The Football Writers Association of America (FWAA) is an organization of college football media members in the United States founded in 1941.About Us. Football Writers Association of America official website. Retrieved 2011-09-18.
History and operations It is composed of approximately 1,200 professional sports writers from both print and Internet media outlets. The membership includes journalists, broadcasters and publicists, as well as key executives in all the areas that involve the game.
The FWAA works to govern areas that include game day operations, and strives for better working conditions for sports writers in college football press boxes, and deals with access issues to college athletes and coaches. The FWAA also sponsors scholarships for aspiring writers and an annual writing contest.
The FWAA is one of the organizations whose College Football All-America Team is recognized by the NCAA. The organization also selects the Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year, the Bronko Nagurski Trophy winner, the Outland Trophy winner, a freshman All-America team, and weekly defensive player of the week, as well as developing scholarship programs and surveys for better working conditions. From 1954 to 2013, the association awarded the Grantland Rice Trophy to the college football team they chose to be the National Champion.
All-America Committees The Football Writers Association of America All-America Committee selects the 25-man All-America Team and the winners of the Bronko Nagurski and Outland trophies. In the spring, the committee selects the FWAA All-America Watch List and the watch lists for both of the FWAA's major player awards. The FWAA has chosen an All-America Team annually since the 1944 season; it is the second longest continuously-published team in major college football.
2009 Committee
John Davis, Oxford (Miss.) Eagle Heather Dinich, ESPN.com Pete DiPrimio, Fort Wayne (Ind.) News-Sentinel Dennis Dodd, CBSSports.com Ryan Finley, Arizona Daily Star Pete Fiutak, College Football News Kevin Gorman, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
Anthony Hanshew, The Herald-Dispatch Dave Matter, Columbia (Mo.) Daily Tribune Mick McGrane, The San Diego Union-Tribune Rodney McKissic, The Buffalo News Adam Sparks, The Daily News Journal Phil Steele, Phil Steele Publications Jimmy Watson, Shreveport Times
2008 Committee
Bob Asmussen, Champaign News-Gazette Frank Coyle, draftinsiders.com Chadd Cripe, Idaho Statesman Dennis Dodd, CBSSports.com Joseph Duarte, Houston Chronicle Antonya English, St. Petersburg Times Maureen Fulton, Toledo Blade
Bob Holt, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette Tom Kensler, Denver Post Lenn Robbins, New York Post George Schroeder, Eugene Register-Guard Phil Steele, Phil Steele Publications Paul Strelow, The State Phil Stukenborg, The Commercial Appeal
2007 Committee
Mark Blaudschun, The Boston Globe Chip Brown, The Dallas Morning News Bob Clark, Eugene Register-Guard Buddy Davis, Ruston Daily Leader Dennis Dodd, CBSSports.com
Bob Holt, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette Steve Irvine, Birmingham News Michael Lewis, Salt Lake Tribune Matt Markey, Toledo Blade Brett McMurphy, Tampa Tribune
2006 Committee
Eric Bailey, Tulsa World Chad Cripe, Idaho Statesman Scott Ferrell, Shreveport Times Robert Gagliardi, Wyoming Tribune-Eagle Eric Hansen, South Bend Tribune
Andrew Logue, Des Moines Register Tom Luicci, Newark Star-Ledger Jeff Metcalfe, Arizona Republic George Schroeder, Daily Oklahoman Norm Wood, Daily Press
Armed Forces Merit Award The Armed Forces Merit Award was established by the FWAA in 2012 "to honor an individual and/or a group with a military background and/or involvement that has an impact within the realm of college football." The winners are as follows:
2012: Nate Boyer, LS, Texas 2013: Brandon McCoy, DE, North Texas 2014: Daniel Rodriguez, WR, Clemson 2015: Bret Robertson, SS, Westminster (MO) 2016: Steven Rhodes, DE, Middle Tennessee State 2017: Kansas State Wildcats football 2018: Christopher B. Howard, President, Robert Morris University 2019: Mike Viti, Coach, Army 2020: Collin O'Donnell, Bluefield 2021: Damian Jackson, LB, Nebraska 2022: Paris Johnson Jr. Foundation 2023: Tyler Huff, QB, Furman 2024: Jack Hawkins Jr., Chancellor, Troy University 2025: Levi Moell, RB, Dayton
