1986 College Football All-America Team

The 1986 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 1986. The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) recognizes five selectors as "official" for the 1986 season.^[1] They are: (1) the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA);^[2] (2) the Associated Press (AP) selected based on the votes of sports writers at AP newspapers;^[3] (3) the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA);^[4] (4) the United Press International (UPI) selected based on the votes of sports writers at UPI newspapers;^[5] and (5) the Walter Camp Football Foundation (WC).^[6] Other notable selectors included Football News (FN),^[7] Gannett News Service (GNS),^[8] the Newspaper Enterprise Association (NEA),^[9] Scripps Howard (SH),^[10] and The Sporting News (TSN).^[11]

Consensus All-Americans

The following charts identify the NCAA-recognized consensus All-Americans for the year 1986 and displays which first-team designations they received.

Offense

Name	Position	School	Number^[12]	Official	Other
Vinny Testaverde	Quarterback	Miami (Fla)	5/5/10	AFCA, AP, FWAA, UPI, WC	FN, GNS, NEA, SH, TSN
Brent Fullwood	Running back	Auburn	5/5/10	AFCA, AP, FWAA, UPI, WC	FN, GNS, NEA, SH, TSN
Paul Palmer	Running back	Temple	5/5/10	AFCA, AP, FWAA, UPI, WC	FN, GNS, NEA, SH, TSN
Ben Tamburello	Center	Auburn	5/4/9	AFCA, AP, FWAA, UPI, WC	FN, NEA, SH, TSN
Jeff Bregel	Offensive guard	USC	4/5/9	AFCA, AP, UPI, WC	FN, GNS, NEA, SH, TSN
Cris Carter	Wide receiver	Ohio State	4/4/8	AFCA, AP, UPI, WC	FN, GNS, NEA, SH
Keith Jackson	Tight end	Oklahoma	5/2/7	AFCA, AP, FWAA, UPI, WC	SH, TSN
Randy Dixon	Offensive tackle	Pittsburgh	3/2/5	AFCA, UPI, WC	FN, TSN
John Clay	Offensive tackle	Missouri	2/3/5	UPI, WC	GNS, NEA, SH
Danny Villa	Offensive tackle	Arizona State	2/0/2	AF, FWAA	--
D. J. Dozier	Running back	Penn State	1/0/1	WC	--
Terrence Flagler	Running back	Clemson	1/0/1	FWAA	--
Brad Muster	Running back	Stanford	1/0/1	AFCA	--

Defense

Name	Position	School	Number^[12]	Official	Other
Cornelius Bennett	Linebacker	Alabama	5/5/10	AFCA, AP, FWAA, UPI, WC	FN, GNS, NEA, SH, TSN
Brian Bosworth	Linebacker	Oklahoma	5/5/10	AFCA, AP, FWAA, UPI, WC	FN, GNS, NEA, SH, TSN
Thomas Everett	Defensive back	Baylor	5/5/10	AFCA, AP, FWAA, UPI, WC	FN, GNS, NEA, SH, TSN
Jerome Brown	Defensive tackle	Miami (Fla)	5/4/9	AFCA, AP, FWAA, UPI, WC	FN, NEA, SH, TSN
Shane Conlan	Linebacker	Penn State	5/4/9	AFCA, AP, FWAA, UPI, WC	FN, GNS, NEA, SH
Danny Noonan	Defensive tackle	Nebraska	5/4/9	AFCA, AP, FWAA, UPI, WC	FN, GNS, NEA, SH
Chris Spielman	Linebacker	Ohio State	3/5/8	AFCA, AP, FWAA	FN, GNS, NEA, SH, TSN
Tim McDonald	Defensive back	USC	4/2/6	AFCA, FWAA, UPI, WC	FN, SH
Jason Buck	Defensive end	BYU	2/4/6	AFCA, FWAA	GNS, NEA, SH, TSN
Rod Woodson	Defensive back	Purdue	2/4/6	AP, UPI	GNS, NEA, SH, TSN
Reggie Rogers	Defensive end	Washington	2/3/5	UPI, WC	FN, NEA, SH
Bennie Blades	Defensive back	Miami (Fla)	2/2/4	AP, UPI, WC	SH, TSN
Garland Rivers	Defensive back	Michigan	2/1/3	AFCA, WC	NEA
Tony Woods	Defensive end	Pittsburgh	2/1/3	FWAA, UPI	TSN

