Press International (UPI) is an American international news agency whose newswires, photo, news film, and audio services provided news material to thousands of newspapers, magazines, radio and television stations for most of the 20t ...

(UPI).

Consensus All-Americans

For the year 1961, the NCAA recognizes six published All-American teams as "official" designations for purposes of its consensus determinations. The following chart identifies the NCAA-recognized consensus All-Americans and displays which first-team designations they received.

All-American selections for 1961

Ends

* Gary Collins, Maryland (AFCA, AP-2, FWAA, NEA, SN, UPI-1, CP, Time, WC) * Bill Miller, Miami (Fla.) (AP-1, FWAA, NEA, SN, UPI-2, Time, WC) * Greg Mather, Navy (AP-3, FWAA, UPI-2, CP) * Gary Hillebrand, Colorado (AP-1, FWAA) * Pat Richter, Wisconsin (AP-2, UPI-1) * Robert Mitinger, Penn State (AFCA, UPI-3) *

Hugh Campbell Hugh Campbell (born May 21, 1941) is a former American football and Canadian football player, coach, and executive. He served as a head coach in three different professional gridiron football leagues: the Canadian Football League (CFL), the Unit ...

, Washington State (AP-3, UPI-3)

Tackles

* Billy Neighbors, Alabama (AFCA, AP-1, FWAA uard NEA, SN, UPI-1, CP, WC) *

Merlin Olsen Merlin Jay Olsen (; September 15, 1940 – March 11, 2010) was an American football player, announcer, and actor. For his entire 15-year professional football career he was a defensive tackle with the Los Angeles Rams in the National Football Le ...

, Utah State (AP-1, FWAA, NEA, UPI-1, Time, WC) *

Bobby Bell Bobby Lee Bell Sr. (born June 17, 1940) is an American former professional football player who played as an outside linebacker and defensive end for the Kansas City Chiefs. He is a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, the College Football ...

, Minnesota (AFCA, AP-3, FWAA, SN, UPI-2, CP) *

Ed Blaine Edward Homer Blaine (born January 30, 1940) is a former American Football Guard as well as an honorary professor and investigator from the University of Missouri. He was born in Farmington, Missouri on January 30, 1940.Don Talbert Don Larry Talbert (born March 1, 1939) is a former American football offensive tackle in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys, Atlanta Falcons, and New Orleans Saints. He was drafted in the eighth round of the 1961 NFL Draft. He p ...

, Texas (FWAA, UPI-3) *

Fate Echols Fate Leonard Echols (June 29, 1939 – October 10, 2002) was an American football offensive tackle who played two seasons with the St. Louis Cardinals of the National Football League. He was drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals in the first round of ...

, Northwestern (Time) * Steve Barnett, Oregon (AP-2) *

Jim Dunaway James Kenneth Dunaway (September 3, 1941 – May 12, 2018) was an American football player. A defensive tackle, he played college football at the University of Mississippi, and played professionally in the American Football League for the Buffal ...

, Ole Miss (UPI-2) *Art Gregory, Duke (AP-3)

Guards

* Roy Winston, LSU (AFCA, AP-1, FWAA, NEA, SN, UPI-1, CP, Time, WC) *

Joe Romig Joe Romig (born April 11, 1941) was an American football player. He was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame in 1984 and the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame in 1973. Romig attended Lakewood High School in Lakewood, Colorado, the Universit ...

, Colorado (AFCA, FWAA, NEA, SN, UPI-1, WC) *

Dave Behrman David Wesley Behrman (November 9, 1941 – December 9, 2014) was an American football offensive lineman who played in the American Football League for the Buffalo Bills and Denver Broncos. He was the fourth overall pick in the 1963 AFL Draft by ...

, Michigan State (AP-1, FWAA, UPI-3 ackle * Nick Buoniconti, Notre Dame (UPI-2, CP) * Bookie Bolin, Mississippi (Time) *Mike Ingram, Ohio State (AP-2, UPI-2) *

Dave Watson David Watson (born 20 November 1961) is an English football manager and former professional footballer. As a player, he was a defender from 1980 to 2001. He played his entire career for Norwich City and Everton. With the Toffees he played in ...

, Georgia Tech (AP-2) *Stan Sezurek, Purdue (AP-3, UPI-3) *Larry Vignali, Pitt (AP-3, UPI-3)

Centers

* Alex Kroll, Rutgers (AFCA, AP-1, FWAA, NEA, UPI-1, WC) * Bill Van Buren, Iowa (SN, CP) *

Ron Hull Ron E. Hull (April 18, 1940 – July 22, 2001) was an American football player and coach. He played for the UCLA Bruins football team from 1959 to 1961. He was captain of the 1961 UCLA football team that won the conference championship and lost ...

, UCLA (AP-2, FWAA, UPI-3) * Irv Goode, Kentucky (Time) * Larry Onesti, Northwestern (AP-3, UPI-2)

Quarterbacks

Sandy Stephens Sanford Emory Stephens II (September 21, 1940 – June 6, 2000) was an American college football player and civic leader. Stephens was born and raised in the Pittsburgh area city of Uniontown, Pennsylvania and is best known for his career as a c ...

, Minnesota (AP-1, FWAA, NEA, SN, UPI-1, WC) * Roman Gabriel, North Carolina State (AFCA, AP-2, FWAA, UPI-2, Time) *

John Hadl John Willard Hadl (February 15, 1940 – November 30, 2022) was an American football quarterback who played in the American Football League (AFL) and National Football League (NFL) for 16 years. He won an AFL championship with the San Diego Cha ...

, Kansas (FWAA-1, AP-3, UPI-2) * Doug Elmore, Mississippi (CP) * Eddie Wilson, Arizona (AP-3)

Halfbacks

* Ernie Davis, Syracuse (AFCA, AP-1,FWAA, NEA, SN, UPI-1, CP, Time, WC) * Jimmy Saxton, Texas (AFCA, AP-1, FWAA, NEA, SN, UPI-1, CP, WC) *

Lance Alworth Lance Dwight Alworth (born August 3, 1940), nicknamed “Bambi”, is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver for the San Diego Chargers of the American Football League (AFL) and National Football League (NFL) an ...

, Arkansas (AP-2, FWAA, UPI-2) * Ronnie Bull, Baylor (UPI-3, Time) * Pat Trammell, Alabama (AP-2, UPI-2) * Bennie McRae, Michigan (AP-3) *Dave Hoppman, Iowa State (AP-3, UPI-3)

Fullbacks

* Bob Ferguson, Ohio State (AFCA, AP-1, FWAA, NEA, SN, UPI-1, CP, Time, WC) * Billy Ray Adams, Mississippi (AP-2, FWAA, UPI-3) *

George Saimes George Thomas Saimes (September 1, 1941 – March 8, 2013) was an American football defensive back and fullback for Michigan State University and the Buffalo Bills of the American Football League, which produced American Football League Champion ...

, Michigan State (UPI-3)

Key

Official selectors

Other selectors

References

{{College Football All-America Teams

All-America Team The All-America designation is an annual honor bestowed upon an amateur sports person from the United States who is considered to be one of the best amateurs in their sport. Individuals receiving this distinction are typically added to an All-Am ...

College Football All-America Teams