Bert McGrane Award winners Presented to a member of the FWAA for "outstanding contribution to the organization".FWAA > Awards at www.sportswriters.net
1974: Charley Johnson, Minneapolis Star 1975: Wilfrid Smith, Chicago Tribune 1976: Paul Zimmerman, Los Angeles Times 1977: Dick Cullum, Minneapolis Tribune 1978: Wilbur Evans, Cotton Bowl Athletic Association 1979: Tom Siler, Knoxville News-Sentinel 1980: Maury White, Des Moines Register 1981: Fred Russell, Nashville Banner 1982: Furman Bisher, Atlanta Journal 1983: John Mooney, Salt Lake Tribune 1984: Si Burick, Dayton News 1985: Blackie Sherrod, The Dallas Morning News 1986: Raymond Johnson, Nashville Tennessean 1987: Tim Cohane, Look 1988: Dave Campbell, Waco Tribune-Herald 1989: Jim Brock, Cotton Bowl Athletic Association 1990: Jack Hairston, Gainesville Sun 1991: Murray Olderman, Newspaper Enterprise Association 1992: Volney Meece, The Daily Oklahoman 1993: Bob Hentzen, The Topeka Capital-Journal 1994: Edgar Allen, Nashville Journal 1995: Dick Herbert, Raleigh News & Observer 1996: Bob Hammel, Bloomington Herald-Times 1997: Bill Lumpkin, Birmingham Post-Herald 1998: Don Bryant, University of Nebraska–Lincoln 1999: Field Scovell, Cotton Bowl Athletic Association 2000: Jimmie McDowell, All-American Football Foundation 2001: Edwin Pope, Miami Herald 2002: Orville Henry, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette 2003: Dan Foster, The Greenville News 2004: Pat Harmon, Cincinnati Post 2005: Steve Richardson, FWAA 2006: John Junker, Tostitos Fiesta Bowl 2007: Mark Blaudschun, The Boston Globe 2008: Claude Felton, University of Georgia 2009: Tony Barnhart, Atlanta Journal-Constitution 2010: Tom Mickle, Florida Citrus Sports 2011: Beano Cook, ESPN/University of Pittsburgh 2012: Dave Sittler, Tulsa World 2013: Dick Weiss, New York Daily News 2014: Tim Tessalone, University of Southern California 2015: Steve Hatchell, National Football Foundation 2016: Ivan Maisel, ESPN.com 2017: Charlie Fiss, Cotton Bowl Athletic Association 2018: Steve Wieberg, USA Today (1982–2012) 2019: Blair Kerkhoff, The Kansas City Star 2020: Wally Hall, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette 2021: John Heisler, University of Notre Dame 2022: Dennis Dodd, CBS Sports 2023: Chris Dufresne, Los Angeles Times 2024: Kirk Bohls, Austin American-Statesman
All-Time Teams Selected by the Football Writers Association of America for the centennial year of college football in 1969. An Early Era team was chosen that featured Jim Thorpe, a modern team (1919–68) and a Quarter-Century team that was chosen in 1993, 25 years after the college football centennial celebration.
1969–1994 All-America Team
Offense C – Dave Rimington, Nebraska G – John Hannah, Alabama G – Dean Steinkuhler, Nebraska T – Bill Fralic, Pittsburgh T – Jerry Sisemore, Texas TE – Keith Jackson, Oklahoma WR – Anthony Carter, Michigan WR – Jerry Rice, Mississippi Valley State QB – John Elway, Stanford RB – Tony Dorsett, Pittsburgh RB – Herschel Walker, Georgia K – Tony Franklin, Texas A&M KR – Johnny Rodgers, Nebraska
Defense DE – Lee Roy Selmon, Oklahoma DE – Jack Youngblood, Florida DT – Steve Emtman, Washington DT – Randy White, Maryland LB – Hugh Green, Pittsburgh LB – Lawrence Taylor, North Carolina MLB – Mike Singletary, Baylor DB – Deion Sanders, Florida State DB – Ronnie Lott, USC DB – Jack Tatum, Ohio State DB – Kenny Easley, UCLA P – Ray Guy, Southern Miss
1919–1968 Modern Era All-America Team E – Bennie Oosterbaan, Michigan E – Don Hutson, Alabama L – Bronko Nagurski, Minnesota L – Bruiser Kinard, Ole Miss L – Jim Parker, Ohio State L – Bob Suffridge, Tennessee C – Mel Hein, Washington State B – Sammy Baugh, TCU B – Jay Berwanger, Chicago B – Ernie Nevers, Stanford B – Red Grange, Illinois
1869–1918 Early Era All-America Team E – Frank Hinkey, Yale E – Huntington Hardwick, Harvard T – Josh Cody, Vanderbilt T – Wilbur Henry, Washington & Jefferson G – Pudge Heffelfinger, Yale G – Truxtun Hare, Penn C – Germany Schulz, Michigan B – Jim Thorpe, Carlisle B – Elmer Oliphant, Purdue B – Willie Heston, Michigan B – Walter Eckersall, Chicago
75th-Anniversary All-America Team To celebrate the 75th anniversary of its formation in 2015, the Football Writers Association of America selected a 75th Anniversary All-America Team.
