The 1947 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 1947. The eight selectors recognized by the NCAA as "official" for the 1947 season are (1), the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA), (2) the Associated Press (AP), (3) Collier's Weekly, as selected by Grantland Rice, (4) the Football Writers Association of America (FW), (5) the International News Service (INS), (6) the Newspaper Enterprise Association (NEA), (7) the Sporting News (SN), and (8) the United Press (UP). Other selectors include the Central Press Association (CP) and the Walter Camp Football Foundation (WC).
Notre Dame quarterback Johnny Lujack and Michigan halfback Bob Chappuis were the only two players unanimously named by all eight official selectors as first-team All-Americans. Lujack and Chappuis also finished first and second in the 1947 Heisman Trophy voting.
For the year 1947, the NCAA recognizes eight 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 chart also reflects the published point total from the UP poll (2,211 points possible).
More information Name, Position ...
Name |
Position |
School |
UP votes |
Number |
Official |
Other |
Johnny Lujack | Quarterback | Notre Dame | 2,086 | 8/8 | AFCA, AP, CO, FW, INS, NEA, SN, UP | CP, WC |
Bob Chappuis | Halfback | Michigan | 1,838 | 8/8 | AFCA, AP, CO, FW, INS, NEA, SN, UP | CP, WC |
Joe Steffy | Guard | Army | 1,465 | 7/8 | AFCA, CO, FW, INS, NEA, SN, UP | CP, WC |
Bob Davis | Tackle | Ga.Tech. | 739 | 7/8 | AFCA, AP, CO, FW, INS, NEA, SN | CP |
Doak Walker | Halfback | SMU | 1,367 | 6/8 | AFCA, AP, INS, NEA, SN, UP | CP, WC |
Bill Swiacki | End | Columbia | 1,041 | 6/8 | AFCA, AP, CO, INS, NEA, UP | WC |
Paul Cleary | End | USC | 899 | 6/8 | AP, CO, FW, INS, NEA, SN | CP |
Bill Fischer | Guard | Notre Dame | 909 | 5/8 | AP, FW, NEA, SN, UP | CP |
Chuck Bednarik | Center | Penn | 899 | 4/8 | AFCA, AP, INS, UP | WC |
George Connor | Tackle | Notre Dame | 1,831 | 4/8 | AFCA, CO, SN, UP | WC |
Bobby Layne | Quarterback | Texas | 1,200 | 3/8 | FW, SN, UP | CP |
Close
Ends
- Paul Cleary, USC (College Football Hall of Fame) (AP-1; CO; FW-1; INS-1; NEA-1; SN; UP-2; CP-1)
- Bill Swiacki, Columbia (AFCA; AP-1; CO; INS-1; NEA-1; UP-1; CP-2; WC-1)
- Barney Poole, Mississippi (College Football Hall of Fame) (AFCA; AP-3; FW-2; INS-3; NEA-2; SN; UP-1; CP-1; WC-1)
- Leon Hart, Notre Dame (College Football Hall of Fame) (FW-1)
- Bob Mann, Michigan (AP-2; UP-3; NEA-3; CP-3)
- Ike Owens, Illinois (AP-2; NEA-2; CP-3; INS-2; FW-3)
- Len Ford, Michigan (Pro Football Hall of Fame) (AP-3; UP-2; CP-2)
- Tom Fears, UCLA (College and Pro Football Hall of Fame) (UP-3; NEA-3; INS-2; FW-2)
- Barney Hafen, Utah (INS-3)
- Max Bumgardner, Texas (FW-3)
Tackles
- Bob Davis, Georgia Tech (AFCA; AP-1; CO; FW-1; INS-1; NEA-1; SN; UP-2; CP-1)
- George Connor, Notre Dame (College and Pro Football Hall of Fame) (AFCA; AP-3; CO; INS-3; NEA-2; SN; UP-1; CP-2; WC-1)
- John Ferraro, USC (College Football Hall of Fame) (AP-3; FW-2; INS-2; NEA-2; UP-1; CP-1; WC-1)
- Dick Harris, Texas (AP-1; CP-3; INS-3; FW-3)
- Zygmont Czarobski, Notre Dame (College Football Hall of Fame) (AP-2; UP-3; NEA-1; CP-3; INS-1; FW-2)
- Malachi Mills, VMI (AP-2)
- George Savitsky, Penn (UP-2; FW-1)
- Bruce Hilkene, Michigan (NEA-3)
- Goble Bryant, Army (CP-2; FW-3)
- Phil O'Reilly, Purdue (INS-2)
Guards
- William Fischer, Notre Dame (College Football Hall of Fame) (AP-1; FW-1; INS-2; NEA-1; SN; UP-1; CP-1)
