The 1945 College Football All-America team is composed of college football players who were selected as

All-America The All-America designation is an annual honor bestowed upon an amateur sports person from the United States who is considered to be one of the best amateurs in their sport. Individuals receiving this distinction are typically added to an All-Am ...

ns by various organizations and writers that chose

College Football All-America Team The College Football All-America Team is an honor given annually to the best college football players in the United States at their respective positions. The original use of the term '' All-America'' seems to have been to the 1889 College Footbal ...

s in 1945. The nine selectors recognized by the

NCAA The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges an ...

as "official" for the 1945 season are (1) ''

Collier's Weekly ''Collier's'' was an American general interest magazine founded in 1888 by Peter Fenelon Collier. It was launched as ''Collier's Once a Week'', then renamed in 1895 as ''Collier's Weekly: An Illustrated Journal'', shortened in 1905 to ''Colli ...

'', as selected by

Grantland Rice Henry Grantland "Granny" Rice (November 1, 1880July 13, 1954) was an early 20th-century American sportswriter known for his elegant prose. His writing was published in newspapers around the country and broadcast on the radio. Early years Rice wa ...

, (2) the

Associated Press The Associated Press (AP) is an American non-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association. It produces news reports that are distributed to its members, U.S. ne ...

, (3) the

United Press United Press International (UPI) is an American international news agency whose newswires, photo, news film, and audio services provided news material to thousands of newspapers, magazines, radio and television stations for most of the 20t ...

, (4) the All-America Board, (5) the

American Football Coaches Association The American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) is an association of over 11,000 American football coaches and staff on all levels. According to its constitution, some of the main goals of the American Football Coaches Association are to "mainta ...

(AFCA), (6) the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA), (7) the

International News Service The International News Service (INS) was a U.S.-based news agency (newswire) founded by newspaper publisher William Randolph Hearst in 1909.

(INS), (8) '' Look'' magazine, (9) the

Newspaper Enterprise Association The Newspaper Enterprise Association (NEA) is an editorial column and comic strip newspaper syndication service based in the United States and established in 1902. The oldest syndicate still in operation, the NEA was originally a secondary news ...

(NEA) and (10) the '' Sporting News''.

Consensus All-Americans

For the year 1945, the NCAA recognizes 10 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.

All-American selections for 1945

Ends

Dick Duden Henry Richard Duden, Jr. (November 24, 1924 – March 31, 2013) was an American football end in the National Football League for the New York Giants. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2001 after a stellar college foot ...

, Navy (College Football Hall of Fame) (AAB; AFCA; AP-1; COL-1; FWAA-1; INS-2; SN; UP-1; YA; CNS-1; CP-1; NL; NYS; OF-1; WC-1) *

Hub Bechtol Hubert Edwin "Hub" Bechtol (April 20, 1926 – October 22, 2004) was a college football player for the Texas Tech Red Raiders and the Texas Longhorns. He was a 3 Time All-American at The University of Texas at Austin in 1944, 1945, and 1946. He ...

, Texas (College Football Hall of Fame) (AP-1; COL-1; FWAA-2; LK; CNS-1; CP-2) * Bob Ravensberg, Indiana (UP-2; FWAA-1; SN; CP-1; INS-2; LK; CNS-2) *

Max Morris Glen Max Morris (March 13, 1925 – January 8, 1998) was an American professional basketball and American football player. He was a consensus All-American in both sports for Northwestern University and later played professional football for the ...

, Northwestern (AAB; AFCA; AP-2; FWAA-2; INS-1; UP-2; YA; CP-2; WC-1) *

Hank Foldberg Henry Christian Foldberg Sr. (March 12, 1923 – March 7, 2001) was an American college and professional football player who became a college football coach. Foldberg played college football for Texas A&M University and the United States Milita ...

, Army (AP-2; INS-1; NEA-1; UP-1; CNS-2; CP-3; NYS; OF-1) * Henry Walker, Virginia (AP-3) *

Neill Armstrong Neill Ford Armstrong (March 9, 1926 – August 10, 2016) was an American football player and coach whose career spanned more than four decades at both the college and professional levels. Notably, Armstrong served as the head coach of the ...

