The 1951 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 1951. The eight selectors recognized by the NCAA as "official" for the 1951 season are (1) the All-American Board (AAB), (2) the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA, (3) the Associated Press (AP), (4) the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA), (5) the International News Service (INS), (6) the Newspaper Enterprise Association (NEA), (7) the Sporting News and (8) the United Press (UP).
For the year 1951, the NCAA recognizes eight published All-American teams as "official" designations for purposes of its consensus determinations. The following chart identifies the NCAA-recognized consensus All-Americans and displays which first-team designations they received.
Bill McColl, Stanford (College Football Hall of Fame) (AAB; AFCA; APO-1; FWO-1; INSO-1; NEAO-1; SN; UP-1; CP-1; CTO-1; WC-1)
Bob Carey, Michigan State (AAB; APO-1; NEAO-1; SN; UP-1; CP-1; WC-1)
Pat O'Donahue, Wisconsin (APD-1; FWD-1; NEAD-1)
Billy Howton, Rice (AFCA; APO-2; CP-3; CTO-1)
Frank McPhee, Princeton (FWD-1 INSD-1; UP-2; CP-3)
Dewey McConnell, Wyoming (APD-1; NEAD-1)
Stan Williams, Baylor (FWO-1)
Leo Sugar, Purdue (APD-2; CTD-1)
Eddie Bell, Penn (APD-2; INSD-1)
Doug Atkins, Tennessee (CTD-1)
Tom McCann, Holy Cross (APO-2)
Jim Mutscheller, Notre Dame (UP-2)
Lowell Perry, Michigan (UP-3; CP-2)
Barker, Washington State (UP-3)
Hal Faverty, Wisconsin (CP-2; INSO-1)
Don Coleman, Michigan State (College Football Hall of Fame) (AAB; AFCA; APO-1; FWO-1; INSO-1; NEAO-1; SN; UP-1; CP-1; CTO-1; WC-1)
Jim Weatherall, Oklahoma (College Football Hall of Fame) (AAB; AFCA; APD-1; FWD-1; INSD-1; NEAO-1; SN; UP-1; CP-1; WC-1)
Pug Pearman, Tennessee (APD-1; FWD-1; NEAD-1; UP-2; CP-3)
Bob Toneff, Notre Dame (APO-1; UP-2; CP-2)
Jack Little, Texas A&M (FWO-1)
Chuck Ulrich, Illinois (INSO-1)
Bill George, Wake Forest (CTO-1)
Doug Conaway, Texas Christian (NEAD-1)
Lamar Wheat, Georgia Tech (UP-3; INSD-1)
Dick Modzelewski, Maryland (College Football Hall of Fame) (APD-2; CTD-1)
Tom Johnson, Michigan (CTD-1)
Ollie Spencer, Kansas (APO-2)
Bob Werckle, Vanderbilt (APO-2)
Hal Mitchell, UCLA (CP-2)
John Feltch, Holy Cross (CP-3)
Jerrell Price, Texas Tech (APD-2)
Bob Ward, Maryland (College Football Hall of Fame) (AAB; AFCA; APO-1; FWD-1; INSO-1; NEAO-1; SN; UP-1; CTO-1; WC-1)
Les Richter, California (College Football Hall of Fame) (AAB; APD-1; FWD-1; INSO-1; SN; UP-1; CP-1; CTO-1, CTD-1; WC-1)
Ray Beck, Georgia Tech (College Football Hall of Fame) (AFCA; APD-1; FWO-1; NEAD-1; UP-3; CP-1; CTD-1)
Joe Palumbo, Virginia (College Football Hall of Fame) (APD-1; NEAO-1)
Ted Daffer, Tennessee (APD-2; INSD-1; NEAD-1; UP-2; CP-2)
Marv Matuszak, Tulsa (APO-1)
Nick Liotta, Villanova (FWO-1; CTD-1 (linebacker))
Chet Millett, Holy Cross (FWD-1)
George Mrkonic, Kansas (INSO-1)
Jim Donarski, Arizona (APO-2)
Norm Manoogian, Stanford (APO-2)
John Michels, Tennessee (UP-3)
Harley Sewell, Texas (College Football Hall of Fame) (CP-3)
Gerald Audette, Columbia (CP-3)
Bill Athey, Baylor (APD-2)
Dick Hightower, Southern Methodist (SMU) (AAB; AFCA; APO-2; INSO-1; SN; UP-1; CP-1; CP-1; CTO-1; WC-1)
Pat Cannamela, USC (APD-2; UP-2; FWD-1; INSD-1 (center); NEAD-1; CP-2 (guard))
Doug Moseley, Kentucky (APO-1; FWO-1; UP-3; CP-3)
Keith Flowers, Texas Christian (APD-1; CTD-1)
Chuck Boerio, Illinois (UP-2 (center); NEAD-1)