Special teams

Name	Position	School	Number^[12]	Official	Other
Jeff Jaeger	Placekicker	Washington	3/1/4	AP, UPI, WC	FN
Barry Helton	Punter	Colorado	2/2/4	AP, UPI	GNS, TSN

Full selections - offense

Quarterbacks

Vinny Testaverde, Miami (FL) (CFHOF) (AFCA, AP-1, FWAA, UPI-1, WC, FN-1, GNS-1, NEA-1, SH, TSN)
Jim Harbaugh, Michigan (AP-2, UPI-2, FN-1, NEA-2)
Kevin Murray, Texas A&M (AP-3, FN-2)
Kevin Sweeney, Fresno State (GNS-2, NEA-2)
Jamelle Holieway, Oklahoma (FN-3)
Chris Miller, Oregon (GNS-3)

Running backs

Brent Fullwood, Auburn (AFCA, AP-1, FWAA, UPI-1, WC, FN-1, GNS-1, NEA-1, SH, TSN)
Paul Palmer, Temple (CFHOF) (AFCA, AP-1, FWAA, UPI-1, WC, FN-1, GNS-1, NEA-1, SH, TSN)
Terrence Flagler, Clemson (AP-3, FWAA, FN-3, GNS-2)
Brad Muster, Stanford (AFCA, UPI-2, FN-2)
D. J. Dozier, Penn State (UPI-2, WC, FN-2, GNS-3, NEA-2)
Steve Bartalo, Colorado St. (AP-2, NEA-2)
Bobby Humphrey, Alabama (AP-2, FN-2)
Reggie Taylor, Cincinnati (GNS-2)
Gaston Green, UCLA (AP-3, FN-3)
Thurman Thomas, Oklahoma State (CFHOF) (FN-3)
Troy Stradford, Boston College (GNS-3)

Wide receivers

Cris Carter, Ohio State (AFCA, AP-1, UPI-1, WC, FN-1, GNS-1, NEA-1, SH)
Tim Brown, Notre Dame (CFHOF) (AP-1, UPI-1, FN-1, GNS-1, NEA-2, SH, TSN)
Wendell Davis, LSU (AP-2, FWAA, UPI-2, FN-2, GNS-3, NEA-2, TSN)
Michael Irvin, Miami (FL) (AP-2, UPI-2, GNS-3, NEA-1)
Sterling Sharpe, South Carolina (CFHOF) (AP-3, FN-2)
Ron Morris, SMU (GNS-2)
Haywood Jeffires, North Carolina State (GNS-2)
Marc Zeno, Tulane (AP-3)
J. R. Ambrose, Ole Miss (FN-3)
Naz Worthen, North Carolina State (FN-3)

Tight ends

Keith Jackson, Oklahoma (CFHOF) (AFCA, AP-1, FWAA, UPI-1, WC, GNS-2, NEA-2, SH, TSN)
Rod Bernstine, Texas A&M (AP-2, UPI-2, GNS-1, NEA-1)
Rob Awalt, San Diego St. (AP-3)
Jim Riggs, Clemson (GNS-3)

Centers

Ben Tamburello, Auburn (AFCA, AP-1, FWAA, UPI-1, WC, FN-1, GNS-2, NEA-1, SH, TSN)
Gregg Rakoczy, Miami (FL) (AP-2, GNS-1, NEA-2)
John Davis, Georgia Tech (UPI-2, SH)
Joe Tofflemire, Arizona (FN-2)
Eric Coyle, Colorado (AP-3, GNS-3)
Bob Maggs, Ohio State (FN-3)

