The 1956 All-Big Ten Conference football team consists of

American football American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team with ...

players chosen by various organizations to the All-Big Ten Conference teams for the

1956 Big Ten Conference football season The 1956 Big Ten Conference football season was the 61st season of college football played by the member schools of the Big Ten Conference (also known as the Western Conference) and was a part of the 1956 NCAA University Division football season. ...

All-Big Ten selections

Quarterbacks

Ken Ploen Kenneth Ploen LAYN (born June 3, 1935) is a former star quarterback in American college football and for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the Canadian Football League (CFL). College football In 1956, Ploen became the University of Iowa Hawkeyes s ...

, Iowa (AP-1; UP-1) * Len Dawson, Purdue (AP-2) * Bob Cox, Minnesota (UP-2)

Halfbacks

Abe Woodson Abraham Benjamin Woodson (February 15, 1934 – February 8, 2014) was an American football cornerback and kick returner who played nine seasons in the National Football League, mainly with the San Francisco 49ers. He also spent two years with ...

, Illinois (AP-1; UP-1) *

Terry Barr Terry Albert Barr (August 8, 1935 – May 28, 2009) was an American football player. He played professional football for nine seasons in the National Football League (NFL) for the Detroit Lions from 1957 to 1965. He began his NFL career as a ...

, Michigan (UP-1) * Bob McKelver, Northwestern (AP-1; UP-2) * Don Clark, Ohio State (AP-2) *

Clarence Peaks Clarence Earl Peaks (September 23, 1935 – March 31, 2007) was a professional American football fullback in the National Football League for the Philadelphia Eagles and the Pittsburgh Steelers. He played college football at Michigan Stat ...

, Michigan State (UP-2)

Fullbacks

* Mel Dillard, Purdue (AP-1; UP-1) *

John Herrnstein John Ellett Herrnstein (March 31, 1938 – October 3, 2017) was an American baseball and football player. He played Major League Baseball from 1962 to 1966 for the Philadelphia Phillies, Chicago Cubs, and Atlanta Braves. He also played co ...

, Michigan (AP-2; UP-2) *

, Michigan State (AP-2)

Ends

* Ron Kramer, Michigan (AP-1; UP-1) * Frank Gilliam, Iowa (AP-1; UP-1) * Lamar Lundy, Purdue (AP-2; UP-2) * Tom Maentz, Michigan (AP-2; UP-3) * Brad Bomba, Indiana (UP-2)

Tackles

Bob Hobert Robert D. Hobert (born June 28, 1935) is a former Canadian football player who played for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. He won the Grey Cup with them in 1958. He played college football at the University of Minnesota The University of Minnesot ...

, Minnesota (AP-1; UP-1) *

Alex Karras Alexander George Karras (July 15, 1935 – October 10, 2012) was an American football player, professional wrestler, sportscaster, and actor. He was a four-time Pro Bowl player with the Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL), ...

, Iowa (AP-1; UP-1) * Joel Jones, Michigan State (AP-2; UP-2) *

Frank Youso Frank Michael Youso (July 5, 1936 – October 8, 2022) was an American professional football player who was an offensive tackle. He played college football for the Minnesota Golden Gophers and professionally for the New York Giants and Minnesot ...

, Minnesota (AP-2) * Dick Guy, Ohio State (UP-2)

Guards

* Jim Parker, Ohio State (AP-1; UP-1) * Dick Hill, Michigan (AP-1; UP-3) * Al Viola, Northwestern (AP-2; UP-1) * Dan Currie, Michigan State (AP-2; UP-2) * Percy Oliver, Illinois (UP-2)

Centers

* John Matsko, Michigan State (AP-1; UP-2) * Don Suchy, Iowa (AP-2; UP-1)

Key

References

{{All-Big Ten Conference football teams All-Big Ten Conference All-Big Ten Conference football teams