, Oklahoma A&M (AP-3) *

Paul Walker Paul William Walker IV (September 12, 1973 – November 30, 2013) was an American actor. He was known for his role as Brian O'Conner in the ''Fast & Furious'' franchise. Walker began his career as a child actor in the 1980s, gaining recogniti ...

, Yale (CP-3; NL) * Richard Pitzer, Army (NEA-1)

Tackles

Tex Coulter DeWitt Echoles "Tex" Coulter (October 26, 1924 – October 2, 2007) was an American gridiron football player. He played professionally in the National Football League (NFL) for the New York Giants and in the Interprovincial Rugby Football Union ...

, Army (AAB; AFCA; AP-1; COL-1; FWAA-1; INS-1; NEA-1; SN; UP-1; CNS-1; CP-1; NL; NYS; OF-1; WC-1) *

George Savitsky George Michael Savitsky (July 30, 1924 – September 4, 2012) was an American football offensive tackle in the National Football League for the Philadelphia Eagles. Born in New York City, Savitsky grew up in Camden, New Jersey and played foo ...

, Penn (College Football Hall of Fame) (AAB; AFCA; AP-3; COL-1; FWAA-1; INS-2; LK; SN; UP-1; CNS-1; CP-1; WC-1) * Albert Nemetz, Army (AP-1; FWAA-2; INS-2; NEA-1; UP-2; YA; NYS; CNS-2) * Tom Hughes, Purdue (LK; FWAA-2; UP-2; CP-2; OF-1; CNS-2; NL) * Thomas Dean, Southern Methodist Univ. (AP-2; YA) * Mike Castronis, Georgia (INS-1) *

Jim Kekeris James J. Kekeris (October 17, 1923 – September 15, 1997) was a player in the National Football League (NFL). Biography Kekeris was born on October 17, 1923, in St. Louis, Missouri. Career Kekeris was drafted in the third round of the 1947 NF ...

, Missouri (AP-2; CP-2) * Clarence Esser, Wisconsin (AP-3) * Buster McClure, Nevada (CP-3) * Monte Moncrief, Texas A&M (CP-3)

Guards

* Warren Amling, Ohio State (College Football Hall of Fame) (AAB; AFCA; AP-1; COL-1; FWAA-1; INS-1; LK; SN; UP-1; CNS-1; CP-1; NL; NYS; OF-1; WC-1) *

John Green John Michael Green (born August 24, 1977) is an American author, YouTube Content creation, content creator, podcaster, and philanthropist. His books have more than 50 million copies in print worldwide, including ''The Fault in Our Stars'' ( ...

, Army (College Football Hall of Fame) (AAB; AFCA; AP-1; COL-1; FWAA-1; SN; UP-1; CNS-1; NYS; OF-1; WC-1) * Al Sparlis, UCLA (College Football Hall of Fame) (AP-3; INS-2; LK; CNS-2; CP-1) * John Mastrangelo, Notre Dame (AP-2; FWAA-2; INS-1; UP-2; YA; CNS-2; CP-2) * James Carrington, Navy (FWAA-2; INS-2; UP-2) * Joseph Dickinson, Penn (AP-2; CP-2) * Jim Lecture, Northwestern (AP-3; CP-3) *

, Army (CP-3; NEA-1; YA) * Arthur Gerometta, Army (NEA-1) * Hills, Georgia Tech (NL)

Centers

* Vaughn Mancha, Alabama (College Football Hall of Fame) (AP-1; COL-1; FWAA-1; INS-1; SN; UP-1; YA; CNS-1; CP-1; NYS; OF-1) * Dick Scott, Navy (College Football Hall of Fame) (AAB; AFCA; AP-2; FWAA-2; INS-2; LK; UP-2; CNS-2; CP-2; NL; WC-1) * Ralph Jenkins, Clemson (AP-3) * Harold Watts, Michigan (CP-3) * Herschel Fuson, Army (NEA-1)

Quarterbacks

Harry Gilmer Harry Vincent Gilmer Jr. (April 14, 1926 – August 20, 2016) was an American football halfback and quarterback in the National Football League for the Washington Redskins and Detroit Lions. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of F ...

