The 1961 All-Southwest Conference football team consists of American football players chosen by various organizations for All-Southwest Conference teams for the 1961 NCAA University Division football season. The selectors for the 1961 season included the Associated Press (AP) and the United Press International (UPI). Players selected as first-team players by both the AP and UPI are designated in bold.
All Southwest selections
Backs
Jimmy Saxton, Texas (AP-1; UPI-1) Mike Cotten, Texas (AP-1; UPI-1) Lance Alworth, Arkansas (AP-1; UPI-1) Roland Jackson, Rice (AP-1; UPI-1) Sonny Gibbs, Texas Christian (AP-2) Ronnie Bull, Baylor (AP-2) Coolidge Hunt, Texas Tech (AP-2) George McKinney, Arkansas (AP-2)
Ends
Bob Moses, Texas (AP-1; UPI-1) John Burrell, Rice (AP-1) Jim Collier, Arkansas (AP-2; UPI-1) Buddy Iles, Texas Christian (AP-2)
Tackles
Don Talbert, Texas (AP-1; UPI-1) Robert Johnston, Rice (AP-1) Bobby Plummer, TCU (AP-2; UPI-1) John Childress, Arkansas (AP-2)
Guards
Dean Garrett, Arkansas (AP-1; UPI-1) Ray Schoenke, SMU (AP-1) Johnny Treadwell, Texas (AP-1) Herby Adkins, Baylor (AP-2; UPI-1) Wayne Freiling, Texas A&M (AP-2)
Centers
Bill Hicks, Baylor (AP-1) David Kristynik, Texas (UPI-1) (brother of Marvin Kristynik) Max Christian, SMU (AP-2)