George Tarasovic, LSU (NEAO-1)
Charlie Harris, California (CP-2)
Donn Moomaw, UCLA (College Football Hall of Fame) (APD-2; UP-3)
Babe Parilli, Kentucky (AAB; APO-2; UP-1; CP-1; INSD-1; SN; NEAO-1 (QB); CTO-1 (QB); WC-1)
Larry Isbell, Baylor (APO-1; UP-3; FWO-1; CP-2; INSD-1)
Gary Kerkorian, Stanford (UP-2; CP-3; INSD-1)
Al Dorow, Michigan State (INSD-1)
Bill Wade, Vanderbilt (APO-2)
Dick Kazmaier, Princeton (Heisman Trophy and College Football Hall of Fame) (AAB; AFCA; APO-1; FWO-1; INSO-1; NEAO-1 (HB); SN; UP-1; CP-1; CTO-1 (HB); WC-1)
Hank Lauricella, Tennessee (College Football Hall of Fame) (AAB; AFCA; APO-1; FWO-1; INSO-1; NEAO-1 (HB); SN; UP-1; FWO-1; CP-1; CTO-1 (HB); WC-1)
Johnny Karras, Illinois (AFCA; AAB; APO-2; FWO-1; SN; UP-1; CP-1; WC-1)
Ed Modzelewski, Maryland (APO-2; UP-3; CP-2; INSO-1)
Bobby Dillon, Texas (APD-1; FWD-1 (halfback); NEAD-1 (safety); CTD-1)
Al Brosky, Illinois (APD-1; FWD-1 (safety))
Harry Agganis, Boston U. (NEAD-1 (def. halfback))
Jim Ellis, Michigan State (CTD-1)
Avatus Stone, Syracuse (CTD-1)
Johnny Bright, Drake (College and Canadian Football Hall of Fame) (UP-2; CP-3)
Vic Janowicz, Ohio State (College Football Hall of Fame) (APD-2; UP-2; CP-2)
Veryl Switzer, Kansas State (APD-2)
Jim Dooley, Miami (APD-2)
Ollie Matson, San Francisco (College and Pro Football Hall of Fame) (APD-1; UP-2; FWD-1 (def. halfback); CP-2; INSO-1; NEAD-1 (def. halfback)
Hugh McElhenny, Washington (Pro and College Football Hall of Fame) (APO-1; UP-3; CP-3; NEAO-1 (FB); CTO-1 (FB))
Frank Gifford, USC (Pro and College Football Hall of Fame) (AFCA; UP-3; CP-3)
Bold – Consensus All-American
-1 – First-team selection
-2 – Second-team selection
-3 – Third-team selection
AAB = All-America Board
AFCA = American Football Coaches Association, published in Collier's Weekly
APO/APD = Associated Press. The AP selected separate offensive and defensive teams. "The team was picked after the Dec. 1 games in consultation with 11 prominent sportswriters. They had the benefit of reports from hundreds of writers and broadcasters throughout the country."
FWO/FWD = The Football Writers Association of America picked separate offensive and defensive teams: "22-man offensive and defensive all-star teams picked by Grantland Rice and the Football Writers Association of America for Look magazine
INSO/INSD = International News Service, later merged with UP to form UPI. The INS began selecting separate offensive and defensive teams in 1948 and continued that tradition in 1951.
NEAO/NEAD = Newspaper Enterprise Association. The NEA selected separate offensive and defensive teams.
SN = Sporting News
UP = United Press. The United Press did not select separate offensive and defensive teams. They selected only 11 first-team players: "Chosen by ballots from 260 sports writers and broadcasters in all sections of the nation, these players were considered the finest at their positions."
CP = Central Press Association: "the 21st annual Central Press All-American football team, selected as usual with the assistance of the nation's football captains"
CTO/CTD = Chicago Tribune's 5th annual All-Players All-America team determined based on polling of players in cooperation with the major universities and colleges throughout the United States. The results were based on a record 18,876 votes (10,086 for offense and 8,790 for defense).
WC = Walter Camp Football Foundation
