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.

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)

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)

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