The 1951 College Football All-America team is composed of

college football College football is gridiron football that is played by teams of amateur Student athlete, student-athletes at universities and colleges. It was through collegiate competition that gridiron football American football in the United States, firs ...

players who were selected as

All-America The All-America designation is an annual honor bestowed on outstanding athletes in the United States who are considered to be among the best athletes in their respective sport. Individuals receiving this distinction are typically added to an Al ...

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 1951. The eight selectors recognized by the

NCAA The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates College athletics in the United States, student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, and Simon Fraser University, 1 in Canada. ...

as "official" for the 1951 season are (1) the All-American Board (AAB), (2) the

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(AFCA, (3) the

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(AP), (4) the

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(FWAA), (5) the

International News Service The International News Service (INS) was a U.S.-based news agency (newswire) founded by newspaper publisher William Randolph Hearst in 1909.

(INS), (6) the

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(NEA), (7) the ''

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'' and (8) the

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(UP).

Consensus All-Americans

For the year 1951, the NCAA recognizes eight 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 1951

Ends

Bill McColl William Frazer McColl Jr. (April 2, 1930 – December 28, 2023) was an American athlete, surgeon, and politician. He is best remembered as a college football star before becoming a professional with the Chicago Bears of the National Football Le ...

, Stanford (College Football Hall of Fame) (AAB; AFCA; APO-1; FWO-1; INSO-1; NEAO-1; SN; UP-1; CP-1; CTO-1; WC-1) * Bob Carey, Michigan State (AAB; APO-1; NEAO-1; SN; UP-1; CP-1; WC-1) *

Pat O'Donahue James Patrick Michael O'Donahue (October 7, 1930 – July 18, 2017) was an American football defensive end in the National Football League (NFL). He played for the San Francisco 49ers (1952) and the Green Bay Packers (1955). He played at the ...

, Wisconsin (APD-1; FWD-1; NEAD-1) *

Billy Howton William Harris Howton (born July 3, 1930) is an American former professional football player who was an end for 12 seasons in the National Football League (NFL) with the Green Bay Packers, Cleveland Browns, and expansion Dallas Cowboys. As a r ...

, Rice (AFCA; APO-2; CP-3; CTO-1) * Frank McPhee, Princeton (FWD-1 INSD-1; UP-2; CP-3) * Dewey McConnell, Wyoming (APD-1; NEAD-1) * Stan Williams, Baylor (FWO-1) * Leo Sugar, Purdue (APD-2; CTD-1) * Eddie Bell, Penn (APD-2; INSD-1) * Doug Atkins, Tennessee (CTD-1) * Tom McCann, Holy Cross (APO-2) * Jim Mutscheller, Notre Dame (UP-2) * Lowell Perry, Michigan (UP-3; CP-2) * Ed Barker, Washington State (UP-3) *

Hal Faverty Harold Edward Faverty (September 26, 1927 – July 21, 2008) was an American professional football player for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Wisconsin Badgers. Biography Faverty ...

, Wisconsin (CP-2; INSO-1)

Tackles

* Don Coleman, Michigan State (College Football Hall of Fame) (AAB; AFCA; APO-1; FWO-1; INSO-1; NEAO-1; SN; UP-1; CP-1; CTO-1; WC-1) * Jim Weatherall, Oklahoma (College Football Hall of Fame) (AAB; AFCA; APD-1; FWD-1; INSD-1; NEAO-1; SN; UP-1; CP-1; WC-1) * Pug Pearman, Tennessee (APD-1; FWD-1; NEAD-1; UP-2; CP-3) * Bob Toneff, Notre Dame (APO-1; UP-2; CP-2) * Jack Little, Texas A&M (FWO-1) * Chuck Ulrich, Illinois (INSO-1) * Bill George, Wake Forest (CTO-1) * Doug Conaway, Texas Christian (NEAD-1) * Lamar Wheat, Georgia Tech (UP-3; INSD-1) *

Dick Modzelewski Richard Blair Modzelewski (February 16, 1931 – October 19, 2018) was an American professional football defensive tackle in the National Football League (NFL) for the Washington Redskins, Pittsburgh Steelers, New York Giants, and Cleveland Brow ...

