The 1988 College Football All-America team is composed of

college football College football (french: Football universitaire) refers to gridiron football played by teams of student athletes. It was through college football play that American football rules first gained popularity in the United States. Unlike most ...

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 Football ...

s in 1988. The

National Collegiate Athletic Association 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 ...

(NCAA) recognizes five selectors as "official" for the 1988 season. They are: (1) 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); (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. newspa ...

(AP) selected based on the votes of sports writers at AP newspapers; (3) the

Football Writers Association of America The Football Writers Association of America (FWAA) is an organization of college football media members in the United States founded in 1941. It is composed of approximately 1,200 professional sports writers from both print and Internet media out ...

(FWAA); (4) the

United Press International 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 20th ...

(UPI) selected based on the votes of sports writers at UPI newspapers; and (5) the

Walter Camp Football Foundation The Walter Camp Football Foundation (WCFF) is one of the organizations whose College Football All-America Team is recognized by the National Collegiate Athletic Association. The organization also presents various awards. It is named in honor of foo ...

(WC). Other notable selectors included ''Football News'', the

Gannett News Service Gannett Co., Inc. () is an American mass media holding company headquartered in McLean, Virginia, in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area.Scripps Howard The E. W. Scripps Company is an American broadcasting company founded in 1878 as a chain of daily newspapers by Edward Willis "E. W." Scripps and his sister, Ellen Browning Scripps. It was also formerly a media conglomerate. The company is he ...

(SH), and ''

The Sporting News The ''Sporting News'' is a website and former magazine publication owned by Sporting News Holdings, which is a U.S.-based sports media company formed in December 2020 by a private investor consortium. It was originally established in 1886 as a pr ...

'' (TSN).

Offense

Quarterbacks

Troy Aikman Troy Kenneth Aikman (born November 21, 1966) is an American former football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 12 seasons with the Dallas Cowboys. After transferring from Oklahoma, he played college football at UCLA, ...

UCLA The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California. UCLA's academic roots were established in 1881 as a teachers college then known as the southern branch of the California St ...

(CFHOF) (UPI-1, WC, GNS, TSN) * Steve Walsh,

Miami Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a East Coast of the United States, coastal metropolis and the County seat, county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade C ...

(AP-1, FWAA, GNS) *

Rodney Peete Rodney Peete (born March 16, 1966) is a former American football quarterback in the National Football League (NFL) for the Detroit Lions, Dallas Cowboys, Philadelphia Eagles, Washington Redskins, Oakland Raiders, and Carolina Panthers. He played ...

USC USC most often refers to: * University of South Carolina, a public research university ** University of South Carolina System, the main university and its satellite campuses **South Carolina Gamecocks, the school athletic program * University of ...

(AP-2; AFCA, GNS, SH) * Major Harris,

West Virginia West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian, Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States.The Census Bureau and the Association of American Geographers classify West Virginia as part of the Southern United States while the Bur ...

(AP-3; GNS)

Running backs

Barry Sanders Barry Sanders (born July 16, 1968) is an American former professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL), from 1989 to 1998 for the Detroit Lions. Sanders led the league in rushing yards four times and ...

Oklahoma State Oklahoma (; Choctaw: ; chr, ᎣᎧᎳᎰᎹ, ''Okalahoma'' ) is a state in the South Central region of the United States, bordered by Texas on the south and west, Kansas on the north, Missouri on the northeast, Arkansas on the east, New ...

(CFHOF) (AFCA, AP-1, FWAA, UPI-1, WC, GNS, SH, TSN) * Anthony Thompson,

Indiana Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th s ...

(UPI-1, AP-2; FWAA, WC, TSN) *

Tim Worley Timothy Ashley Worley (born September 24, 1966) is a former American football running back who played for the Georgia Bulldogs in college, and the Pittsburgh Steelers and Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL). Early years Worley wa ...

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States Georgia may also refer to: Places Historical states and entities * Related to the ...

(AP-2; AFCA, FWAA, WC, GNS, SH) *

Darren Lewis Darren Joel Lewis (born August 28, 1967) is an American former professional baseball player who played center field in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Oakland Athletics (1990), San Francisco Giants (1991–1995), Cincinnati Reds (1995), C ...

, Texas A&M (AP-1, GNS, TSN) *

Cleveland Gary Cleveland Everette Gary (born May 4, 1966), also known as Cleveland Edward Gary, is a former professional American football running back in the National Football League (NFL). He was selected in the first round of the 1989 NFL draft by the Los ...

, Miami (Fla.) (AP-3; FN) *

Tony Boles Tony Boles (born December 11, 1967) is an American former professional football player who was a running back and kick returner who was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL). After starring in college football fo ...

, Michigan (AP-3)

Wide receivers

Hart Lee Dykes Hart Lee Dykes Jr. (born September 2, 1966) is a former professional American football player who played wide receiver for two seasons in the National Football League (NFL) for the New England Patriots. He was awarded the Dial Award as the nati ...

, Oklahoma State (AP-1, UPI-1, WC, SH, TSN) * Jason Phillips,

Houston Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 in ...

(AFCA, AP-1, UPI-1, FWAA, SH) *

Erik Affholter Erik Konrad Affholter (born April 10, 1966) is a former professional American football wide receiver in the National Football League for the Green Bay Packers. As a 16-year-old place kicker during his junior season of high school he broke a na ...

, USC (AFCA, AP-2, TSN) * Clarkston Hines, Duke (AP-2, FWAA) * Naz Worthen, North Carolina State (GNS) *

Andre Rison Andre Previn Rison (born March 18, 1967) is a former American football wide receiver who played professionally for the National Football League's Indianapolis Colts, Atlanta Falcons, Cleveland Browns, Jacksonville Jaguars, Green Bay Packers, ...

Michigan State Michigan State University (Michigan State, MSU) is a public land-grant research university in East Lansing, Michigan. It was founded in 1855 as the Agricultural College of the State of Michigan, the first of its kind in the United States. It i ...

(GNS) * Boo Mitchell, Vanderbilt (AP-3) * Kendal Smith, Utah State (AP-3)

Tight ends

* Marv Cook,

Iowa Iowa () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States, bordered by the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west. It is bordered by six states: Wisconsin to the northeast, Illinois to the ...

(AFCA, AP-2, UPI-1, GNS) * Troy Sadowski, Georgia (WC) *

Wesley Walls Charles Wesley Walls (born March 26, 1966) is a former American football tight end who played 14 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). Early career Walls played high school football in Pontotoc, Mississippi. He spent his first three ye ...

Mississippi Mississippi () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States, bordered to the north by Tennessee; to the east by Alabama; to the south by the Gulf of Mexico; to the southwest by Louisiana; and to the northwest by Arkansas. Miss ...

(AP-1) *

Walter Reeves Walter Reeves (September 25, 1848 – April 9, 1909) was a U.S. Representative from Illinois. Biography Walter Reeves was born near Brownsville, Pennsylvania on September 25, 1948. He moved with his parents to Illinois in 1856, where they se ...

Auburn Auburn may refer to: Places Australia * Auburn, New South Wales * City of Auburn, the local government area *Electoral district of Auburn *Auburn, Queensland, a locality in the Western Downs Region *Auburn, South Australia *Auburn, Tasmania *Aub ...

(TSN) * Charles Arbuckle, UCLA (SH) *

Scott Galbraith Alan Scott Galbraith (born January 7, 1967) is a former American football tight end in the National Football League for the Cleveland Browns, Dallas Cowboys, Washington Redskins, and Green Bay Packers. He was part of the Super Bowl XXVIII cham ...

, USC (AP-3)

Centers

* Jake Young,

Nebraska Nebraska () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast, both across the Missouri River; Kansas to the south; Colorado to the southwe ...

(AP-1, FWAA) * John Vitale,

Michigan Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and the ...

(UPI-1, AP-2; WC) * Jeff Uhlenhake,

Ohio State The Ohio State University, commonly called Ohio State or OSU, is a public land-grant research university in Columbus, Ohio. A member of the University System of Ohio, it has been ranked by major institutional rankings among the best public ...

