Wikipedia

1902 College Football All-America Team

The 1902 College Football All-America team is composed of college football players who were selected as All-Americans by various individuals who chose College Football All-America Teams for the 1902 college football season. The only two individuals who have been recognized as "official" selectors by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) for the 1902 season are Walter Camp and Caspar Whitney, who had originated the College Football All-America Team 14 years earlier in 1889.[1] Camp's 1902 All-America Team was published in Collier's Weekly,[2] and Whitney's selections were published in Outing magazine.[3][1]

Walter Camp, one of two "official" All-America selectors in 1902

Consensus All-Americans

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In its official listing of "Consensus All-America Selections," the NCAA identifies as "consensus All-Americans" those players who were selected by either Camp or Whitney.[1] Using this criterion, the NCAA recognized 14 players as "consensus All-American" for the 1902 football season.[1] They are indicated in bold in the list below ("All-Americans of 1901").

In 2008, Sports Illustrated sought to answer the question, "Who would have won the Heisman from 1900-1934?"[4] Its selection for 1902 was Paul Bunker of Army, a player who converted from tackle to halfback and "dominated Navy from both sides of the ball, scoring twice in a 22-8 victory."[4]

Concerns of Eastern bias

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The All-America selections by Camp and Whitney were dominated by players from the East and the Ivy League in particular. In 1902, all 14 consensus All-Americans came from Eastern universities, and 12 of 14 played in the Ivy League. The Yale Bulldogs (Camp's alma mater) had seven players who were designated as consensus All-Americans. The only two consensus All-Americans from schools outside the Ivy League were tackle Paul Bunker and center Robert Boyers, both of whom played for Army.[1]

The dominance of Eastern players led to criticism over the years that the All-America selections were biased against players from the leading Western universities, including Chicago, Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Notre Dame.[5][6] During the 1902 season, Fielding H. Yost's "Point-a-Minute" team at Michigan compiled an 11–0 record and outscored its opponents by a combined score of 644 to 12.[7] Seven Michigan players were chosen for All-Western teams, including Willie Heston, Joe Maddock, Boss Weeks, Everett Sweeley, Paul J. Jones, Curtis Redden, and Dan McGugin. Yet, not one player from a western school was recognized as a first-team All-American by Camp or Whitney.[1]

Unofficial selectors

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In addition to Camp and Whitney, other sports writers and publications selected All-America teams in 1902, though such lists have not been recognized as "official" All-America selections by the NCAA. The list below includes the All-America selections made by The Newark Advocate and The Post-Standard of Syracuse, New York.[8][9] Only one player, guard Edward Glass of Yale, was unanimously selected by Camp, Whitney, The Newark Advocate, and The Post-Standard.

All-American selections for 1902

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Ends

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Tom Shevlin of Yale.

Tackles

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Guards

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Centers

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Quarterbacks

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Halfbacks

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Fullbacks

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  • Thomas Graydon, Harvard (WC-1; CW-1; NA-1)
  • Morgan H. Bowman, Yale (WC-2; CW-2; PS-1)
  • Torne, Army (WC-3)

Key

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g "Football Award Winners" (PDF). National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). 2016. p. 6. Retrieved October 21, 2017.
  2. ^ a b Michael MacCambridge, Dan Jenkins (2005). ESPN College Football Encyclopedia: The Complete History of College Football from 1869 to the Present. p. 1145.
  3. ^ a b Caspar Whitney (January 1903). "The Viewpoint" (PDF). Outing. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 23, 2012. Retrieved February 20, 2010.
  4. ^ a b Mike Beacom (December 12, 2008). "Who would have won the Heisman from 1900-1934". Sports Illustrated. Archived from the original on December 15, 2008.
  5. ^ "All-American Teams of East Are Jokes: Critics Who Never Saw Western Teams Play to Name Best in Country -- Forget About Michigan, Minnesota and Illinois". The Mansfield News. December 8, 1910.
  6. ^ Ross Tenney (December 31, 1922). "Much Dissatisfaction Over Camp's All-American Team: Football Dean Is Accused of Favoring East; Walter Camp Soundly Scored For 'Poorest Teams Ever Foisted Upon Public'". The Des Moines Capital.
  7. ^ "1902 Football Team". University of Michigan, Bentley Historical Library. Retrieved November 21, 2007.
  8. ^ a b "Our All-American Selection". The Newark Advocate. December 2, 1902.
  9. ^ a b "The All-American Team For the Season of 1902". The Post-Standard. November 24, 1902.
  10. ^ "All-America Team and Review of Season of 1902". Spalding's Football Guide: 31. 1903. Retrieved March 8, 2015 – via Google books.  
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