Offensive guards

Jeff Bregel, USC (AFCA, AP-1, UPI-1, WC, FN-1, GNS-1, NEA-1, SH, TSN)
Jeff Zimmerman, Florida (WC, FN-2 [OT], SH)
Paul Kiser, Wake Forest (FWAA, GNS-2, NEA-2, TSN)
Chris Conlin, Penn State (AP-2 [OT], FWAA)
Mark Hutson, Oklahoma (AP-1, UPI-2)
Randall McDaniel, Arizona State (CFHOF) (AFCA)
John Phillips, Clemson (UPI-1, FN-2)
Steve Trapilo, Boston College (AP-2, UPI-2, GNS-1, NEA-1)
Anthony Phillips, Oklahoma (FN-1, GNS-3, NEA-2)
Fred Childress, Arkansas (AP-2)
Harry Galbreath, Tennessee (FN-2)
Bruce Blackmar, Texas (GNS-2)
Doug Aronson, San Diego St. (AP-3)
Todd Peat, Northern Illinois (AP-3)
Eric Andolsek, LSU (FN-3)
Mark Stepnoski, Pittsburgh (FN-3)

Offensive tackles

John Clay, Missouri (AP-2, UPI-1, WC, FN-2, GNS-1, NEA-1, SH)
Randy Dixon, Pittsburgh (AFCA, AP-3, UPI-1, WC, FN-1, GNS-2, NEA-2, TSN)
Danny Villa, Arizona State (AP-1, FWAA, GNS-3, NEA-2)
Harris Barton, North Carolina (CFHOF) (AP-1, FN-3, GNS-1, NEA-1)
Jumbo Elliot, Michigan (CFHOF) (AFCA, AP-3, UPI-2)
Dave Croston, Iowa (FWAA, UPI-2, GNS-2, TSN)
Wilbur Strozier, Georgia (FN-1, GNS-3)
Tom Welter, Nebraska (FN-3)
Bruce Wilkerson, Tennessee (GNS-3)

Full selections - defense

Defensive ends

Jason Buck, BYU (AFCA, FWAA, UPI-2, FN-2, GNS-1 [DT], NEA-1, SH, TSN)
Reggie Rogers, Washington (AP-2, UPI-1, WC, FN-1, GNS-2, NEA-1, SH)
Tony Woods, Pittsburgh (AP-2, FWAA, UPI-1, FN-2, GNS-2, NEA-2, TSN)
Danny Stubbs, Miami (FL) (AP-2, UPI-2, GNS-2)
Scott Stephen, Arizona State (FN-2, GNS-2 [LB])
Darrell Reed, Oklahoma (AP-3)

Defensive tackles

Jerome Brown, Miami (FL) (AFCA, AP-1, FWAA, UPI-1, WC, FN-1, GNS-3, NEA-1, SH, TSN)
Danny Noonan, Nebraska (AFCA, AP-1, FWAA, UPI-1, WC, FN-1, GNS-1 [NT], NEA-1, SH)
Tim Johnson, Penn State (AP-2, WC)
Al Noga, Hawaii (AP-1)
Jerry Ball, SMU (UPI-2, FN-2, GNS-1, NEA-2)
Shawn Knight, BYU (AP-3, GNS-1)
Tony Cherico, Arkansas (AP-2 [NG], FN-3)
Wally Kleine, Notre Dame (FN-2)
Curt Jarvis, Alabama (GNS-2)
John Bosa, Boston College (AP-3, UPI-2)
Henry Thomas, LSU (AP-3 [NG], FN-3, NEA-2)
Mark Messner, Michigan (CFHOF) (FN-3)
Dick Chapura, Missouri (GNS-3)
Tracy Rocker, Auburn (CFHOF) (GNS-3, NEA-2)
Gerald Nichols, Florida State (GNS-3)

