# 1972 College Football All-America Team

The 1972 College Football All-America team is composed of college football players who were selected as All-Americans by various organizations and writers that chose College Football All-America Teams in 1972. The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) recognizes six selectors as "official" for the 1972 season. They are: (1) the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) which selected its team for Kodak based on a vote of the nation's coaches; (2) the Associated Press (AP) selected based on the votes of sports writers at AP newspapers; (3) the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA) selected by the nation's football writers; (4) the Newspaper Enterprise Association (NEA) selected based on the votes of sports writers at NEA newspapers; (5) the United Press International (UPI) selected based on the votes of sports writers at UPI newspapers; and (6) the Walter Camp Football Foundation (WC).
Eight players are recognized by the NCAA as unanimous All-America selections. They are: (1) wide receiver and 1972 Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Rodgers of Nebraska; (2) tight end Charles Young of USC; (3) offensive tackle Jerry Sisemore of Texas; (4) offensive guard John Hannah of Alabama; (5) running back Greg Pruitt of Oklahoma; (6) defensive tackle Greg Marx of Notre Dame; (7) middle guard Rich Glover of Nebraska; and (8) defensive back Brad Van Pelt of Michigan State.

## Consensus All-Americans

The following chart identifies the NCAA-recognized consensus All-Americans for the year 1972 and displays which first-team designations they received.
| Name | Position | School | Number | Official | Other |
| Rich Glover | Middle guard | Nebraska | 6/3/9 | AFCA, AP, FWAA, NEA, UPI, WC | FN, Time, TSN |
| John Hannah | Offensive guard | Alabama | 6/3/9 | AFCA, AP, FWAA, NEA, UPI, WC | FN, Time, TSN |
| Greg Marx | Defensive tackle | Notre Dame | 6/3/9 | AFCA, AP, FWAA, NEA, UPI, WC | FN, Time, TSN |
| Johnny Rodgers | Wide receiver | Nebraska | 6/3/9 | AFCA, AP, FWAA, NEA, UPI, WC | FN, Time, TSN |
| Jerry Sisemore | Offensive tackle | Texas | 6/3/9 | AFCA, AP, FWAA, NEA, UPI, WC | FN, Time, TSN |
| Charle Young | Tight end | USC | 6/3/9 | AFCA, AP, FWAA, NEA, UPI, WC | FN, Time, TSN |
| Greg Pruitt | Running back | Oklahoma | 6/2/8 | AFCA, AP, FWAA, NEA, UPI, WC | FN, TSN |
| Brad Van Pelt | Defensive back | Michigan State | 6/2/8 | AFCA, AP, FWAA, NEA, UPI, WC | Time, TSN |
| Tom Brahaney | Center | Oklahoma | 5/3/8 | AP, FWAA, NEA, UPI, WC | FN, Time, TSN |
| Willie Harper | Defensive end | Nebraska | 5/2/7 | AFCA, AP, NEA, UPI, WC | FN, TSN |
| Dave Butz | Defensive tackle | Purdue | 4/2/6 | AFCA, NEA, UPI, WC | Time, TSN |
| Bert Jones | Quarterback | LSU | 3/3/6 | AFCA, NEA, UPI | FN, Time, TSN |
| Otis Armstrong | Running back | Purdue | 4/1/5 | AP, FWAA, UPI, WC | TSN |
| Bruce Bannon | Defensive end | Penn State | 4/1/5 | AFCA, NEA, UPI, WC | FN |
| Randy Gradishar | Linebacker | Ohio State | 4/1/5 | AFCA, AP, FWAA, UPI | FN |
| Cullen Bryant | Defensive back | Colorado | 3/2/5 | AFCA, NEA, UPI | Time, TSN |
| Paul Seymour | Offensive tackle | Michigan | 3/2/5 | AFCA, FWAA, NEA | Time, TSN |
| Ron Rusnak | Offensive guard | North Carolina | 4/0/4 | AFCA, AP, FWAA, UPI | -- |
| Randy Logan | Defensive back | Michigan | 3/1/4 | AFCA, UPI, WC | FN |
| Woody Green | Running back | Arizona State | 3/0/3 | AP, NEA, UPI | -- |
| Robert Popelka | Defensive back | SMU | 3/0/3 | AP, FWAA, WC | -- |
| John Skorupan | Linebacker | Penn State | 3/0/3 | AP, FWAA, NEA | -- |