(TSN) *

Bern Brostek Bern Orion Brostek (born September 11, 1966) is a former American football offensive lineman in the National Football League for the Los Angeles/St. Louis Rams from 1990 to 1997. High school Brostek played high school football for Iolani School ...

Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...

(GNS) * Jeff Garnica, North Carolina (AP-3)

Offensive guards

Anthony Phillips Anthony Edwin Phillips (born 23 December 1951) is an English musician, songwriter, producer and singer who gained prominence as the original lead guitarist of the rock band Genesis, from 1967 to 1970. He left in July 1970 and learned to play mo ...

Oklahoma Oklahoma (; Choctaw language, Choctaw: ; chr, ᎣᎧᎳᎰᎹ, ''Okalahoma'' ) is a U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States, bordered by Texas on the south and west, Kansas on the nor ...

(AFCA, AP-1, FWAA, UPI-1, WC) *

Mike Utley Michael Gerard Utley (born December 20, 1965) is a former American football player. He played for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League from 1989 through 1991, when he was paralyzed during a game. Early life and college career A gr ...

Washington State Washington (), officially the State of Washington, is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. Named for George Washington—the first U.S. president—the state was formed from the western part of the Washington ...

(AFCA, AP-1, UPI-1, FWAA, SH) *

Mark Stepnoski Mark Matthew Stepnoski (born January 20, 1967) is an American former professional football player who was an offensive lineman in the National Football League (NFL). He attended Cathedral Preparatory School in Erie, Pennsylvania, and went on ...

, Pittsburgh (AFCA, AP-2; FWAA, WC, GNS, SH, TSN) *

Steve Wisniewski Steve Wisniewski (born April 7, 1967), nicknamed "the Wiz", is an American former professional football player who was an offensive guard for 13 seasons in the National Football League (NFL) with the Los Angeles/Oakland Raiders, and later serve ...

Penn State #Redirect Pennsylvania State University The Pennsylvania State University (Penn State or PSU) is a Public university, public Commonwealth System of Higher Education, state-related Land-grant university, land-grant research university with campu ...

(AFCA, GNS, TSN) * Rick Phillips, West Virginia (AP-2 T SH) *

Joe Wolf Joseph James Wolf (born December 17, 1964) is an American professional basketball coach and former player. Professional career He played in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was the 13th overall pick of the 1987 NBA Draft, selected ...

Boston College Boston College (BC) is a private Jesuit research university in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts. Founded in 1863, the university has more than 9,300 full-time undergraduates and nearly 5,000 graduate students. Although Boston College is classifie ...

(AP-2) *

Freddie Childress Fred Childress, also known as Freddie Childress (born September 17, 1966) is a former all-star offensive lineman in the Canadian Football League and the National Football League. He was nicknamed as "the Big Chill" for his 6 feet 4 inch and 345 p ...

, Arkansas (AP-3) * John Stroia, West Virginia (AP-3)

Offensive tackles

Tony Mandarich Ante Josip "Tony" Mandarich (born September 23, 1966) is a Canadian former American football offensive tackle who played in the National Football League (NFL) for seven seasons. He was selected second overall by the Green Bay Packers in the 1989 ...

, Michigan State (AFCA, AP-1, FWAA, UPI-1, WC, GNS, SH, TSN) *

Andy Heck Andrew Robert Heck (born January 1, 1967) is an American football coach and former player. He is the offensive line coach for the Kansas City Chiefs. He played tackle in the National Football League (NFL) for twelve seasons. He was drafted in the ...

, Notre Dame (AP-1, UPI-1, TSN) * Pat Tomberlin,

Florida State Florida State University (FSU) is a public university, public research university in Tallahassee, Florida. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida. Founded in 1851, it is located on the oldest continuous site of higher e ...

(AP-2, WC, SH) *

Tom Ricketts Thomas B. Ricketts (15 January 1853 – 19 January 1939) was an English-born American stage and film actor and director who was a pioneer in the film industry. He portrayed Ebenezer Scrooge in the first American film adaptation of ''A Christm ...

Pittsburgh Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Wester ...