, Maryland (College Football Hall of Fame) (APD-2; CTD-1) * Tom Johnson, Michigan (CTD-1) * Ollie Spencer, Kansas (APO-2) * Bob Werckle, Vanderbilt (APO-2) * Hal Mitchell, UCLA (CP-2) * John Feltch, Holy Cross (CP-3) * Jerrell Price, Texas Tech (APD-2)

Guards

* Bob Ward, Maryland (College Football Hall of Fame) (AAB; AFCA; APO-1; FWD-1; INSO-1; NEAO-1; SN; UP-1; CTO-1; WC-1) *

Les Richter Leslie Alan Richter (October 6, 1930 – June 12, 2010) was an American professional football player who was a linebacker for the Los Angeles Rams of National Football League (NFL). He also served as the head of operations for NASCAR and presid ...

, California (College Football Hall of Fame) (AAB; APD-1; FWD-1; INSO-1; SN; UP-1; CP-1; CTO-1, CTD-1; WC-1) *

Ray Beck Ray Merril Beck (March 17, 1931 – January 10, 2007) was an American football player in the National Football League (NFL) for the New York Giants in 1952 and from 1955 to 1957. Beck was born in Bowdon, Georgia and graduated from Cedartown Hig ...

, Georgia Tech (College Football Hall of Fame) (AFCA; APD-1; FWO-1; NEAD-1; UP-3; CP-1; CTD-1) * Joe Palumbo, Virginia (College Football Hall of Fame) (APD-1; NEAO-1) * Ted Daffer, Tennessee (APD-2; INSD-1; NEAD-1; UP-2; CP-2) *

Marv Matuszak Marvin H. Matuszak (September 12, 1931 – February 28, 2004) was an American professional American football, football linebacker in the National Football League (NFL) and American Football League (AFL). He went to two NFL Pro Bowls and was onc ...

, Tulsa (APO-1) * Nick Liotta, Villanova (FWO-1; CTD-1 (linebacker)) * Chet Millett, Holy Cross (FWD-1) * George Mrkonic, Kansas (INSO-1) * Jim Donarski, Arizona (APO-2) * Norm Manoogian, Stanford (APO-2) * John Michels, Tennessee (UP-3) * Harley Sewell, Texas (College Football Hall of Fame) (CP-3) * Gerald Audette, Columbia (CP-3) * Bill Athey, Baylor (APD-2)

Centers

Dick Hightower Richard Guy Hightower (August 3, 1930 – December 5, 2007) was an American football player. He played college football at the center position for the SMU Mustangs from 1949 to 1951. He was a consensus first-team selection on the 1951 College ...

, Southern Methodist (SMU) (AAB; AFCA; APO-2; INSO-1; SN; UP-1; CP-1; CP-1; CTO-1; WC-1) * Pat Cannamela, USC (APD-2; UP-2; FWD-1; INSD-1 (center); NEAD-1; CP-2 (guard)) * Doug Moseley, Kentucky (APO-1; FWO-1; UP-3; CP-3) * Keith Flowers, Texas Christian (APD-1; CTD-1) * Chuck Boerio, Illinois (UP-2 (center); NEAD-1) * George Tarasovic, LSU (NEAO-1) * Charlie Harris, California (CP-2) * Donn Moomaw, UCLA (College Football Hall of Fame) (APD-2; UP-3)

Quarterbacks

Babe Parilli Vito "Babe" Parilli (May 7, 1930 – July 15, 2017) was an American football quarterback and coach who played professionally for 18 seasons. Parilli spent five seasons in the National Football League (NFL), three in the Canadian Football League ...

