Three Oklahoma Players Make AP's All-Time All-America Team

The Associated Press announced its all-time All-America team this week — 100 years of AP All-Americans — and, as expected, Oklahoma is well represented.

Undeniably one of college bluest blue blood programs, the Sooners landed three on the AP’s All-Time All-America Team — a team that includes first-and second-team designations.

OU ranks fifth all-time with 75 AP All-Americans. Notre Dame leads the list with 85, while Alabama has 83, Ohio State 79 and USC 77. Texas is sixth with 65. Pittsburgh and Ohio State led the way on the AP All-Time Team with three first-team All-Americans and four total.

For Oklahoma, linebacker Brian Bosworth, tight end Keith Jackson and defensive lineman Lee Roy Selmon all received second-team recognition, although all three could make a solid argument for first-team accolades. All three played for College Football Hall of Fame coach Barry Switzer and combined for four national championships.

Bosworth was a two-time first-team AP All-American in 1985 and ’86 and was second team in ’84, arguably America’s most feared defender. He won the first two Butkus Award trophies, given to the best linebacker in college football, and 40 years later remains the award’s only two-time recipient.

He played three seasons at OU, finished with 395 career tackles, three Big Eight Conference crowns and one national championship. Moreover, Bosworth defined college football in the 1980s as the sport transitioned from a regional attraction to a national event. Bosworth left OU in disgrace after a positive test for steroids and entered the NFL Supplemental Draft, where he was the No. 1 pick. However, he played just three abbreviated seasons with the Seattle Seahawks due to lingering shoulder injuries.

Oklahoma Sooners Brian Bosworth — Oklahoma linebacker Brian Bosworth | Malcolm Emmons-Imagn Images

Jackson was also a two-time first-team All-American in ‘1986 and ’87 and received second-team honors in 1985 as he averaged 24 yards per catch in his four seasons playing in Switzer’s wishbone. He caught just 62 passes in the run-oriented offense, but amassed 1,470 yards and 14 touchdowns, and also rushed for 289 yards and four TDs — including an 88-yard end around run to open the 1985 winner-take-all showdown with rival Nebraska to send OU back to Miami where he caught a 71-yard TD against Penn State to help win the Sooners’ sixth national championship.

Jackson was the 13th overall pick of the Philadelphia Eagles in the 1988 NFL Draft. In nine seasons with Philly, Miami and Green Bay, Jackson played in 129 games, caught 441 passes for 5,283 yards and 49 touchdowns and earned five Pro Bowls and four All-Pro honors.

Oklahoma Sooners Keith Jackson — Oklahoma tight end Keith Jackson | Malcolm Emmons-Imagn Images

Selmon was first-team All-American in 1975 and second team in ’74 and, 50 years later, still reins as the greatest Sooner of all time. One of just two OU players in both the College Football Hall of Fame and the Pro Football Hall of Fame (Tommy McDonald is the other, although Adrian Peterson will join them soon), Selmon was the youngest of the three brothers who powered the Sooners to back-to-back national championships and four Big Eight crowns.

Selmon finished his OU career with 335 tackles (142 in 1975 alone) — still third among OU d-linemen and 12th all-time in school history among all defenders — and still shares the school record with eight fumble recoveries. He was the first overall pick of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 1976 NFL Draft, then went on to play nine record-setting seasons with the Bucs. He made six Pro Bowls with the Bucs and was named NFC Defensive Lineman of the Year four times as he compiled 78.5 quarterback sacks, 28 forced fumbles and 380 QB pressures before bowing out in 1985 with a back injury.

Oklahoma Sooners Lee Roy Selmon Lucious Selmon Dewey Selmon — Oklahoma Sooners defensive linemen Lee Roy Selmon (93), Lucious Selmon (98) and Dewey Selmon (91) in 1973. | Malcolm Emmons-Imagn Images

Plenty of other Sooners could have lobbied for a spot on the AP’s All-Time All-America Team, but didn’t make the cut.

