ATHENS — Georgia football all-time greats Herschel Walker, Brock Bowers and Champ Bailey have been recognized among the best of the best AP All-American football selections in history.
Georgia, Alabama and Oklahoma led the SEC with three players to make the AP all-time teams. The Bulldogs and Tide had two first-team selections, while all three of the Sooners’ all-time greats were on the second-team.
Walker and Bowers were selected to the first-team offense, while Bailey was named among the top four Associated Press All-Time All-Americans at cornerback, earning second-team honors.
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Florida, LSU and Texas each had one former player listed among the first- and second teams.
Walker and Bailey are already College Football Hall of Fame inductees, but Bowers is still active in the NFL and represents the only offensive position player in the past 17 years to earn Associated Press All-Time All-American first-team honors.
Bowers, who keyed two CFP championship seasons, is also the only Kirby Smart-coached player — from Smart’s nine years as Georgia’s head coach and nine years on Alabama’s staff — to be named to the AP’s all-time team.
The AP panel of voters put the team together to mark the 100th anniversary of the Associated Press’ annual All-American college football team.
Walker’s first-team selection, alongside fellow-first team running back Barry Sanders, makes the case for him being the greatest college football player of all-time.
An ESPN panel of voters in 2020 named Walker the second-greatest college football player of all-time — behind Syracuse running back Jim Brown.
Brown, among the greatest NFL running backs of all-time, did not make the AP All-Time All-American team, as two-time Heisman Trophy winner Archie Griffin (1974-75) and 1976 Heisman Trophy winner Tony Dorsett were voted ahead of him.
Walker, of course, carried Georgia to the 1980 national championship and was a three-time SEC Player of the Year, three-time All-American and won the 1982 Heisman Trophy before turning pro following his junior season.
Bailey was a two-way player who was arguably more productive in that role than 1997 Heisman Trophy winner and AP All-Time All-American first-team selection Charles Woodson.
Bailey, in 1998, had 52 tackles, 3 interceptions and 7 PBUs while piling up 1,138 all-purpose yards on offense.
Bailey made 47 catches for 744 yards and 5 touchdowns at receiver, with another 84 yards coming on 16 carries, while also returning 12 kicks for 261 yards and four punts for 49 yards.
Woodson, in, his 1997 national championship season, had 44 tackles, 7 interceptions and 9 PBUs on defense and 514 yards of total offense.
Woodson also had 11 catches for 231 yards and two touchdowns as a receiver and returned 33 punts for 283 yards and a touchdown.
There were nearly 2,000 players to earn AP first-team All-American over the past 100 years — a prerequisite to make the all-time team — so several players could make a case for being on this prestigious team.
Georgia, with 51 all-time first-round NFL draft picks, certainly had its share of candidates for the all-time team, including former unanimous All-American and two-time national champion Jalen Carter, two-time SEC Defensive Player of the Year David Pollack and two-time All-American Matt Stinchcomb.
Associated Press All-Time All-Americans
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.
QB — 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.
QB — 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.
Associated Press All-Time All-Americans
(2000-present selections)
TE Brock Bowers, Georgia (2023), first team
QB Tim Tebow, Florida (2007) first team
P Tory Taylor, Iowa, (2023), first team
WR Larry Fitzgerald, Pitt, (2003), first team
WR Devonta Smith, Alabama, (2020), second team
DT Ndamukong Suh, Nebraska, (2009), first team
S Ed Reed, Miami, (2000-01), first team
OT Bryant McKinnie, Miami, (2001), second team
QB Vince Young, Texas, (2005), second team
CB Tyrann Mathieu, LSU, (2011), second team