, Alabama (College Football Hall of Fame) (AP-2; COL-1; INS-2; LK; UP-2; FWAA-2; SN; UP-2; CNS-1; CP-2; NL; NYS; OF-1 b *

Frank Dancewicz Francis Joseph "Boley" Dancewicz ( ; October 3, 1924 – June 26, 1985) was an American football quarterback who played professionally in the National Football League. He was the first overall pick in the 1946 NFL Draft by the Boston Yanks. He ...

, Notre Dame (AP-2; FWAA-2; UP-2; CNS-2; CP-1) *

Arnold Tucker Young Arnold Tucker (January 5, 1924 – January 10, 2019) was a United States Air Force officer who graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York in 1947. Football career While lettering twice in football, Tucker wa ...

, Army (College Football Hall of Fame) (CP-3; INS-2; NEA-1) *

Gene Rossides Gene Rossides (October 23, 1927 – May 16, 2020) was an American football player who was drafted by the New York Giants in 1949. He was a lawyer by training, held political office in several administrations, and was the founder of the American Hel ...

, Columbia (CP-3)

Halfbacks

* Glenn Davis, Army (College Football Hall of Fame) (AAB; AFCA; AP-1; COL-1; FWAA-1; INS-1; LK; NEA-1; SN; UP-1; YA; CNS-1; CP-1; NL; NYS; OF-1; WC-1) *

Herman Wedemeyer Herman John Wedemeyer (May 20, 1924 – January 25, 1999) was an American actor, football player, and politician. He is best known for portraying Sergeant/Detective "Duke" Lukela on the crime drama ''Hawaii Five-O'' (1972–1980). He also appear ...

, St. Mary's (Calif.) (College Football Hall of Fame) (AAB; AFCA; AP-1; COL-1; FWAA-1; INS-1; LK; SN; UP-1; CNS-1; CP-1; NL; OF-1; WC-1) * Bob Fenimore, Oklahoma State (College Football Hall of Fame) (AAB; AFCA; AP-1; FWAA-1; INS-1; SN; UP-1; CP-2; CNS-2; WC-1) *

Jake Leicht Jacob Leicht (August 2, 1919 – May 18, 1992) was an American football halfback in the All-America Football Conference (AAFC) for the Baltimore Colts. He played college football at the University of Oregon and was drafted in the tenth round ...

, Oregon (YA; NYS) *

George Taliaferro George Taliaferro (January 8, 1927 – October 8, 2018) was a professional American football player who was the first African American drafted by a National Football League (NFL) team. Beginning his football career at Indiana University for the ...

, Indiana (AP-3; INS-2; CP-3; CNS-2) *

Clyde Scott Clyde Luther Scott (August 29, 1924 – January 30, 2018) was an American athlete who competed professionally in the National Football League and earned an Olympic medal in the 110 meter hurdles. He was born in Dixie, Louisiana. Biography ...

, Navy (College Football Hall of Fame) (AP-3; UP-2) * Stan Kozlowski, Holy Cross (AP-3; CP-2) * Robert Evans, Penn (AP-3) * Thomas McWilliam, Army (NEA-1)

Fullbacks

Doc Blanchard Felix Anthony "Doc" Blanchard (December 11, 1924 – April 19, 2009) was an American football player and serviceman who became the first junior to win the Heisman Trophy and Maxwell Award, and was the first football player to win the James E. S ...

, Army (College Football Hall of Fame) (AAB; AFCA; AP-1; COL-1; FWAA-1; INS-1; LK; NEA-1; SN; UP-1; YA; CNS-1; CP-1; NL; NYS; OF-1; WC-1) *

Pete Pihos Peter Louis Pihos (; October 22, 1923August 16, 2011) was an American football player and coach. Pihos played college football, principally as an end and fullback, for Indiana University from 1942 to 1943 and 1945 to 1946. He was selected as a ...

, Indiana (College and Pro Football Hall of Fame) (AP-2; FWAA-2; UP-2; CNS-2; CP-2; YA) *

Ollie Cline Oliver Monroe Cline (December 31, 1925 – May 12, 2001) was a college and professional American football fullback who played for the Ohio State Buckeyes, Cleveland Browns and Detroit Lions in the 1940s and 1950s. A standout high school athlete ...