(GNS) *

Kevin Haverdink Kevin Dean Haverdink (born October 20, 1965) is a former American football offensive tackle who played three seasons with the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League. He was drafted by the New Orleans Saints in the fifth round of the 19 ...

, Western Michigan (AP-3) * Jim Thompson, Auburn (AP-3)

Defense

Defensive ends

* Bill Hawkins, Miami (AFCA, WC, SH) *

Frank Stams Francis Michael Stams (born July 17, 1965) is a former American football defensive lineman who played at the University of Notre Dame. He played on the 1988 National Championship team. He would later play in the NFL, where he was converted to li ...

, Notre Dame (AP-1, UPI-1) *

Trace Armstrong Raymond Lester "Trace" Armstrong III (born October 5, 1965), is an American former professional football player who was a defensive end in the National Football League (NFL) for fifteen seasons from the late 1980s to the early 2000s. He played ...

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...

(GNS, TSN)

Defensive tackles

Mark Messner Mark W. Messner (born December 29, 1965) is a former American football player who played in the National Football League (NFL) as a linebacker for the Los Angeles Rams during the 1989 NFL season. He sustained a serious knee injury in the 1989-9 ...

, Michigan (AFCA, AP-1, FWAA, UPI-1, WC, GNS, SH, TSN) *

Tracy Rocker Tracy Quinton Rocker (born April 9, 1966) is an American football coach and former player who is the defensive line coach for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League (NFL). Rocker played college football at Auburn University ...

, Auburn (CFHOF) (AFCA, AP-1, FWAA, UPI-1, WC, GNS, SH, TSN) * Wayne Martin,

Arkansas Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the South Central United States. It is bordered by Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, and Texas and Oklahoma to the west. Its name is from the Osage ...

(AP-1, UPI-1, FWAA, TSN) * Tim Ryan, USC (FWAA) *

Dave Haight Dave Haight (April 11, 1966) is an American former college football player for the University of Iowa. He was the Big Ten’s Defensive Lineman of the Year as a junior in 1987 and was named a first team All-American the following year. Playing ...

, Iowa (WC) * Benji Roland, Auburn (TSN G

Linebackers

Broderick Thomas Broderick Lee Thomas (born February 20, 1967) is a former American football linebacker who played in the National Football League (NFL) for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Detroit Lions, the Minnesota Vikings, and the Dallas Cowboys. He played c ...

, Nebraska (AFCA, AP-1 E FWAA, UPI-1, WC, GNS, SH, TSN) *

Derrick Thomas Derrick Vincent Thomas (January 1, 1967 – February 8, 2000), nicknamed D.T., was an American football linebacker for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League (NFL). Considered one of the greatest pass rushers of all time, he p ...

, Alabama (CFHOF) (AFCA, AP-1, FWAA, UPI-1, WC, GNS, SH, TSN) * Michael Stonebreaker, Notre Dame (AP-1, FWAA, WC, GNS, SH) *

Keith DeLong Keith Allen DeLong (born August 14, 1967) is a former American football linebacker who played professionally in the National Football League (NFL) for the San Francisco 49ers from 1989 to 1993. He earned a Super Bowl ring in his rookie season, i ...

Tennessee Tennessee ( , ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked state in the Southeastern region of the United States. Tennessee is the 36th-largest by area and the 15th-most populous of the 50 states. It is bordered by Kentucky to th ...

(AP-1 UPI-1, GNS, TSN) *

Percy Snow Percy Lee Snow (born November 5, 1967) is a retired American football linebacker who played at Michigan State University and was a first-round draft pick of the Kansas City Chiefs. Snow was a consensus selection on the 1989 College Football All- ...

, Michigan State (TSN) *

Carnell Lake Carnell Augustino Lake (born July 15, 1967) is an American former professional football player and coach who is the defensive backs coach for the Tampa Bay Bandits of the United States Football League (USFL). He was a safety and cornerback in the ...

, UCLA (FWAA) * Britt Hager,

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...

(AFCA, SH) *

Jerry Olsavsky Jerome Donald Olsavsky (born March 29, 1967) is a former professional American football linebacker and coach in the National Football League (NFL). He played for the Pittsburgh Steelers, Baltimore Ravens and the Cincinnati Bengals. Playing ...