## Offense
### Receivers

* Johnny Rodgers, Nebraska (AFCA [flanker], AP-1, FWAA, NEA-1, UPI-1, WC, FN, Time TSN)
* Steve Holden, Arizona State (FWAA, NEA-2, TSN, Time, FN)
* Barry Smith, Florida State (AFCA [off. end], AP-2, UPI-2)
* Jason Caldwell, North Carolina Central (NEA-2)
* Mike Creaney, Notre Dame (AP-3 [TE])

### Tight ends

* Charle Young, USC (AFCA [off. end], AP-1, FWAA, NEA-1, UPI-1, WC, FN, Time, TSN)
* Billy Joe DuPree, Michigan State (NEA-2)
* Al Chandler, Oklahoma (UPI-2)
* Gary Butler, Rice (AP-2)
* Steve Sweeney, California (AP-3)
* Daryl White, Nebraska (AP-3 [OT], NEA-1 [OG])

### Tackles

* Jerry Sisemore, Texas (AFCA, AP-1, FWAA, NEA-1, UPI-1, WC, TSN, Time, FN)
* Paul Seymour, Michigan (AFCA, AP-2, FWAA, NEA-1, UPI-2, Time, TSN)
* John Hicks, Ohio State (AP-1, UPI-2, WC, NEA-1 [OG])
* Pete Adams, USC (AP-2, NEA-2, UPI-1, Time)
* John Dampeer, Notre Dame (FN)
* Curtis Wester, East Texas State (NEA-2)
* Bruce Walton, UCLA (AP-3)

### Guards

* John Hannah, Alabama (AFCA, AP-1, FWAA, NEA-1, UPI-1, WC, FN, Time, TSN)
* Ron Rusnak, North Carolina (AFCA, AP-1, FWAA, UPI-1)
* Skip Singletary, Temple (AP-2, NEA-2, UPI-2, WC)
* Joe DeLamielleure, Michigan State (AP-2, TSN)
* Geary Murdock, Iowa State (FN)
* Ken Jones, Oklahoma (AP-3, UPI-2)
* Larry Ulmer, Western Michigan (AP-3)

### Centers

* Tom Brahaney, Oklahoma (AP-1, UPI-1, NEA-1, WC, FWAA, TSN, Time, FN)
* Jim Krapf, Alabama (AFCA, UPI-2)
* Doug Dumler, Nebraska (NEA-2)
* Orderia Mitchell, Air Force (AP-2)
* Gerald Schultze, West Virginia (AP-3)

### Quarterbacks

* Bert Jones, LSU (AFCA, NEA-1, UPI-1, FN, Time, TSN)
* John Hufnagel, Penn State (AP-1, WC)
* Gary Huff, Florida State (FWAA, NEA-2, UPI-2)
* Tony Adams, Utah State (AP-2)
* Don Strock, Virginia Tech (AP-3)

### Running backs

* Greg Pruitt, Oklahoma (AFCA [HB], AP-1, FWAA, NEA-1 [WR], UPI-1, WC, FN, TSN)
* Otis Armstrong, Purdue (AP-1, FWAA, UPI-1, WC, TSN)
* Woody Green, Arizona State (AP-1, NEA-1, UPI-1)
* Dick Jauron, Yale (AFCA [HB], AP-2, WC)
* Sam Cunningham, USC (AFCA [FB], NEA-1)
* George Amundson, Iowa State (NEA-2)
* Howard Stevens, Louisville (AP-2, NEA-2, UPI-2)
* Roosevelt Leaks, Texas (AP-2)
* Charlie Davis, Colorado (UPI-2)
* Anthony Davis, USC (UPI-2)
* Bob Hitchens, Miami (OH) (AP-3)
* Steve Jones, Duke (AP-3)
* Pete Van Valkenburg, BYU (AP-3)

## Defense
### Defensive ends

* Willie Harper, Nebraska (AFCA [LB], AP-1, NEA-1, UPI-1, WC, FN, TSN)
* Bruce Bannon, Penn State (AFCA, AP-2, NEA-1, UPI-1, WC, FN)
* Wally Chambers, Eastern Kentucky (NEA-2, TSN, Time)
* John Matuszak, Tampa (AP-3 [DT], NEA-2 [DT], TSN, Time)
* Ernie Price, Texas A&I (NEA-2)
* Tab Bennett, Illinois (UPI-2)
* Danny Sanspree, Auburn (AP-2)
* Steve Bogosian, Army (AP-3)
* Merv Krakau, Iowa State (AP-3)