OU’s two-time first-team AP All-Americans include Bosworth, Jackson, McDonald, lineman Jim Weatherall, linebacker Rod Shoate, halfback Greg Pruitt, linebacker George Cumby, halfback Billy Sims, noseguard Tony Casillas, guard Mark Hutson, linebacker Rocky Calmus, linebacker Teddy Lehman, noseguard Tommie Harris and guard Duke Robinson.

To qualify for consideration, a player must have made first-team AP All-American at least once. NFL exploits were not to be weighed, though if they were, a handful of Sooners would merit consideration.

Running back Adrian Peterson (first-team All-America as a freshman in 2004) tops the list as he ranks fifth in NFL history in rushing yards (14,918), 10th in rushing TDs (120) and sixth in rushing attempts (3,230) and, with 2,097 yards in 2012, has the second-highest single-season rushing total in league history. The AP's running backs were OSU's Barry Sanders and Georgia's Herschel Walker on the first team and Ohio State's Archie Griffin and Pitt's Tony Dorsett on second team.

Oklahoma Sooners Adrian Peterson — Oklahoma running back Adrian Peterson | Matthew Emmons-Imagn Images

Offensive tackle Trent Williams (first-team All-America in 2009) is the best offensive lineman of his generation, an 11-time Pro Bowler and three-time first-team All-Pro; defensive tackle Gerald McCoy (two-time second-team AP All-America in 2008 and ’09) played 11 NFL seasons and made six Pro Bowls; McDonald (first-team end in 1955 and ’56) played 12 seasons from 1957-68 and earned six Pro Bowls; safety Roy Williams (first-team in 2001) was a five-time Pro Bowler and first-team All-Pro in 2003; defensive lineman Tony Casillas (two-time first-team All-America in 1984 and ’85) was the No. 2 pick and played 12 NFL seasons, winning two Super Bowls; and tight end Jermaine Gresham (second-team All-America in 2008) played nine NFL seasons and caught 377 passes for 3,752 yards and 29 touchdowns.

Oklahoma had the most All-Americans in four different decades: 11 in the the 1950s, 19 in the 1970s, 13 in the 1980s and 16 in the 2000s. No other school has produced the most All-Americans in more than two decades (Army, Notre Dame and Alabama each did it twice).

The All-Time AP All-America Team

To mark the 100th anniversary of The Associated Press’ annual All-America college football team, AP college football beat writers picked an all-time team – first team and second team – comprised of the top players from the past century.

First-team offense

Wide receivers — Randy Moss, Marshall, 1997; Larry Fitzgerald, Pittsburgh, 2003.

Tackles — Orlando Pace, Ohio State, 1995-96; Bill Fralic, Pittsburgh, 1982-83-84.

Guards — John Hannah, Alabama, 1972; Jim Parker, Ohio State, 1956.

Center — Chuck Bednarik, Penn, 1947-48.

Tight end — Brock Bowers, Georgia, 2023.

Quarterback — Tim Tebow, Florida, 2007.

Running backs — Barry Sanders, Oklahoma State, 1988; Herschel Walker, Georgia, 1980-81-82.

Kicker — Sebastian Janikowski, Florida State, 1998-99.

All-purpose — Johnny Rodgers, Nebraska, 1972.

First-team defense

Ends — Hugh Green, Pittsburgh, 1978-79-80; Randy White, Maryland, 1974.

Tackles — Ndamukong Suh, Nebraska, 2009; Bronko Nagurski, Minnesota, 1929.

Linebackers — Dick Butkus, Illinois, 1964; Derrick Thomas, Alabama, 1988; Chris Spielman, Ohio State, 1986-87.

Cornerbacks — Charles Woodson, Michigan, 1996-97; Deion Sanders, Florida State, 1987-88.

Safeties — Ronnie Lott, Southern California, 1980; Ed Reed, Miami, 2000-01.