, Ohio State (AP-2; FWAA-2) * Walt Schlinkman, Texas Tech (INS-2) * Ed Cody, Purdue (CP-3)

Black college All-Americans

During the 1940s, African-Americans were excluded from many college football programs and played the game at historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs). The major All-America selectors in these years did not include players from HBCUs. However, ''The Pittsburgh Courier'' each year selected its own All-America team from players at the HBCUS. The players chosen for 1946 were: * Clarence Harkings, Langston, end * Talmadge Owen, Clark, end * James Moore, Wilberforce, tackle * Wilfred Rawl, West Virginia State, tackle * Richard Bolton, Clark, guard * Willie Moses, Wiley, guard * Isaiah Wilson, West Virginia State, center *

Leroy Cromartie Leroy Oliver Cromartie (December 15, 1922 – September 14, 2000) was an American Negro league second baseman in the 1940s. A native of Miami, Florida, Cromartie graduated from Booker T. Washington Senior High School in 1943. He went on to pl ...

, Florida A&M, back *

Bill Bass William Bass (1921 – September 28, 1967) was an all-star and Grey Cup champion running back in the Canadian Football League and one of the first players to break the colour barrier in Canadian football. Bass attended University of Nevada, Reno ...

, Tennessee A&I, back * Shelly Ross, Wiley, back * Bernard Ingraham, Florida A&M, back

Key

* Bold – Consensus All-American * -1 – First-team selection * -2 – Second-team selection * -3 – Third-team selection

Official selectors

* AAB = All-America Board * AFCA =

* AP =

* COL = ''

'' as selected by

* FWAA = Football Writers Association of America * INS =

International News Service The International News Service (INS) was a U.S.-based news agency (newswire) founded by newspaper publisher William Randolph Hearst in 1909.

, "selected on the basis of ballots and information gathered from International News Service sports writers and football authorities all over the nation" * LK = '' Look'' magazine * NEA =

. In a departure from normal practice, the NEA named the starters from the Army football team, which had won 17 straight games, as its All-American team for 1945I * SN = '' Sporting News'', selected by a poll of 163 sports writers and sportscasters * UP =

Other selectors

* CNS = Consensus All-American team picked based on assigning points to players selected as All-Americans by Oscar Fraley, Christy Walsh, United Press, ''Look'', ''New York Sun'', ''New York News'', International News, Associated Press, ''Sporting News'', and ''Collier's''-Rice * CP =

Central Press Association The Central Press Association was American newspaper syndication company based in Cleveland, Ohio. It was in business from 1910 to 1971. Originally independent, it was a subsidiary of King Features Syndicate from 1930 onwards. At its peak, the ...

, selected for the 15th straight year with the aid of the captains of the leading college teams * NL = ''Navy Log'' * NYS = ''

New York Sun ''The New York Sun'' is an American online newspaper published in Manhattan; from 2002 to 2008 it was a daily newspaper distributed in New York City. It debuted on April 16, 2002, adopting the name, motto, and masthead of the earlier New York ...

'' * OF =

Oscar Fraley Oscar Fraley (August 2, 1914 – January 6, 1994) was an American sports writer and author, perhaps best known, with Eliot Ness, as the co-author of the American memoir ''The Untouchables''. Early life Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Fraley ...

, United Press sports writer * WC =

Walter Camp Walter Chauncey Camp (April 7, 1859 – March 14, 1925) was an American football player, coach, and sports writer known as the "Father of American Football". Among a long list of inventions, he created the sport's line of scrimmage and the system ...

Football Foundation * YA = ''

Yank, the Army Weekly ''Yank, the Army Weekly'' was a weekly magazine published by the United States military during World War II. History The idea for the magazine came from Egbert White, who had worked on the newspaper Stars and Stripes during World War I. He ...

'', based on a poll of 25 of the country's most widely known college football coaches

References

{{College Football All-America Teams

All-America Team The All-America designation is an annual honor bestowed upon an amateur sports person from the United States who is considered to be one of the best amateurs in their sport. Individuals receiving this distinction are typically added to an All-Am ...

College Football All-America Teams