First Team Offense QB – Roger Staubach, Navy RB – Archie Griffin, Ohio State RB – Herschel Walker, Georgia WR – Larry Fitzgerald, Pittsburgh WR – Jerry Rice, Mississippi Valley State TE – Keith Jackson, Oklahoma OL – John Hannah, Alabama OL – Orlando Pace, Ohio State OL – Will Shields, Nebraska OL – Ron Yary, USC C – Dave Rimington, Nebraska
Defense DT – Lee Roy Selmon, Oklahoma DT – Ndamukong Suh, Nebraska DE – Leon Hart, Notre Dame DE – Ted Hendricks, Miami LB – Tommy Nobis, Texas LB – Mike Singletary, Baylor LB – Derrick Thomas, Alabama DB – Ronnie Lott, USC DB – Deion Sanders, Florida State DB – Jack Tatum, Ohio State DB – Charles Woodson, Michigan
Specialists P – Ray Guy, Southern Miss K – Kevin Butler, Georgia RS – Johnny Rodgers, Nebraska
Second Team Offense QB – Tim Tebow, Florida RB – Tony Dorsett, Pittsburgh RB – Barry Sanders, Oklahoma State WR – Fred Biletnikoff, Florida State WR – Randy Moss, Marshall TE – Mike Ditka, Pittsburgh OL – Bill Fralic, Pittsburgh OL – John Hicks, Ohio State OL – Calvin Jones, Iowa OL – Jonathan Ogden, UCLA C – Chuck Bednarik, Penn
Defense DT – Merlin Olsen, Utah State DT – Randy White, Maryland DE – Hugh Green, Pittsburgh DE – Bruce Smith, Virginia Tech LB – Brian Bosworth, Oklahoma LB – Dick Butkus, Illinois LB – Luke Kuechly, Boston College DB – Champ Bailey, Georgia DB – Kenny Easley, UCLA DB – Jerry Gray, Texas DB – Ed Reed, Miami
Specialists P – Russell Erxleben, Texas K – Mason Crosby, Colorado RS – Raghib Ismail, Notre Dame
Third Team Offense QB – Tommie Frazier, Nebraska RB – Bo Jackson, Auburn RB – Doak Walker, SMU WR – Anthony Carter, Michigan WR – Calvin Johnson, Georgia Tech TE – Gordon Hudson, BYU OL – Barrett Jones, Alabama OL – Willie Roaf, Louisiana Tech OL – Jerry Sisemore, Texas OL – Dean Steinkuhler, Nebraska C – Jim Ritcher, N.C. State
Defense DT – Steve Emtman, Washington DT – Reggie White, Tennessee DE – Bubba Smith, Michigan State DE – Jack Youngblood, Florida LB – Jack Ham, Penn State LB – Lee Roy Jordan, Alabama LB – Chris Spielman, Ohio State DB – Dré Bly, North Carolina DB – Dave Brown, Michigan DB – Troy Polamalu, USC DB – Roy Williams, Oklahoma
Specialists P – Rohn Stark, Florida State K – Tony Franklin, Texas A&M RS – Derek Abney, Kentucky
Awards sponsored See footnoteFootball Writers Annual Awards. Football Writers Association of America official website. Retrieved 2011-09-18. Currently the FWAA sponsors seven awards and those are affiliated with the National College Football Awards Association (NCFAA). All-America and Freshman All-America Teams Bronko Nagurski Trophy Outland Trophy Grantland Rice Trophy Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year FedEx Orange Bowl Courage Award Tostitos Fiesta Bowl National Team of the Week
Poll
Beginning in 2014, 26 members of the FWAA will vote in a new poll in partnership with the National Football Foundation. It is called the FWAA-NFF Grantland Rice Super 16 Poll.
See also
Pro Football Writers Association National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association Baseball Writers' Association of America United States Basketball Writers Association (college) Pro Basketball Writers Association Professional Hockey Writers Association National Sports Media Association
Notes
External links