1988 College Football All-America Team

Official list of the best college football players of 1988

1988 College Football All-America Team
College Football All-America Team
1988 NCAA Division I-A football season
Official selectors
American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Associated Press (AP) Football Writers Association of America (FWAA) United Press International (UPI) Walter Camp Football Foundation (WCFF)
← 1987 1989 →

The 1988 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 1988. The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) recognizes five selectors as "official" for the 1988 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), the Gannett News Service (GNS),^[7] the Newspaper Enterprise Association (NEA),^[8] Scripps Howard (SH),^[9] and The Sporting News (TSN).^[10]

Consensus All-Americans

The following charts identify the NCAA-recognized consensus All-Americans for the year 1988 and displays which first-team designations they received.

Offense

Name	Position	School	Number^[11]	Official	Other
Barry Sanders	Running back	Oklahoma State	5/4/9	AFCA, AP, FWAA, UPI, WC	GNS, NEA, SH, TSN
Tony Mandarich	Offensive tackle	Michigan State	5/3/8	AFCA, AP, FWAA, UPI, WC	GNS, SH, TSN
Anthony Phillips	Offensive guard	Oklahoma	5/1/6	AFCA, AP, FWAA, UPI, WC	NEA
Jason Phillips	Wide receiver	Houston	4/1/5	AFCA, AP, FWAA, UPI	SH
Mike Utley	Offensive guard	Washington State	4/1/5	AFCA, AP, FWAA, UPI	SH
Hart Lee Dykes	Wide receiver	Oklahoma State	3/3/6	AP, UPI, WC	NEA, SH, TSN
Mark Stepnoski	Offensive guard	Pittsburgh	3/3/6	AFCA, FWAA, WC	GNS, SH, TSN
Anthony Thompson	Running back	Indiana	3/2/5	FWAA, UPI, WC	NEA, TSN
Tim Worley	Running back	Georgia	3/2/5	AFCA, FWAA, WC	GNS, SH
Troy Aikman	Quarterback	UCLA	2/2/4	UPI, WC	GNS, TSN
Steve Walsh	Quarterback	Miami	2/1/3	AP, FWAA	GNS
Marv Cook	Tight end	Iowa	2/1/3	AFCA, UPI	GNS
Jake Young	Center	Nebraska	2/0/2	AP, FWAA
John Vitale	Center	Michigan	2/0/2	UPI, WC

Defense

Name	Position	School	Number^[11]	Official	Other
Mark Messner	Defensive tackle	Michigan	5/4/9	AFCA, AP, FWAA, UPI, WC	GNS, NEA, SH, TSN
Broderick Thomas	Linebacker	Nebraska	5/4/9	AFCA, AP, FWAA, UPI, WC	GNS, NEA, SH, TSN
Derrick Thomas	Linebacker	Alabama	5/4/9	AFCA, AP, FWAA, UPI, WC	GNS, NEA, SH, TSN
Deion Sanders	Defensive back	Florida State	5/4/9	AFCA, AP, FWAA, UPI, WC	GNS, NEA, SH, TSN
Tracy Rocker	Defensive tackle	Auburn	5/3/8	AFCA, AP, FWAA, UPI, WC	GNS, SH, TSN
Donnell Woolford	Defensive back	Clemson	4/3/7	AFCA, FWAA, UPI, WC	GNS, SH, TSN
Michael Stonebreaker	Linebacker	Notre Dame	3/3/6	AP, FWAA, WC	GNS, NEA, SH
Darryl Henley	Defensive back	UCLA	3/2/5	AFCA, UPI, WC	SH, TSN
Louis Oliver	Defensive back	Florida	3/2/5	AFCA, AP, WC	NEA, SH
Wayne Martin	Defensive tackle	Arkansas	3/1/4	AP, FWAA, UPI	TSN
Bill Hawkins	Defensive end	Miami	2/1/3	AFCA, WC	SH
Frank Stams	Defensive end	Notre Dame	2/0/2	AP, UPI

