Tim Tebow and Deion Sanders Lead Unforgettable AP Top-100 All-Americans—Can You Guess Who Made the Cut?

AP All-America second-team offense

Quarterback: Tim Tebow, FloridaKicker: Sebastian Janikowski, Florida StateLinebacker: Derrick Thomas, Alabama

Linebacker: Derrick Thomas, Alabama

Running back: Tony Dorsett, Pittsburgh

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• Linebacker: Brian Bosworth, Oklahoma
• Safety: Ed Reed, Miami
• Running back: Archie Griffin, Ohio State
• Guard: John Smith, Notre Dame
• Quarterback: Vince Young, Texas
• Cornerback: Champ Bailey, Georgia
• Linebacker: Jerry Robinson, UCLA
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• Defensive end: Bubba Smith, Michigan State
• Tackle: Jonathan Ogden, UCLA
• In the last 100 years of college football, no quarterback has been more dominant than Tim Tebow. The Florida star broke the game for three seasons, passing with deadly efficiency and pounding in at least a dozen rushing touchdowns each year.
• Guard: Jim Parker, Ohio State

On the defensive side, both Deion Sanders and Ed Reed headline a dominant secondary, which also features Charles Woodson. While the AP’s list skewed more recent, Dick Butkus, Randy White and Bronko Nagurski represent some of the older players named to the team. Nagurski was an All-American back in 1929.

• All Purpose: Tim Brown, Notre Dame
• Linebacker: Chris Spielman, Ohio State
• Linebacker: Dick Butkus, Illinois
• Wide receiver: DeVonta Smith, Alabama
• Defensive tackle: LeeRoy Selmon, Oklahoma
• Over the past century, college football has seen countless stars rise and fade, but none have quite shaken the landscape like Tim Tebow. The Florida phenom rewrote the quarterback playbook over three unforgettable seasons, slicing through defenses with pinpoint accuracy and bulldozing into the end zone with a dozen rushing touchdowns or more each year. His phenomenal impact wasn’t just on the stat sheets — it propelled him into the Heisman Trophy spotlight for three straight years, topping it off with a win in 2007, and led his Gators to not one, but two national championships. It’s no surprise that the Associated Press just crowned Tebow as the first-team quarterback on their all-time All-America roster, a century-spanning list voted on by a dozen top sports writers. The picks? A breathtaking lineup of legends, each immortalized for their college exploits alone, unapologetically ignoring any pro careers. Tebow’s edge over fellow great Vince Young — who snagged the second-team spot — underscores just how formidable his college legacy remains. Dive into the full roster of college football’s finest, from offense to defense, as we celebrate the titans who defined the game’s last 100 years. LEARN MORE
• Punter: Reggie Roby, Iowa
• Safety: Bennie Blades, Miami
• Cornerback: Deion Sanders, Florida State
• Guard: Brad Budde, USC
• Center: Dave Rimington, Nebraska
• Cornerback: Charles Woodson, Michigan

AdvertisementSafety: Ronnie Lott, USC

• AP All-America first-team defense
• Guard: John Hannah, Alabama
• Tackle: Bryant McKinnie, Miami
• Safety: Al Brosky, Illinois
• Defensive tackle: Warren Sapp, Miami
• Tight end: Keith Jackson, Oklahoma
• Defensive tackle: Ndamukong Suh, Nebraska
• Here’s how the rest of the team came together:
• Linebacker: Lawrence Taylor, North Carolina
• Defensive end: Bruce Smith, Virginia Tech
• Cornerback: Tyrann Mathieu, LSU
• The AP tabbed 12 writers to vote on the best All-Americans over the last century. Voters had a few rules to consider before casting their votes. Players needed to be an AP first-team All-American at least once over their college careers. A player’s professional career did not factor into the voting.
• Defensive end: Hugh Green, Pittsburgh

All Purpose: Johnny Rodgers, Nebraska

• Wide receiver: Desmond Howard, Michigan
• Though his days at Florida are long gone, Tebow is still getting accolades for his performance there. The Associated Press on Thursday named Tebow as its first-team quarterback on its list of the top-100 All-Americans from the past 100 years.
• Tight end: Brock Bowers, Georgia
• Punter: Tory Taylor, Iowa
• AP All-America second team defense
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• Running back: Herschel Walker, Georgia
• Wide receiver: Larry Fitzgerald, Pittsburgh
• Quarterback was, as you might expect, going to be a crowded position. Tebow ultimately won out over Texas great Vince Young, who was named to the AP’s second team on its all-century list.
• Center: Chuck Bednarik, Penn
• Wide receiver: Randy Moss, Marshall
• Ohio State, Miami and Pittsburgh are among the most represented schools to be featured across both teams. All three schools have four players on the all-time All-American list.

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