The 1980 All-Big Eight 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 for All-

Big Eight Conference The Big Eight Conference was a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA)-affiliated Division I-A college athletic association that sponsored football. It was formed in January 1907 as the Missouri Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Associatio ...

teams for the

1980 NCAA Division I-A football season The 1980 NCAA Division I-A football season saw a university from the state of Georgia take its first national title since 1942. Nine days following the bowl games to close the 1979 season, tragedy struck when new LSU coach Bo Rein died when the ...

. The selectors for the 1980 season included 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. newspa ...

(AP).

Offensive selections

Quarterbacks

Phil Bradley Philip Poole Bradley (born March 11, 1959), is an American former professional baseball outfielder / designated hitter who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the American League (AL) Seattle Mariners, Baltimore Orioles, and Chicago White S ...

, Missouri (AP-1) *

J. C. Watts Julius Caesar Watts Jr. (born November 18, 1957) is an American politician, clergyman, and athlete. Watts was a college football quarterback for the Oklahoma Sooners and later played professionally in the Canadian Football League. He served in ...

, Oklahoma (AP-2)

Running backs

Jarvis Redwine Jarvis John Redwine (born May 16, 1957) is a former American college and professional football player, a running back in the National Football League (NFL) for three seasons during the 1980s. Redwine played college football for the University o ...

, Nebraska (AP-1) * Kerwin Bell, Kansas (AP-1) * Dwayne Crutchfield, Iowa State (AP-1) *

David Overstreet David Arthur Overstreet (September 20, 1958 – June 24, 1984) was a running back in the Canadian Football League (CFL) and National Football League (NFL). He played for coach Barry Switzer and the Oklahoma Sooners as a halfback out of the wishb ...

, Oklahoma (AP-2) *

James Wilder Sr. James Curtis Wilder Sr. (born May 12, 1958) is an American former professional American football, football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL) for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Washington Redskins, and the Detroit Li ...

, Missouri (AP-2) *

Andra Franklin Andra Bernard Franklin (August 22, 1959 – December 6, 2006) was an American football player, a running back in the National Football League (NFL) from 1981 NFL season, 1981 to 1984 NFL season, 1984 for the Miami Dolphins. Franklin played Co ...

, Nebraska (AP-2)

Tight ends

* Forrest Valora, Oklahoma (AP-1) * Andy Gibler, Missouri (AP-2)

Wide receivers

David Verser David Verser (born March 1, 1958) is a former American football wide receiver in the National Football League. Career He played football at the University of Kansas, where, during his senior year, he led the Jayhawks in receiving with 21 recepti ...

, Kansas (AP-1) * Mel Campbell, Oklahoma State (AP-2)

Centers

Brad Edelman Brad M. Edelman (born September 3, 1960) is an American former professional football player who was a guard for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League (NFL). Edelman played college football for the Missouri Tigers. Biography Ed ...

, Missouri (AP-1) *

Dave Rimington David Brian Rimington (born May 22, 1960) is a former American college and professional football player who was a center in the National Football League (NFL) for seven seasons during the 1980s. Rimington played college football for the Universit ...

, Nebraska (AP-2)

Offensive guards

Randy Schleusener Rand L. Schleusener (born October 23, 1957) is a former American football offensive lineman. He played for the Nebraska Cornhuskers 1977–1980. He was selected in the 1981 NFL Draft, but never played in the NFL. After football, he went on to ...

, Nebraska (AP-1) *

Terry Crouch Terry Crouch (July 6, 1959 – May 8, 2011) was an American football offensive lineman. He played for the Oklahoma Sooners (1978–1981) and Baltimore Colts The Baltimore Colts were a professional American football team that played in B ...

, Oklahoma (AP-1) * Don Key, Oklahoma (AP-2) * Stan Lechner, Missouri (AP-2)

Offensive tackles

* Howard Richards, Missouri (AP-1) * Louis Oubre, Oklahoma (AP-1) * Dan Hurley, Nebraska (AP-2) * Bob Ed Culver Jr., Oklahoma (AP-2)

Defensive selections

Defensive ends

Derrie Nelson Derald Lawrence Nelson (born February 8, 1958 in York, Nebraska) is a former American football linebacker in the National Football League for the San Diego Chargers. He played college football at the University of Nebraska. Early years Nelson ...

, Nebraska (AP-1) * James Walker, Kansas State (AP-1) * Wendell Ray, Missouri (AP-2) * Jimmy Williams, Nebraska (AP-2)

Defensive tackles

* Richard Turner, Oklahoma (AP-1) * David Clark, Nebraska (AP-1) * Keith Gary, Oklahoma (AP-2) * Jeff Fox, Kansas (AP-2)

Nose guards

* Stan Gardner, Kansas (AP-1) * Curt Hineline, Nebraska (AP-2)

Linebackers

* Ricky Young, Oklahoma State (AP-1) * Lester Dickey, Missouri (AP-1) * Mike Green, Oklahoma State (AP-2) * Steve Doolittle, Colorado (AP-2)

Defensive backs

* Eric Wright, Missouri (AP-1) * Russell Gary, Nebraska (AP-1) *

Larry Crawford Larry Crawford (born December 18, 1959) is an American former Canadian football player. He played in the Canadian Football League for nine years. Crawford played defensive back for the BC Lions and Toronto Argonauts from 1981-1989. He was a CFL ...

, Iowa State (AP-1) * Bill Whitaker, Missouri (AP-1) * Joe Tumpich, Kansas (AP-2) * Johnnie Poe, Missouri (AP-2) * Jay Jimerson, Oklahoma State (AP-2) *

Gregg Johnson Gregg Johnson (born June 18, 1982) is an American former professional ice hockey forward. Playing career Johnson's amateur career began in the Eastern Junior Hockey League, where he skated with the New England Jr. Coyotes from 1997 to 2000, earn ...

, Oklahoma State (AP-2)

Special teams

Place-kicker

* Ron Verrilli, Missouri (AP-1) * Alex Giffords, Iowa State (AP-2)

Punter

Bucky Scribner William Charles "Bucky" Scribner (July 11, 1960 – September 16, 2017) was a professional American football punter in the National Football League. He played college football for the Kansas Jayhawks and was selected as the first-team punter on ...

, Kansas (AP-1) * Art Woods, Colorado (AP-2)

Key

AP =

References

{{All-Big Eight Conference football teams All-Big Seven Conference football team All-Big Eight Conference football teams