3 Georgia football legends voted all-time AP All-Americans

ATHENS — Georgia football all-time greats Herschel Walker, Brock Bowers and Champ Bailey have been recognized among the best of the best AP All-American football selections in history.

Georgia, Alabama and Oklahoma led the SEC with three players to make the AP all-time teams. The Bulldogs and Tide had two first-team selections, while all three of the Sooners’ all-time greats were on the second team.

Walker and Bowers were selected to the first-team offense, while Bailey was named among the top four Associated Press all-time All-Americans at cornerback, earning second-team honors.

Florida, LSU and Texas each had one former player listed among the first and second teams.

Walker and Bailey are College Football Hall of Fame inductees, while Bowers still is in the NFL and represents the only offensive position player from the past 17 years to earn Associated Press all-time All-American first-team honors.

Bowers, who keyed two College Football Playoff championship seasons, also is the only Kirby Smart-coached player — from Smart’s nine years as Georgia’s head coach and nine years on Alabama’s staff — to be named to the AP’s all-time team.

The AP panel of voters put the team together to mark the 100th anniversary of The Associated Press’ annual All-American college football team.

Walker’s first-team selection, alongside fellow first-team running back Barry Sanders, makes the case for him being the greatest college football player of all time.

An ESPN panel of voters in 2020 named Walker the second-greatest college football player of all time — behind Syracuse running back Jim Brown.

Brown, among the great NFL running backs of all-time, did not make the AP all-time All-American team, as two-time Heisman Trophy winner Archie Griffin (1974-75) and 1976 Heisman Trophy winner Tony Dorsett were voted ahead of him.

Walker, of course, carried Georgia to the 1980 national championship and was a three-time SEC Player of the Year and three-time All-American and won the 1982 Heisman Trophy before turning pro following his junior season.

Bailey was a two-way player who arguably was more productive in that role than 1997 Heisman Trophy winner and AP all-time All-American first-team selection Charles Woodson.

Bailey had 52 tackles, three interceptions and seven pass breakups in 1998 while piling up 1,138 all-purpose yards on offense. He made 47 catches for 744 yards and five touchdowns at receiver, with another 84 yards coming on 16 carries, while also returning 12 kicks for 261 yards and four punts for 49 yards.

In his 1997 national championship season, Woodson had 44 tackles, seven interceptions and nine pass break-ups on defense and 514 yards of total offense. Woodson also had 11 catches for 231 yards and two touchdowns as a receiver and returned 33 punts for 283 yards and a touchdown.

There were nearly 2,000 players to earn AP first-team All-American over the past 100 years — a prerequisite to make the all-time team — so many players could make a case for being on this prestigious team.

Associated Press all-time All-Americans

First-team offense

Wide receivers — Randy Moss, Marshall, 1997; Larry Fitzgerald, Pittsburgh, 2003.

Tackles — Orlando Pace, Ohio State, 1995-96; Bill Fralic, Pittsburgh, 1982-84.

Guards — John Hannah, Alabama, 1972; Jim Parker, Ohio State, 1956.

Center — Chuck Bednarik, Penn, 1947-48.

Tight end — Brock Bowers, Georgia, 2023.

Quarterback — Tim Tebow, Florida, 2007.

Running backs — Barry Sanders, Oklahoma State, 1988; Herschel Walker, Georgia, 1980-82.

Kicker — Sebastian Janikowski, Florida State, 1998-99.

All-purpose — Johnny Rodgers, Nebraska, 1972.

First-team defense

Ends — Hugh Green, Pittsburgh, 1978-80; Randy White, Maryland, 1974.

Tackles — Ndamukong Suh, Nebraska, 2009; Bronko Nagurski, Minnesota, 1929.

Linebackers — Dick Butkus, Illinois, 1964; Derrick Thomas, Alabama, 1988; Chris Spielman, Ohio State, 1986-87.

Cornerbacks — Charles Woodson, Michigan, 1996-97; Deion Sanders, Florida State, 1987-88.

Safeties — Ronnie Lott, Southern California, 1980; Ed Reed, Miami, 2000-01.

Punter — Tory Taylor, Iowa, 2023.

Second-team offense

Wide receivers — DeVonta Smith, Alabama, 2020; Desmond Howard, Michigan, 1991.

Tackles — Jonathan Ogden, UCLA, 1995; Bryant McKinnie, Miami, 2001.

Guards — Brad Budde, Southern California, 1979; John Smith, Notre Dame, 1927.

Center — Dave Rimington, Nebraska, 1981-82.

Tight end — Keith Jackson, Oklahoma, 1986-87.

Quarterback — Vince Young, Texas, 2005.

Running backs — Archie Griffin, Ohio State, 1974-75; Tony Dorsett, Pittsburgh, 1976.

Kicker — Martin Gramatica, Kansas State, 1997.

All-purpose — Tim Brown, Notre Dame, 1986-87.

Second-team defense

Ends — Bubba Smith, Michigan State, 1966; Bruce Smith, Virginia Tech, 1984.

Tackles — Lee Roy Selmon, Oklahoma, 1975; Warren Sapp, Miami, 1994.

Linebackers — Jerry Robinson, UCLA, 1976-78; Brian Bosworth, Oklahoma, 1985-86; Lawrence Taylor, North Carolina, 1980.