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

Ends

Charles Bolen.

• Charles Bolen, Ohio State (MS; WE-1; JV-2; PP-1; DJ)
• Henry Miller, Penn (JV-1, DJ)
• 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)
• Heinie Miller, Pennsylvania (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

Alf Cobb.

• 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)
• Wilbur 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

• Dale Seis, Pittsburgh (MS; PP-1, DJ)
• Eugene Neeley, 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

• Frank Rydzewski, Notre Dame (JV-1; PP-1)
• Russell 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

Benny Boynton.

• 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

Everett Strupper.

• 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

Chic Harley.

• 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

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

See also

• 1917 All-Big Ten Conference football team
• 1917 All-Southern college football team
• 1917 All-Western college football team

References

1. Walter Camp Football Foundation
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. p. 142.
4. "War and Football". Collier's Weekly 60: 32. January 5, 1918.
5. Spalding's Football Guide
6. ESPN College Football Encyclopedia, p. 1150
7. Jack Veiock (1917-12-11). "Veiock's All-American Elevens for 1917 Season". Logansport Pharos-Reporter.
8. Paul Purman (1917-11-29). "East, West, South Give Stars To The Times-Tribune All-American Football Team For 1917 Season". Waterloo Times-Tribune.
9. Paul Purman (1917-11-29). "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. 1917-11-30.
11. "The East, West and South Give Greatest Stars To The News Special All-American Football Team For 1917 Season". Des Moines Daily News. 1917-11-29.
12. "Purman's 1917 'All-American' Team". The Daily Alaska Dispatch. 1917-12-11.
13. "Captain Hauser Picked for Team: Paul Purnam, Special Writer, Gives Tackle Position to Gopher Captain". The Duluth News Tribune. 1917-12-04.
14. "East, West, South Give Stars to Purman's All-American Team". Albuquerque Morning Journal. 1917-12-03.
15. "East West South Give Stars to the Hearld All American Football Team for 1917 Season". Grand Forks Herald. 1917-11-30.
16. ""All" Teams Picked By Walter Eckersall". Lincoln Daily Star. 1917-12-16.
17. "2014 NCAA Football Records: Consensus All-America Selections" (PDF). National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). 2014. p. 4. Retrieved August 16, 2014.