The Football Writers Association of America (FWAA) is one of the organizations whose College Football All-America Team is recognized by the NCAA. The organization also selects the Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year, the Bronko Nagurski Trophy winner, the Outland Trophy winner, the Grantland Rice Trophy winner, a freshman All-America team, and weekly defensive player of the week, as well as developing scholarship programs and surveys for better working conditions. Since 1954, the association has awarded the Grantland Rice Trophy to the college football team they choose to be the National Champion.
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Overview
The Football Writers Association of America was founded in 1941 and is composed of approximately 1,200 sports writers from both print and Internet media outlets. The organization strives for better working conditions for sports writers in college football press boxes, and deals with access issues to college athletes and coaches.
The FWAA consists of the men and women across North America who cover college football for a living. The membership includes journalists, broadcasters and publicists, as well as key executives in all the areas that involve the game. The FWAA works to govern areas that include game day operations, major awards and an All-America team. The FWAA also sponsors scholarships for aspiring writers and an annual writing contest.
All-America Committees
The Football Writers Association of America All-America Committee selects the 25-man All-America Team and the winners of the Bronko Nagurski and Outland trophies. In the spring, the committee selects the FWAA All-America Watch List and the watch lists for both of the FWAA's major player awards. The FWAA has chosen an All-America Team annually since the 1944 season; it is the second longest continuously-published team in major college football.
Bert McGrane Award winners
Presented to a member of the FWAA for "outstanding contribution to the organization".
All-Time Teams
Selected by the Football Writers Association of America for the centennial year of college football in 1969. An Early Era team was chose that featured Jim Thorpe, a modern team (1919–68) and a Quarter-Century team that was chosen in 1993, 25 years after the college football centennial celebration.
1919–1968 Modern Era All-America Team
E – Bennie Oosterbaan, Michigan
E – Don Hutson, Alabama
L – Bronko Nagurski, Minnesota
L – Bruiser Kinard, Mississippi
L – Jim Parker, Ohio State
L – Bob Suffridge, Tennessee
C – Mel Hein, Washington State
B – Sammy Baugh, Texas Christian
B – Jay Berwanger, Chicago
B – Ernie Nevers, Stanford
B – Red Grange, Illinois
1869–1918 Early Era All-America Team
E – Frank Hinkey, Yale
E – Huntington Hardwick, Harvard
T – Josh Cody, Vanderbilt
T – Wilbur Henry, Washington and Jefferson
G – Pudge Heffelfinger,Yale
G – Truxtun Hare, Pennsylvania
C – Germany Schulz, Michigan
B – Jim Thorpe, Carlisle
B – Elmer Oliphant, Purdue
B – Willie Heston, Michigan
B – Walter Eckersall, Chicago
Awards sponsored
See footnoteCurrently the FWAA sponsors seven awards and those are affiliated with the National College Football Awards Association (NCFAA).
Poll
Beginning in 2014, 26 members of the FWAA will vote in a new poll in partnership with the National Football Foundation. It is called the FWAA-NFF Grantland Rice Super 16 Poll.