The 1931 College Football All-America team is composed of college football players who were selected as All-Americans by various organizations and writers that chose College Football All-America Teams in 1931. The seven selectors recognized by the NCAA as "official" for the 1931 season are (1) Collier's Weekly, as selected by Grantland Rice, (2) the Associated Press, (3) the United Press, (4) the All-America Board, (5) the International News Service (INS), (6) Liberty magazine, and (7) the Newspaper Enterprise Association (NEA).

Consensus All-Americans

Following the death of Walter Camp in 1925, there was a proliferation of All-American teams in the late 1920s. For the year 1931, the NCAA recognizes seven 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. The only unanimous All-America selections in 1931 were Tulane's Gerald "Jerry" Dalrymple and Notre Dame's Marchmont Schwartz.

Name Position School Number Selectors
Jerry Dalrymple End Tulane 7/7 AAB, AP, COL, INS, LIB, NEA, UP
Marchmont Schwartz Halfback Notre Dame 7/7 AAB, AP, COL, INS, LIB, NEA, UP
Biggie Munn Guard Minnesota 6/7 AAB, AP, COL, INS, NEA, UP
Pug Rentner Halfback Northwestern 6/7 AAB, AP, COL, INS, NEA, UP
Johnny Baker Guard USC 5/7 AAB, INS, LIB, NEA, UP
Barry Wood Quarterback Harvard 4/7 AP, COL, INS, NEA
Gaius Shaver Fullback USC 4/7 AAB, COL, LIB, UP
Jess Quatse Tackle Pittsburgh 3/7 AAB, COL, UP
Jack Riley Tackle Northwestern 3/7 AAB, LIB, NEA
Tommy Yarr Center Notre Dame 3/7 AAB, AP, INS
Vernon Smith End Georgia 2/7 AP, COL
Dallas Marvil Tackle Northwestern 2/7 AP, INS

Proliferation of All-American teams

Damon Runyon described the proliferation of All-American teams as a virulent plague.

In 1931, Damon Runyon wrote a column about the proliferation of "All-America" teams. He noted: "The 'All' boys are it, tooth and nail. They are 'All'-ing North, South East and West. They will wind up 'All'-Americaing, the most virulent form of the 'All' plague that besets us every Winter. The late Walter Camp little realized what he was bringing upon the country. ... At the moment, Mr. Camp probably had no idea that he was sowing the seed of a fearful pestilence."[1] Runyon noted that Camp's word was viewed as gospel, but with his passing "the rush to fill his shoes was prodigious," and the "'All' business became a national obsession."[1]

All-Americans of 1931

Ends

Tackles

Guards

Centers

Quarterbacks

Halfbacks

Fullbacks

Key

Bold – Consensus All-American[2]

Selectors recognized by NCAA in consensus determinations

Other selectors

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Runyon, Damon (December 3, 1931). "Runyon Makes One Selection for 'All' Eleven". Chester Times.
  2. ^ "Football Award Winners" (PDF). National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). 2016. p. 7. Retrieved October 21, 2017.
  3. ^ "Shaver, Baker Picked on the All-American". The Los Angeles Times. December 6, 1931. p. Sports 1 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ "Grid Experts Select Cast Of All-Stars". The Salt Lake Tribune. December 6, 1931. p. 20. Retrieved May 22, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ "The 1931 All-America Team". The Daily Inter Lake. Associated Press. December 5, 1931. p. 2. Retrieved May 22, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ "Collier's Announces Its 1931 All America". Lincoln Evening Journal. United Press. December 18, 1931. p. 18. Retrieved May 22, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ Frick, Ford (December 5, 1931). "Stecker and Hinkle Get Grid Honors". The Evening News. p. 10. Retrieved May 22, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ^ ESPN College Football Encyclopedia. ESPN Books. 2005. p. 1163. ISBN 1401337031.
  9. ^ MacPhail, Larry (December 14, 1931). "NEA Board Names All-America". The Anniston Star. Newspaper Enterprise Association. p. 8. Retrieved May 22, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. ^ McLemore, Henry (December 4, 1931). "All-American Eleven Picked By U.P. Critics". The San Bernardino County Sun. United Press. p. 18. Retrieved May 22, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. ^ "Second, Third Grid Teams on United Press All-Star Listing". The San Bernardino County Sun. United Press. December 4, 1931. p. 18. Retrieved May 22, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. ^ Bitt, Bill (December 9, 1931). "Real 1931 All-American Team Selected by College Captains". The Evening Independent (Massillon, Ohio).
  13. ^ "Walter Camp Football Foundation All-American Selections". Walter Camp Football Foundation. Archived from the original on December 18, 2007. Retrieved January 3, 2008.
  14. ^ "Mythical Team Nominated by Fans Announced". The Muscatine Journal and News-Tribune. December 11, 1931.
  15. ^ "All-America Selected by Coll. Humor". The Greeley Daily Tribune. Colorado. December 31, 1932.
  16. ^ Perry, Lawrence (December 5, 1931). "Gill Named on Perry's U.S. Star Eleven: Baker and Shaver Also Honored by Eastern Grid Expert". Oakland Tribune.