Linebackers

Cornelius Bennett, Alabama (CFHOF) (AFCA, AP-1, FWAA, UPI-1, WC, FN-1, GNS-1, NEA-1, SH, TSN)
Brian Bosworth, Oklahoma (CFHOF) (AFCA, AP-1, FWAA, UPI-1, WC, FN-1, GNS-1, NEA-1, SH, TSN)
Shane Conlan, Penn State (CFHOF) (AFCA, AP-1, FWAA, UPI-1, WC, FN-1, GNS-1, NEA-1, SH)
Chris Spielman, Ohio State (CFHOF) (AFCA, AP-1, FWAA, UPI-2, FN-1, GNS-1, NEA-1, SH, TSN)
Terry Maki, Air Force (AFCA, AP-3, UPI-2, FN-2, NEA-2)
Dave Wyman, Stanford (GNS-2, NEA-2, TSN)
Johnny Holland, Texas A&M (AP-3, UPI-2, FN-1, GNS-3, NEA-2)
Marcus Cotton, USC (AP-2, FN-3, GNS-2)
Byron Evans, Arizona (AP-2, FN-2)
Mike Junkin, Duke (AP-2, GNS-2, NEA-2)
Ken Norton Jr., UCLA (FN-2)
Van Waiters, Indiana (AP-3)
Cedric Figaro, Notre Dame (FN-3)
Shane Bullough, Michigan State (FN-3)
Brad Hastings, Texas Tech (FN-3)
Tyronne Stowe, Rutgers (FN-3)
Bill Romanowski, Boston College (GNS-3)
David Brandon, Memphis State (GNS-3)
Paul McGowan, Florida State (GNS-3)

Defensive backs

Thomas Everett, Baylor (CFHOF) (AFCA, AP-1, FWAA, UPI-1, WC, FN-1, GNS-1, NEA-1, SH, TSN)
Tim McDonald, USC (AFCA, AP-2, FWAA, UPI-1, WC, FN-1, SH)
Rod Woodson, Purdue (CFHOF) (AP-1, UPI-1, FN-2, GNS-1, NEA-1, SH, TSN [RS])
Bennie Blades, Miami (FL) (CFHOF) (AP-1, UPI-1, GNS-2, SH, TSN)
Garland Rivers, Michigan (AFCA, WC, FN-3, NEA-1)
Gordon Lockbaum, Holy Cross (FWAA)
John Little, Georgia (AP-2, WC, FN-1, NEA-2)
Mark Moore, Oklahoma State (AP-1, UPI-2, FN-2, NEA-2)
Deion Sanders, Florida State (CFHOF) (AP-3, GNS-2, NEA-1, TSN)
Tim Peoples, Washington (TSN)
Jarvis Williams, Florida (GNS-1)
Ray Isom, Penn State (AP-2)
David Vickers, Oklahoma (AP-2)
Tom Rotello, Air Force (AP-3, UPI-2, FN-2)
Ron Francis, Baylor (AP-3, UPI-2)
Adrian White, Florida (UPI-2)
Roland Mitchell, Texas Tech (GNS-2)
Lou Brock Jr., USC (GNS-3, NEA-2)
Toi Cook, Stanford (NEA-2)
Harold McGuire, Toledo (AP-3)
Freddie Robinson, Alabama (FN-3)
Chuck Cecil, Arizona (CFHOF) (FN-3)
Sonny Gordon, Ohio State (GNS-3)
Stephen Braggs, Texas (GNS-3)

Full selections - special teams

Kickers

Jeff Jaeger, Washington (AP-1, UPI-1, WC, FN-1, GNS-2, NEA-2)
Jeff Ward, Texas (AFCA, NEA-1)
Marty Zendejas, Nevada-Reno (FWAA)
Van Tiffin, Alabama (GNS-3, SH)
Chris Kinzer, Virginia Tech (AP-2, UPI-2, FN-2, TSN)
John Diettrich, Ball State (AP-3, FN-3, GNS-1)

Punters

Barry Helton, Colorado (AP-1, UPI-1, FN-3, GNS-1, TSN)
Greg Montgomery, Michigan State (FWAA, FN-2, SH)
Bill Smith, Mississippi (AP-2, WC)
Greg Horne, Arkansas (AFCA, AP-3, UPI-2, FN-1, GNS-3)
Mark Simon, Air Force (GNS-2)