Special teams

Name	Position	School	Number^[11]	Official	Other
Kendall Trainor	Kicker	Arkansas	4/2/6	AFCA, AP, UPI, WC	SH, TSN
Keith English	Punter	Colorado	3/3/6	AP, UPI, WC	GNS, NEA, TSN

Offense

Quarterbacks

Troy Aikman, UCLA (CFHOF) (UPI-1, WC, GNS, TSN)
Steve Walsh, Miami (AP-1, FWAA, GNS)
Rodney Peete, USC (AP-2; AFCA, GNS, SH)
Major Harris, West Virginia (AP-3; GNS)

Running backs

Barry Sanders, Oklahoma State (CFHOF) (AFCA, AP-1, FWAA, UPI-1, WC, GNS, SH, TSN)
Anthony Thompson, Indiana (UPI-1, AP-2; FWAA, WC, TSN)
Tim Worley, Georgia (AP-2; AFCA, FWAA, WC, GNS, SH)
Darren Lewis, Texas A&M (AP-1, GNS, TSN)
Cleveland Gary, Miami (Fla.) (AP-3; FN)
Tony Boles, Michigan (AP-3)

Wide receivers

Hart Lee Dykes, Oklahoma State (AP-1, UPI-1, WC, SH, TSN)
Jason Phillips, Houston (AFCA, AP-1, UPI-1, FWAA, SH)
Erik Affholter, USC (AFCA, AP-2, TSN)
Clarkston Hines, Duke (AP-2, FWAA)
Naz Worthen, North Carolina State (GNS)
Andre Rison, Michigan State (GNS)
Boo Mitchell, Vanderbilt (AP-3)
Kendal Smith, Utah State (AP-3)

Tight ends

Marv Cook, Iowa (AFCA, AP-2, UPI-1, GNS)
Troy Sadowski, Georgia (WC)
Wesley Walls, Mississippi (AP-1)
Walter Reeves, Auburn (TSN)
Charles Arbuckle, UCLA (SH)
Scott Galbraith, USC (AP-3)

Centers

Jake Young, Nebraska (AP-1, FWAA)
John Vitale, Michigan (UPI-1, AP-2; WC)
Jeff Uhlenhake, Ohio State (TSN)
Bern Brostek, Washington (GNS)
Jeff Garnica, North Carolina (AP-3)

Offensive guards

Anthony Phillips, Oklahoma (AFCA, AP-1, FWAA, UPI-1, WC)
Mike Utley, Washington State (AFCA, AP-1, UPI-1, FWAA, SH)
Mark Stepnoski, Pittsburgh (AFCA, AP-2; FWAA, WC, GNS, SH, TSN)
Steve Wisniewski, Penn State (AFCA, GNS, TSN)
Rick Phillips, West Virginia (AP-2 [OT]; SH)
Joe Wolf, Boston College (AP-2)
Freddie Childress, Arkansas (AP-3)
John Stroia, West Virginia (AP-3)

Offensive tackles

Tony Mandarich, Michigan State (AFCA, AP-1, FWAA, UPI-1, WC, GNS, SH, TSN)
Andy Heck, Notre Dame (AP-1, UPI-1, TSN)
Pat Tomberlin, Florida State (AP-2, WC, SH)
Tom Ricketts, Pittsburgh (GNS)
Kevin Haverdink, Western Michigan (AP-3)
Jim Thompson, Auburn (AP-3)

Defense

Defensive ends

Bill Hawkins, Miami (AFCA, WC, SH)
Frank Stams, Notre Dame (AP-1, UPI-1)
Trace Armstrong, Florida (GNS, TSN)

Defensive tackles

Mark Messner, Michigan (AFCA, AP-1, FWAA, UPI-1, WC, GNS, SH, TSN)
Tracy Rocker, Auburn (CFHOF) (AFCA, AP-1, FWAA, UPI-1, WC, GNS, SH, TSN)
Wayne Martin, Arkansas (AP-1, UPI-1, FWAA, TSN)
Tim Ryan, USC (FWAA)
Dave Haight, Iowa (WC)
Benji Roland, Auburn (TSN [NG])