### Defensive tackles

* Greg Marx, Notre Dame (AFCA [DE], AP-1, FWAA, NEA-1, UPI-1, WC, FN, Time, TSN)
* Dave Butz, Purdue (UPI-1, NEA-1, WC, AFCA, TSN, Time)
* Roger Goree, Baylor (AP-1 [DE], FWAA, UPI-2 [DE])
* John Grant, Southern California (AP-2, FWAA)
* Derland Moore, Oklahoma (AP-1, UPI-2)
* John LeHeup, South Carolina (AFCA)
* Bud Magrum, Colorado (FWAA, UPI-2 [LB])
* George Hasenohrl, Ohio State (AP-2, UPI-2, FN)
* Bob Leyen, Yale (NEA-2)
* Charlie Davis, Texas Christian (AP-3)

### Middle guards

* Rich Glover, Nebraska (AFCA, AP-1, FWAA, NEA-1, UPI-1, WC, FN, Time TSN)
* Don Rives, Texas Tech (AP-2)
* Lucious Selmon, Oklahoma (UPI-2)
* Tony Cristiani, Miami (FL) (AP-3)

### Linebackers

* Randy Gradishar, Ohio State (AFCA, AP-1, FWAA, UPI-1, FN)
* John Skorupan, Penn State (AP-1, FWAA, NEA-1)
* Steve Brown, Oregon State (AP-3, NEA-1, WC, Time, TSN)
* Jamie Rotella, Tennessee (AFCA, AP-2, UPI-1, FN)
* Rich Wood, USC (AP-1, NEA-2 [MG], UPI-2, FN)
* Jim Youngblood, Tennessee Tech (NEA-1, Time)
* Tom Jackson, Louisville (AP-2, WC)
* Warren Capone, LSU (FWAA)
* John Mitchell, Alabama (AFCA)
* Jackie Wallace, Arizona (NEA-2, UPI-2)
* Matt Blair, Iowa State (NEA-2)
* Glen Gaspard, Texas (AP-2)
* Jim Merlo, Stanford (AP-3)
* Eddie Sheats, Kansas (AP-3)

### Defensive backs

* Brad Van Pelt, Michigan State (AFCA, AP-1, FWAA, NEA-1, UPI-1, WC, Time, TSN)
* Cullen Bryant, Colorado (AFCA, AP-3, NEA-1, UPI-1, Time, TSN)
* Randy Logan, Michigan (AFCA, AP-2, NEA-2, UPI-1, WC, FN)
* Robert Popelka, Southern Methodist (AP-1, FWAA, UPI-2, WC)
* Burgess Owens, Miami (NEA-2, TSN, Time)
* Jackie Wallace, Arizona (AP-3, Time, TSN)
* Conrad Graham, Tennessee (UPI-1, FN, NEA-2)
* Randy Rhino, Georgia Tech (AP-2, FWAA)
* Calvin Jones, Washington (AP-1, UPI-2)
* Drane Scrivener, Tulsa (NEA-1)
* Ray Guy, Southern Miss (WC)
* Frank Dowsing, Mississippi State (FN)
* Joe Blahak, Nebraska (AP-2, UPI-2)
* J. T. Thomas, Florida State (NEA-2)
* John Provost, Holy Cross (AP-3)

## Special teams
### Kickers

* Ricky Townsend, Tennessee (FWAA)
* Chris Gartner, Indiana (TSN)

### Punters

* Ray Guy, Southern Miss (FWAA, TSN, Time)

## Key

* Bold – Consensus All-American
* -1 – First-team selection
* -2 – Second-team selection
* -3 – Third-team selection

### Official selectors

* AFCA – American Football Coaches Association for Kodak
* AP – Associated Press
* FWAA – Football Writers Association of America
* NEA – Newspaper Enterprise Association
* UPI – United Press International
* WC = Walter Camp Football Foundation

### Other selectors

* FN – Football News
* PFW – Pro Football Weekly
* Time – Time magazine
* TSN – The Sporting News