Returners

Rod Woodson, Purdue (CFHOF) (TSN)

Key

Bold – Consensus All-American^[1]
-1 – First-team selection
-2 – Second-team selection
-3 – Third-team selection
CFHOF = College Football Hall of Fame inductee

Official selectors

AFCA – American Football Coaches Association (AFCA), selected by the members of the AFCA for the Kodak All-America team^[2]
AP – Associated Press^[3]
FWAA – Football Writers Association of America^[4]
UPI – United Press International^[5]
WC – Walter Camp Football Foundation, selected by the nation's college coaches and sports information directors^[6]

Other selectors

FN – Football News^[7]
GNS – Gannett News Service^[8]
NEA – Newspaper Enterprise Association, the NEA/World Almanac team^[9]
TSN – The Sporting News^[11]
SH – Scripps Howard^[10]

References

^ ^a ^b "Football Award Winners" (PDF). National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). 2016. pp. 3, 13. Retrieved March 18, 2017.
^ ^a ^b "Testaverde leads Kodak star squad". The Palm Beach Post. November 23, 1986. p. 4C.
^ ^a ^b "AP All-America Football Team". Florida Today. December 5, 1986. p. 5C.
^ ^a ^b Ted Gangi (ed.). "FWAA All-America Since 1944: The All-Time Team" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on March 4, 2019. Retrieved May 18, 2016.
^ ^a ^b "UPI All-American Team". The Indianapolis Star. December 9, 1986. p. 14.
^ ^a ^b "Walter Camp All-America Team". The Arizona Republic. November 30, 1986. p. D3.
^ ^a ^b "All-America News: Football News". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. November 23, 1986. p. 14D.
^ ^a ^b "Gannette (sic) News Service All-Americans". Iowa City Press-Citizen. December 2, 1986. p. 2b – via Newspapers.com.
^ ^a ^b Murray Olderman (December 2, 1986). "Miami Trio Leads '86 All-Americans". The Daily Review (Morgan City, LA). p. 10 – via Newspapers.com.
^ ^a ^b "Scripps Howard All-America Team". The Knoxville News-Sentinel (TN). November 21, 1986 – via Newspapers.com.
^ ^a ^b "TSN All-America". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. December 10, 1986. p. 20.
^ ^a ^b ^c This column lists the number of selectors choosing the player as a first-team All-American as follows: official selectors/other selectors/total selectors.

[CAA-1] "Football Award Winners" (PDF). National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). 2016. pp. 3, 13. Retrieved March 18, 2017.

[AFCA-2] "Testaverde leads Kodak star squad". The Palm Beach Post. November 23, 1986. p. 4C.

[AP-3] "AP All-America Football Team". Florida Today. December 5, 1986. p. 5C.

[FW-4] Ted Gangi (ed.). "FWAA All-America Since 1944: The All-Time Team" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on March 4, 2019. Retrieved May 18, 2016.

[UPI-5] "UPI All-American Team". The Indianapolis Star. December 9, 1986. p. 14.

[WC-6] "Walter Camp All-America Team". The Arizona Republic. November 30, 1986. p. D3.

[FN-7] "All-America News: Football News". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. November 23, 1986. p. 14D.

[GNS-8] "Gannette (sic) News Service All-Americans". Iowa City Press-Citizen. December 2, 1986. p. 2b – via Newspapers.com.

[NEA-9] Murray Olderman (December 2, 1986). "Miami Trio Leads '86 All-Americans". The Daily Review (Morgan City, LA). p. 10 – via Newspapers.com.

[SH-10] "Scripps Howard All-America Team". The Knoxville News-Sentinel (TN). November 21, 1986 – via Newspapers.com.

[TSN-11] "TSN All-America". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. December 10, 1986. p. 20.

[Key-12] This column lists the number of selectors choosing the player as a first-team All-American as follows: official selectors/other selectors/total selectors.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

[9]

[10]

[11]

[12]