Linebackers

Broderick Thomas, Nebraska (AFCA, AP-1 [DE], FWAA, UPI-1, WC, GNS, SH, TSN)
Derrick Thomas, Alabama (CFHOF) (AFCA, AP-1, FWAA, UPI-1, WC, GNS, SH, TSN)
Michael Stonebreaker, Notre Dame (CFHOF) (AP-1, FWAA, WC, GNS, SH)
Keith DeLong, Tennessee (AP-1 UPI-1, GNS, TSN)
Percy Snow, Michigan State (TSN)
Carnell Lake, UCLA (FWAA)
Britt Hager, Texas (AFCA, SH)
Jerry Olsavsky, Pittsburgh (AFCA)

Defensive backs

Deion Sanders, Florida State (CFHOF) (AFCA, AP-1, FWAA, UPI-1, WC, GNS, SH, TSN)
Donnell Woolford, Clemson (AFCA, FWAA, UPI-1, WC, GNS, SH, TSN)
Darryl Henley, UCLA (AFCA, UPI-1, WC, SH, TSN)
Louis Oliver, Florida (AFCA, AP-1, WC, SH)
Markus Paul, Syracuse (AP-1, FWAA, TSN)
Mark Carrier, USC (UPI-1)
Greg Jackson, LSU (GNS)
Bubba McDowell, Miami (Fla) (GNS)

Special teams

Kickers

Kendall Trainor, Arkansas (AFCA, AP-1, UPI-1, WC, SH, TSN)
Chris Jacke, UTEP (FWAA, GNS)

Punters

Keith English, Colorado (AP-1, UPI-1, WC, GNS, TSN)
Pat Thompson, BYU (AFCA, FWAA, SH)

Returners

Tyrone Thurman, Texas Tech (AP-1)
James Henry, Southern Mississippi (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^[12]^[4]
UPI – United Press International^[5]
WC – Walter Camp Football Foundation^[6]

Other selectors

FN – Football News
GNS – Gannett News Service^[7]
NEA – Newspaper Enterprise Association, in conjunction with World Almanac^[8]
SH – Scripps Howard^[9]
TSN – The Sporting News^[10]

References

^ ^a ^b "Football Award Winners" (PDF). National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). 2016. pp. 3, 14. Retrieved March 18, 2017.
^ ^a ^b "1988 Kodak All-America Team". Asbury Park Press. November 22, 1988. p. D2.
^ ^a ^b "AP All-America". The Cincinnati Enquirer. December 9, 1988. p. F2.
^ ^a ^b "Football Writers Association All-America Team". The Indianapolis Star. December 2, 1988. p. C6.
^ ^a ^b "UPI All-America Team". The Indianapolis Star. December 15, 1988. p. C10.
^ ^a ^b "Walter Camp All-America Team". Southern Illinoisan. November 24, 1988. p. 18.
^ ^a ^b "GNS All-America Team". The Des Moines Register. November 30, 1988. p. 2S.
^ ^a ^b "NEA All-American Team". Martinez News-Gazette (CA). December 8, 1988. p. 8 – via Newspapers.com.
^ ^a ^b "Scripps Howard All-America Team". The Pittsburgh Press. November 25, 1988. p. D6.
^ ^a ^b "The Sporting News All-America Team". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. December 16, 1988. p. 6D.
^ ^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.
^ 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.

1988 College Football All-America Team consensus selections

Offense

QB Steve Walsh & Troy Aikman
RB Barry Sanders
RB Anthony Thompson
RB Tim Worley
WR Jason Phillips
WR Hart Lee Dykes
TE Marv Cook

OL Tony Mandarich
OL Anthony Phillips
OL Mike Utley
OL Mark Stepnoski
C Jake Young
C John Vitale

Defense

DL Mark Messner
DL Tracy Rocker
DL Wayne Martin
DL Frank Stams
DL Bill Hawkins

Special teams

PK Kendall Trainor
P Keith English

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College Football All-America Teams