- Joe Steffy, Army (College Football Hall of Fame) (AFCA; AP-3; CO; FW-1; INS-1; NEA-1; SN; UP-1; CP-1; WC-1)
- Steve Suhey, Penn State (College Football Hall of Fame) (AP-1; CO; INS-1; UP-3; NEA-2; CP-3)
- Leo Nomellini, Minnesota (College and Pro Football Hall of Fame) (AP-2; INS-2; NEA-2; UP-2; CP-2)
- Rod Franz, California (College Football Hall of Fame) (AFCA; AP-2; FW-2; INS-3; CP-2; WC-1)
- Knox Ramsey, William & Mary (UP-2; NEA-3 [tackle])
- Mike Dimitro, UCLA (AP-3; INS-3; FW-3)
- John Magee, Rice (NEA-3)
- Jon Baker, California (NEA-3)
- Howie Brown, Indiana (CP-3)
- Dominic Tomasi, Michigan (UP-3)
- Herb Siegert, Illinois (FW-2)
- Bill Healy, Georgia Tech (FW-3)
Quarterbacks
- Johnny Lujack, Notre Dame (College Football Hall of Fame) (AP-1; UP-1; AFCA; CO; NEA-1; CP-1; INS-1; SN; WC-1; FW-1)
- Bobby Layne, Texas (College and Pro Football Hall of Fame) (AP-3; FW-1; INS-2; NEA-2; SN; UP-1; CP-1)
- Charlie Conerly, Mississippi (College Football Hall of Fame) (AP-2; UP-2; NEA-1; CP-2; INS-1; FW-1)
Backs
- Bob Chappuis, Michigan (College Football Hall of Fame) (AP-1; UP-1; AFCA; CO; NEA-1; CP-1; INS-1; SN; WC-1; FW-1)
- Doak Walker, SMU (College and Pro Football Hall of Fame) (AP-1; UP-1; AFCA; NEA-1; CP-1; INS-1; SN; WC-1; FW-2)
- Ray Evans, Kansas (College Football Hall of Fame) (AP-1; CO; NEA-3; CP-3; INS-2; FW-3)
- Bump Elliott, Michigan (College Football Hall of Fame) (AP-2; UP-2; AFCA; NEA-3; CP-2; INS-3; FW-2)
- Skip Minisi, Penn (College Football Hall of Fame) (AP-3; UP-2; CO; NEA-3; CP-3; INS-3; WC-1; FW-2)
- Harry Gilmer, Alabama (College Football Hall of Fame) (AP-2; UP-2; NEA-2; CP-2; INS-2; FW-2)
- Charlie Justice, North Carolina (College Football Hall of Fame) (AP-2; UP-3; NEA-2; CP-3; INS-3)
- Clyde Scott, Arkansas (College Football Hall of Fame) (AP-3; CP-3; INS-3)
- Jack Cloud, William & Mary (College Football Hall of Fame) (AP-3)
- George Taliaferro, Indiana (College Football Hall of Fame) (NEA-2)
- Don Doll, USC (NEA-3; FW-3)
- Elwyn Rowan, Army (CP-2)
- Jake Leicht, Oregon (INS-2)
- Terry Brennan, Notre Dame (UP-3; FW-3)
- Harry Szulborski, Purdue (FW-3)
- Bold – Consensus All-American[1]
- -1 – First-team selection
- -2 – Second-team selection
- -3 – Third-team selection
"Football Award Winners" (PDF). National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). 2016. p. 8. Retrieved October 21, 2017.
Al Warren (December 17, 1947). "Patrolling the Sport Highway with Al Warren". The Ogden Standard-Examiner. Ogden, Utah.
"Midwest Places Three Backs On AP All-American Squad: Lujack, Evans and Chappuis On First Team". Wisconsin Rapids Daily Tribune. December 3, 1947.
"Collier's Grid Team Announced". The Times Recorder. Zanesville, OH. December 5, 1947.
Lawton Carver (December 4, 1947). "Johnny Lujack Unanimous INS All-American Grid Selection". The Daily Courier. Connellsville, PA.
Harry Grayson (November 1947). "Lujack Is Only Unanimous Choice For NEA's 1947 All-America". Middlesboro, Ky., Daily News.
ESPN College Football Encyclopedia. ESPN Books. 2005. p. 1208. ISBN 1401337031.
"Offensive Brilliance Pays Off On UP All-American: Midwestern Zone Leads With Four Players on Team". Journal. Western Nevada. November 27, 1947.
Walter L. Johns (December 1, 1947). "Midwest Gains Edge On CP All-American: Nation's Grid Captains Help Select Honor Eleven". The Era. Bradford, PA.