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For their 75th anniversary, the Football Writers Association of America announced a 75-player all-America team. The FWAA has been selecting all-America teams since 1944.
The FWAA explained the criteria:
A nomination ballot with selected players from all FWAA All-America teams was sent to the entire membership this spring. The popular vote was then taken into consideration by a Blue Ribbon Committee of FWAA past presidents, current board members and officers. That committee put the finishing touches on selecting the 75-man team. In order for a player to be considered for the FWAA’s 75th team, he had to be on a previous FWAA All-America team.
The Bears had good representation. Making the first team were Mike Singletary (Baylor) at linebacker and Kevin Butler (Georgia) at kicker. Mike Ditka (Pittsburgh) made second-team tight end and Dick Butkus, the only Illinois player selected, made second-team linebacker.
Interestingly, Butkus couldn’t crack the top unit despite having the linebacker award named after him.
[Check out Butkus’ two tackles around the :42 mark]
Ohio State’s Orlando Pace, who played the last of his 12 NFL seasons with the Bears, made first-team offensive lineman.
Here are the full teams: