1917 College Football All-America Team

The 1917 College Football All-America team consists of American football players selected to the College Football All-America Teams selected by various organizations in 1917. The selections were affected by the First World War. The Walter Camp Football Foundation lists no team in 1917.^[1] Camp posted an All-Service team in Collier's Weekly, and other organizations posted All-American teams. Walter Eckersall accidentally picked two players from Tech High School in an attempt to give credence to the first consensus national champion from the south, Georgia Tech.^[2] Walker Carpenter and Everett Strupper were the first two players from the Deep South ever selected All-American.^[3]

All-Americans of 1917[edit]

Ends[edit]

Charles Bolen, Ohio State (MS; WE-1; JV-2; PP-1; DJ)
Heinie Miller, Penn (JV-1, DJ, WE-2)
Paul Robeson, Rutgers (WC–2; MS; JV-2; PP-2)
Clifford Carlson, Pittsburgh (WE-1; JV-1)
Ernest H. Von Heimburg, Navy (PP-1)
John Rasmussen, Nebraska; Grant (WC-1)
William Jennings Gardner, Carlisle; Custer (WC-1)
C. A. Coolidge, Harvard; Devens (PPS)
Fred Heyman, Washington & Jefferson; Sherman (PPS)
Ben Cubbage, Penn State; USAACS (NYT)
George B. L. Green, Dartmouth; New Port Naval Res (NYT)
Paul "Monk" Hager, West Virginia (PP-2)
Elmer "Bird" Carroll, Washington & Jefferson (WE-2)
Ellenberger, Cornell; Dix (WC-2)
Mitchell, Mare Isl.; Marines (WC-2)
Spike Dennie, Brown; Funston (WC-3)
Hunt, Coast Naval Res. (WC-3)

Tackles[edit]

George Hauser, Minnesota (WE-1; JV-1; PP-1)
Alfred Cobb, Syracuse (WE-2; JV-1; PP-1)
Walker Carpenter, Georgia Tech (MS, DJ)
Belford West, Colgate; Dix (College Football Hall of Fame) (WC-1, PPS)
Pete Henry, Washington & Jefferson (MS)
John Beckett, Oregon; Mare Isl. (College Football Hall of Fame) (WC-1)
Albert Benbrook, Michigan; Ft. Sheridan (College Football Hall of Fame) (PPS)
Pike Johnson, Washington & Lee; USAACS (NYT)
Corbeau, Case; U. S. Marines Corps (NYT)
Ernest Hubka, Nebraska (JV-2; PP-2)
B. T. Williams, Oregon (JV-2; PP-2)
Joseph Strauss, Penn (DJ)
Joseph Murphy, Dartmouth (WE-2)
Moriarty, Coast Naval Res. (WC-2)
Hugh Blacklock, Mich. Ag; Great Lakes (WC-2)
Robertson, Dartmouth; Dodge (WC-3)
Zipper Lathrop, Notre Dame; Grant (WC-3)
Harvey McCord, Tech High School (WE-1)

Guards[edit]

Dale Seis, Pittsburgh (MS; PP-1, DJ)
Eugene Neely, Dartmouth (JV-1)
Jock Sutherland, Pittsburgh (JV-1)
Clinton Black, Yale; Newport Res. (WC-1, PPS, NYT)
Frank Culver, Michigan (JV-2; PP-1)
Chris Schlachter, Syracuse; Newport Res. (PPS, NYT)
C. J. Grabb, Brown (WE-1)
H. M. Grey, Davidson (DJ)
Ernest Allmendinger, Michigan; Ft. Sheridan (WC-1)
Charles Lane, California (JV-2; PP-2)
Herbert Dieter, Pennsylvania (PP-2)
C. G. Higgins, Chicago (MS; WE-2)
John Ulrich, Northwestern (WE-2)
Allen Thurman, Virginia; Jackson (WC-2)
Paul Withington, Harvard; Funston (WC-2)
Snyder, 91st Division (WC-3)
Holder, 91st Division (WC-3)
Sid Sault, Tech High School (WE-1)

Centers[edit]

Frank Rydzewski, Notre Dame (JV-1; PP-1)
Russ Bailey, West Virginia (MS; WE-1; JV-2)
Pup Phillips, Georgia Tech (DJ)
John T. Callahan, Yale; Newport Res. (WC-1)
Paul Des Jardien, Chicago; Ft. Sheridan (College Football Hall of Fame) (PPS)
Lud Wray, Penn; U.S. Marine Corps (NYT)
Alex Wray, Pennsylvania (PP-2)
Oscar P. Lambert, Michigan (WE-2)
Hommand, Kas.; Funston (WC-2)
White, Yale; Jackson (WC-3)

Quarterbacks[edit]

Benny Boynton, Williams (College Football Hall of Fame) (MS; JV-1)
Bill Ingram, Navy (JV-2 [hb]; PP-2)
Ockie Anderson, Colgate; Dix (WC-2; PPS)
Archie Weston, Michigan (WE-1)
Raymond "Razor" Watkins, Colgate; Mineola (WC-1)
Charles Thorne "Mike" Murphy, Yale; USAACS (NYT)
Albert Hill, Georgia Tech (JV-2)
Brennan, Fordham (WE-2)
Harry Costello, Georgetown; Custer (WC-3)

Halfbacks[edit]

Elmer Oliphant, Army (College Football Hall of Fame) (MS; JV-1; PP-1, DJ)
Everett Strupper, Georgia Tech (College Football Hall of Fame) (MS; JV-2; PP-1 [qb], DJ [qb])
Charley Barrett, Cornell; Newport Res. (WC-2, PPS, NYT)
Joe Guyon, Georgia Tech (College and Pro Football Hall of Fame) (PP-2, DJ)
Eddie Casey, Harvard; Boston Navy Yard (College Football Hall of Fame) (WC-1)
Wayland Minot, Harvard; Devens (WC-1)
Bernard Gerrish, Dartmouth; Newport Res. (PPS)
Johnny Scott, Lafayette; U.S. Marine Corps (NYT)
"Scrubby" McCreight, Washington & Jefferson (PP-2)
Arthur Hoffman, Cornell (WE-2)
James J. Drummey, Tufts (WE-2)
Fritz Shiverick, Cornell; Grant (WC-2)
Edmund O'Boyle, Georgetown; Pelham (WC-3)
Blair, Md.; Upton (WC-3)

Fullbacks[edit]

Chic Harley, Ohio State (College Football Hall of Fame) (WE-1; JV-1; PP-1; DJ)
George "Tank" McLaren, Pittsburgh (College Football Hall of Fame) (MS; WE-1 [HB]; JV-1; PP-2)
Joseph Howard Berry, Jr., Pennsylvania (WE-1; JV-2; PP-1)
Cedric C. Smith, Michigan; Great Lakes (WC-1)
Eddie Mahan, Harvard; U.S. Marine Corps (College Football Hall of Fame) (PPS)
Earl "Curley" Cramer, Hamline; USAACS (NYT)
Bob Koehler, Northwestern (WE-2)
Maxfield, Lafayette, Ft. Slocum (WC-2)
Thayer, Pa.; Meade (WC-3)

Key[edit]

NCAA recognized selectors for 1917

WC = Collier's Weekly All Service team as selected by Walter Camp^[4]
JV = Jack Veiock of the International News Service^[5]^[6]^[7]
PP = Paul Purman, noted sports writer whose All-American team was syndicated in newspapers across the United States, of the Newspaper Editors Association^[5]^[6]^[8]^[9]^[10]^[11]^[12]^[13]^[14]^[15]
PPS = Paul Purman's All Service selection^[5]
MS = Frank Menke Syndicate, by Frank G. Menke^[5]^[6]

Other selectors

WE = Walter Eckersall, of the Chicago Tribune^[16]
DJ = Dick Jemison, of the Atlanta Constitution.^[5]
NYT = All Service eleven of The New York Times.^[5]

Bold = Consensus All-American^[17]

1 – First-team selection
2 – Second-team selection
3 – Third-team selection

References[edit]

^ Walter Camp Football Foundation Archived 2014-12-13 at the Wayback Machine
^ "Walter Eckersall's Famous 'Merkle'". The Miami News. January 6, 1942.
^ Wiley Lee Umphlett (1992). Creating the Big Game: John W. Heisman and the Invention of American Football. Greenwood Publishing Group. p. 142. ISBN 9780313284045.
^ "War and Football". Collier's Weekly. 60: 32. January 5, 1918.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f Spalding's Football Guide
^ ^a ^b ^c ESPN College Football Encyclopedia, p. 1150
^ Jack Veiock (December 11, 1917). "Veiock's All-American Elevens for 1917 Season". Logansport Pharos-Reporter.
^ Paul Purman (November 29, 1917). "East, West, South Give Stars To The Times-Tribune All-American Football Team For 1917 Season". Waterloo Times-Tribune.
^ Paul Purman (November 29, 1917). "East, West, South Give Stars To The Sentinel All-American Football Team For 1917 Season". The Fort Wayne Sentinel.
^ "East, West, South Give Stars To The Sheboygan Press All-American Team For 1917 Season". Sheboygan Press. November 30, 1917.
^ "The East, West and South Give Greatest Stars To The News Special All-American Football Team For 1917 Season". Des Moines Daily News. November 29, 1917.
^ "Purman's 1917 'All-American' Team". The Daily Alaska Dispatch. December 11, 1917.
^ "Captain Hauser Picked for Team: Paul Purnam, Special Writer, Gives Tackle Position to Gopher Captain". The Duluth News Tribune. December 4, 1917.
^ "East, West, South Give Stars to Purman's All-American Team". Albuquerque Morning Journal. December 3, 1917.
^ "East West South Give Stars to the Herald All American Football Team for 1917 Season". Grand Forks Herald. November 30, 1917.
^ ""All" Teams Picked By Walter Eckersall". Lincoln Daily Star. December 16, 1917.
^ "Football Award Winners" (PDF). National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). 2016. p. 6. Retrieved October 21, 2017.

[1] Walter Camp Football Foundation Archived 2014-12-13 at the Wayback Machine

[2] "Walter Eckersall's Famous 'Merkle'". The Miami News. January 6, 1942.

[3] Wiley Lee Umphlett (1992). Creating the Big Game: John W. Heisman and the Invention of American Football. Greenwood Publishing Group. p. 142. ISBN 9780313284045.

[4] "War and Football". Collier's Weekly. 60: 32. January 5, 1918.

[Spal-5] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f Spalding's Football Guide

[ESPN-6] ESPN College Football Encyclopedia, p. 1150

[7] Jack Veiock (December 11, 1917). "Veiock's All-American Elevens for 1917 Season". Logansport Pharos-Reporter.

[8] Paul Purman (November 29, 1917). "East, West, South Give Stars To The Times-Tribune All-American Football Team For 1917 Season". Waterloo Times-Tribune.

[9] Paul Purman (November 29, 1917). "East, West, South Give Stars To The Sentinel All-American Football Team For 1917 Season". The Fort Wayne Sentinel.

[10] "East, West, South Give Stars To The Sheboygan Press All-American Team For 1917 Season". Sheboygan Press. November 30, 1917.

[11] "The East, West and South Give Greatest Stars To The News Special All-American Football Team For 1917 Season". Des Moines Daily News. November 29, 1917.

[12] "Purman's 1917 'All-American' Team". The Daily Alaska Dispatch. December 11, 1917.

[13] "Captain Hauser Picked for Team: Paul Purnam, Special Writer, Gives Tackle Position to Gopher Captain". The Duluth News Tribune. December 4, 1917.

[14] "East, West, South Give Stars to Purman's All-American Team". Albuquerque Morning Journal. December 3, 1917.

[15] "East West South Give Stars to the Herald All American Football Team for 1917 Season". Grand Forks Herald. November 30, 1917.

[16] ""All" Teams Picked By Walter Eckersall". Lincoln Daily Star. December 16, 1917.

[AW-17] "Football Award Winners" (PDF). National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). 2016. p. 6. Retrieved October 21, 2017.

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v t e 1917 College Football All-America Team consensus selections
Backfield	QB Benny Boynton HB Chic Harley HB Elmer Oliphant HB Everett Strupper
Line	E Charles Bolen E Henry Miller E Paul Robeson T Alfred Cobb T George Hauser G Eugene Neely G Herb Sies G Jock Sutherland C Frank Rydzewski