The 1949 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 1949. The eight selectors recognized by the NCAA as "official" for the 1949 season are (1) the Associated Press, (2) the United Press, (3) the All-America Board, (4) the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA), (5) the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA), (6) the International News Service (INS), (7) the Newspaper Enterprise Association (NEA), and (8) the Sporting News.
Consensus All-Americans
For the year 1949, 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.
All-American selections for 1949
Ends
Leon Hart, Notre Dame (College Football Hall of Fame) James "Froggy" Williams, Rice (College Football Hall of Fame) Art Weiner, North Carolina (College Football Hall of Fame) Dan Foldberg, Army Jim Owens, Oklahoma (College Football Hall of Fame) Ken Rose, Stanford Kenny Powell, North Carolina J. D. Isom, Baylor Bud Sherrod, Tennessee Bud Grant, Minnesota (Pro Football Hall of Fame) Red Wilson, Wisconsin Tom Rowe, Dartmouth
Tackles
Leo Nomellini, Minnesota (College and Pro Football Hall of Fame) Alvin Wistert, Michigan (College Football Hall of Fame) Wade Walker, Oklahoma James Martin (College Football Hall of Fame), Notre Dame Robert Wahl, Michigan Bob Gain, Kentucky (College Football Hall of Fame) Hollie Donan, Princeton (College Football Hall of Fame) Jim Turner, California Thurman "Fum" McGraw, Colorado A&M (College Football of Fame) John Sandusky, Villanova Ray Krouse, Maryland Louis Allen, Duke
Guards
Rod Franz, California (College Football Hall of Fame) Ed Bagdon, Michigan State Bernie Barkouskie, Pittsburgh Stanley West, Oklahoma Vern Sterling, Santa Clara Bull Schweder, Penn Bud McFadin, Texas (College Football Hall of Fame) Don Mason, Michigan State George Toneff, Ohio State Jack Lininger, Ohio State
Centers
Clayton Tonnemaker, Minnesota (College Football Hall of Fame) Joe Watson, Rice Tom Novak, Nebraska Jim Castagnoli, Stanford Bob Fuchs, Missouri
Backs
Emil Sitko, Notre Dame (College Football Hall of Fame) Doak Walker, Southern Methodist (SMU) (College and Pro Football Hall of Fame) Arnold Galiffa, Army Bob Williams, Notre Dame (College Football Hall of Fame) Charlie Justice, North Carolina Eddie LeBaron, College of Pacific Eddie Price, Tulane (College Football Hall of Fame) Lynn Chandnois, Michigan State George Thomas, Oklahoma George Sella, Princeton John Papit, Virginia Darrell Royal, Oklahoma Forrest Klein, California Randall Clay, Texas Chuck Ortmann, Michigan Bob Celeri, California Hillary Chollet, Cornell Dick Kempthorn, Michigan Bob Zastrow, Navy Johnny Karras, Illinois Jim Cain, Army
Key
Bold – Consensus All-American
-1 – First-team selection
-2 – Second-team selection
-3 – Third-team selection
Official selectors
AP = Associated Press, chosen after recommendations from 250 sports editors, AP staff writers, college coaches, and radio broadcasters COL = Collier's Weekly, selected by the American Football Coaches Association FWAA = Look magazine, selected by Grantland Rice and the Football Writers Association of America INSO/INSD = International News Service offensive and defensive selections NEAO/NEAD = Newspaper Editors Association offensive and defensive All-American teams, selected by NEA sports editor Harry Grayson SN = Sporting News UP = United Press, selected for The United Press by 313 football writers and football broadcasters from all sections of the country
Other selectors
CP = Central Press Association
WC = Walter Camp Football Foundation
NYS = New York Sun
PLAY = All-Players All-America team, selected by the Chicago Tribune with the cooperation of 112 major colleges, based on the votes of 2,193 college football players. Players were only permitted to vote for players who they played against.