, Pittsburgh (AFCA)

Defensive backs

Deion Sanders Deion Luwynn Sanders Sr. (born August 9, 1967) is an American football coach and former player who is the head coach at the University of Colorado Boulder. Nicknamed "Prime Time", he played in the National Football League (NFL) for 14 seasons ...

, Florida State (CFHOF) (AFCA, AP-1, FWAA, UPI-1, WC, GNS, SH) *

Donnell Woolford Donnell Woolford (born January 6, 1966) is an American former professional American football, football player who was a cornerback in the National Football League (NFL), primarily with the Chicago Bears. He was selected by the Bears in the firs ...

, Clemson (AFCA, FWAA, UPI-1, WC, GNS, SH, TSN) *

Darryl Henley Darryl Keith Henley (born October 30, 1966) is a former American football cornerback in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Los Angeles Rams in the 1989 NFL draft out of UCLA. In his career, he played in 76 games and amassed 12 in ...

, UCLA (AFCA, UPI-1, WC, SH, TSN) *

Louis Oliver Louis Oliver, III (born March 9, 1966) is an American former college and professional football player who was a safety in the National Football League (NFL) for eight seasons during the 1980s and 1990s. Oliver played college football for the ...

, Florida (AFCA, AP-1, WC, SH) *

Markus Paul Markus Dwayne Paul (April 1, 1966November 25, 2020) was an American football safety in the National Football League (NFL) for the Chicago Bears and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He was selected by the Chicago Bears in the 1989 NFL Draft. He also was a ...

Syracuse Syracuse may refer to: Places Italy *Syracuse, Sicily, or spelled as ''Siracusa'' *Province of Syracuse United States *Syracuse, New York **East Syracuse, New York **North Syracuse, New York *Syracuse, Indiana * Syracuse, Kansas *Syracuse, Miss ...

(AP-1, FWAA, TSN) * Mark Carrier, USC (UPI-1) * Greg Jackson,

LSU Louisiana State University (officially Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, commonly referred to as LSU) is a public land-grant research university in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The university was founded in 1860 near ...

(GNS) *

Bubba McDowell Leonard "Bubba" McDowell (born November 4, 1966) is an American football coach and former player. He played professionally as a Safety (gridiron football position), safety for seven seasons in the National Football League (NFL) with the Houston O ...

, Miami (Fla) (GNS)

Special teams

Kickers

Kendall Trainor Kendall Trainor (born July 8, 1967) from Fredonia, Kansas is a former All-American placekicker for the University of Arkansas in 1988. He led the nation in field goals per game as a senior in 1988 under head coach Ken Hatfield. Trainor, in ad ...

, Arkansas (AFCA, AP-1, UPI-1, WC, SH, TSN) *

Chris Jacke Christopher Lee Jacke (born March 12, 1966) is a former professional American football placekicker best known for playing for the Green Bay Packers in the National Football League. Before his NFL career, Jacke played collegiately at the Univer ...

, UTEP (FWAA, GNS)

Punters

* Keith English,

Colorado Colorado (, other variants) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It encompasses most of the Southern Rocky Mountains, as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of t ...

(AP-1, UPI-1, WC, GNS, TSN) * Pat Thompson,

BYU Brigham Young University (BYU, sometimes referred to colloquially as The Y) is a private research university in Provo, Utah. It was founded in 1875 by religious leader Brigham Young and is sponsored by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day S ...

(AFCA, FWAA, SH)

Returners

Tyrone Thurman Tyrone Thurman (born December 31, 1966) is a former American football wide receiver. He played at the college level at Texas Tech, where he earned All-American honors as a kick returner and played for teams in both the Arena Football League and ...

Texas Tech Texas Tech University (Texas Tech, Tech, or TTU) is a public research university in Lubbock, Texas. Established on , and called Texas Technological College until 1969, it is the main institution of the five-institution Texas Tech University Sys ...

(AP-1) * James Henry, Southern Mississippi (TSN)

Key

Official selectors

Other selectors

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