, Kentucky (AAB; APO-2; UP-1; CP-1; INSD-1; SN; NEAO-1 (QB); CTO-1 (QB); WC-1) * Larry Isbell, Baylor (APO-1; UP-3; FWO-1; CP-2; INSD-1) * Gary Kerkorian, Stanford (UP-2; CP-3; INSD-1) *

Al Dorow Albert Richard Dorow (November 15, 1929 – December 7, 2009) was an American professional football player who was a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL), American Football League (AFL), and Canadian Football League (CFL). He play ...

, Michigan State (INSD-1) *

Bill Wade William James Wade Jr. (October 4, 1930 – March 9, 2016), often referred to during his playing career as Billy Wade, was an American professional football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for the Los Angeles Rams ...

, Vanderbilt (APO-2)

Halfbacks

Dick Kazmaier Richard William Kazmaier Jr. (November 23, 1930 – August 1, 2013) was an American businessman and naval lieutenant. He played college football as a halfback for the Princeton Tigers from 1949 through 1951 and was the winner of the 1951 Hei ...

, Princeton (Heisman Trophy and College Football Hall of Fame) (AAB; AFCA; APO-1; FWO-1; INSO-1; NEAO-1 (HB); SN; UP-1; CP-1; CTO-1 (HB); WC-1) * Hank Lauricella, Tennessee (College Football Hall of Fame) (AAB; AFCA; APO-1; FWO-1; INSO-1; NEAO-1 (HB); SN; UP-1; FWO-1; CP-1; CTO-1 (HB); WC-1) * Johnny Karras, Illinois (AFCA; AAB; APO-2; FWO-1; SN; UP-1; CP-1; WC-1) * Ed Modzelewski, Maryland (APO-2; UP-3; CP-2; INSO-1) * Bobby Dillon, Texas (APD-1; FWD-1 (halfback); NEAD-1 (safety); CTD-1) * Al Brosky, Illinois (APD-1; FWD-1 (safety)) *

Harry Agganis Aristotle George "Harry" Agganis (April 20, 1929 – June 27, 1955), nicknamed "The Golden Greek", was an American college football player and professional baseball player. After passing up a potential professional football career, he played in ...

, Boston U. (NEAD-1 (def. halfback)) * Jim Ellis, Michigan State (CTD-1) * Avatus Stone, Syracuse (CTD-1) * Johnny Bright, Drake (College and Canadian Football Hall of Fame) (UP-2; CP-3) *

Vic Janowicz Victor Felix Janowicz (February 26, 1930 – February 27, 1996) was an American football halfback and baseball catcher. He won the Heisman Trophy and was selected as the UPI College Football Player of the Year in 1950 while playing for the O ...

, Ohio State (College Football Hall of Fame) (APD-2; UP-2; CP-2) * Veryl Switzer, Kansas State (APD-2) * Jim Dooley, Miami (APD-2)

Fullbacks

Ollie Matson Ollie Genoa Matson II (May 1, 1930 – February 19, 2011) was an American Olympic medal winning sprinter and professional football player. He played as a halfback and return specialist in the National Football League (NFL) from 1952 t ...

, San Francisco (College and Pro Football Hall of Fame) (APD-1; UP-2; FWD-1 (def. halfback); CP-2; INSO-1; NEAD-1 (def. halfback) * Hugh McElhenny, Washington (Pro and College Football Hall of Fame) (APO-1; UP-3; CP-3; NEAO-1 (FB); CTO-1 (FB)) *

Frank Gifford Francis Newton Gifford (August 16, 1930 – August 9, 2015) was an American professional football player, actor, and television sports commentator. After a 12-year playing career as a halfback, flanker and safety for the New York Giants of ...

, USC (Pro and College Football Hall of Fame) (AFCA; UP-3; CP-3)

Key

Official selectors

Other selectors

Notes

References

{{College Football All-America Teams All-America Team College Football All-America Teams