Punter — Tory Taylor, Iowa, 2023.

Second-team offense

Wide receivers — DeVonta Smith, Alabama, 2020; Desmond Howard, Michigan, 1991.

Tackles — Jonathan Ogden, UCLA, 1995; Bryant McKinnie, Miami, 2001.

Guards — Brad Budde, Southern California, 1979; John Smith, Notre Dame, 1927.

Center — Dave Rimington, Nebraska, 1981-82.

Tight end — Keith Jackson, Oklahoma, 1986-87.

Quarterback — Vince Young, Texas, 2005.

Running backs — Archie Griffin, Ohio State, 1974-75; Tony Dorsett, Pittsburgh, 1976.

Kicker — Martin Gramatica, Kansas State, 1997.

All-purpose — Tim Brown, Notre Dame, 1986-87.

Second-team defense

Ends — Bubba Smith, Michigan State, 1966; Bruce Smith, Virginia Tech, 1984.

Tackles — Lee Roy Selmon, Oklahoma, 1975; Warren Sapp, Miami, 1994.

Linebackers — Jerry Robinson, UCLA, 1976-77-78; Brian Bosworth, Oklahoma, 1985-86; Lawrence Taylor, North Carolina, 1980.

Cornerbacks — Champ Bailey, Georgia, 1998; Tyrann Mathieu, LSU, 2011.

Safeties — Bennie Blades, Miami, 1986-87; Al Brosky, Illinois, 1951.

Punter — Reggie Roby, Iowa, 1981.

Sooner First-Team All-Americans (by decade)

Oklahoma has had 75 players named first-team AP All-America in the last 100 years. Here they are by decade (1st team only):

2010s (9): CeeDee Lamb 2019, Kyler Murray 2018, Marquise Brown 2018, Baker Mayfield 2017, Mark Andrews 2017, Orlando Brown 2017, Dede Westbrook 2016, Quinton Carter 2010, Ryan Broyles 2010

2000s (16): Duke Robinson 2008, Sam Bradford 2008, Duke Robinson 2007, Adrian Peterson 2004, Jammal Brown 2004, Antonio Perkins 2003, Derrick Strait 2003, Jason White 2003, Teddy Lehman 2003, Tommie Harris 2003, Teddy Lehman 2002, Tommie Harris 2002, Rocky Calmus 2001, Roy Williams 2001, Rocky Calmus 2000

1990s (1): Joe Bowden 1991

1980s (13): Anthony Phillips 1988, Dante Jones 1987, Darrell Reed 1987, Keith Jackson 1987, Mark Hutson 1987, Rickey Dixon 1987, Brian Bosworth 1986, Keith Jackson 1986, Mark Hutson 1986, Brian Bosworth 1985, Tony Casillas 1985, Tony Casillas 1984, Rick Bryan 1983

1970s (19): Billy Sims 1979, George Cumby 1979, Billy Sims 1978, Greg Roberts 1978, George Cumby 1977, Zac Henderson 1977, Mike Vaughan 1976, Dewey Selmon 1975, Jimbo Elrod 1975, Lee Roy Selmon 1975, Joe Washington 1975, Rod Shoate 1974, Lucious Selmon 1973, Rod Shoate 1973, Derland Moore 1972, Greg Pruitt 1972, Tom Brahaney 1972, Greg Pruitt 1971, Tom Brahaney 1971.

1960s (3): Steve Owens 1969, Granville Liggins 1967, Carl McAdams 1965

1950s (11): Bob Harrison 1958, Bill Krisher 1957, Jerry Tubbs 1956, Tommy McDonald 1956, Tommy McDonald 1955, Kurt Burris 1954, J.D. Roberts 1953, Billy Vessels 1952, Jim Weatherall 1951, Frank Anderson 1950, Jim Weatherall 1950

1940s (2): Wade Walker 1949, Buddy Burris 1948

1930s (1): Waddy Young 1938