Football Writers Association of America

The Football Writers Association of America (FWAA) is an organization of college football media members in the United States founded in 1941.^[1] It is composed of approximately 1,200 professional sports writers from both print and Internet media outlets. The membership includes journalists, broadcasters and publicists, as well as key executives in all the areas that involve the game.

The FWAA works to govern areas that include game day operations, and strives for better working conditions for sports writers in college football press boxes, and deals with access issues to college athletes and coaches. The FWAA also sponsors scholarships for aspiring writers and an annual writing contest.

The FWAA is one of the organizations whose College Football All-America Team is recognized by the NCAA. The organization also selects the Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year, the Bronko Nagurski Trophy winner, the Outland Trophy winner, a freshman All-America team, and weekly defensive player of the week, as well as developing scholarship programs and surveys for better working conditions. From 1954 to 2013, the association awarded the Grantland Rice Trophy to the college football team they chose to be the National Champion.

The Football Writers Association of America All-America Committee selects the 25-man All-America Team and the winners of the Bronko Nagurski and Outland trophies. In the spring, the committee selects the FWAA All-America Watch List and the watch lists for both of the FWAA's major player awards. The FWAA has chosen an All-America Team annually since the 1944 season; it is the second longest continuously-published team in major college football.

Presented to a member of the FWAA for "outstanding contribution to the organization".^[2]

Selected by the Football Writers Association of America for the centennial year of college football in 1969. An Early Era team was chosen that featured Jim Thorpe, a modern team (1919–68) and a Quarter-Century team that was chosen in 1993, 25 years after the college football centennial celebration.

E – Bennie Oosterbaan, Michigan
E – Don Hutson, Alabama
L – Bronko Nagurski, Minnesota
L – Bruiser Kinard, Mississippi
L – Jim Parker, Ohio State
L – Bob Suffridge, Tennessee
C – Mel Hein, Washington State
B – Sammy Baugh, Texas Christian
B – Jay Berwanger, Chicago
B – Ernie Nevers, Stanford
B – Red Grange, Illinois^[6]

E – Frank Hinkey, Yale
E – Huntington Hardwick, Harvard
T – Josh Cody, Vanderbilt
T – Wilbur Henry, Washington and Jefferson
G – Pudge Heffelfinger, Yale
G – Truxtun Hare, Pennsylvania
C – Germany Schulz, Michigan
B – Jim Thorpe, Carlisle
B – Elmer Oliphant, Purdue
B – Willie Heston, Michigan
B – Walter Eckersall, Chicago^[7]

See footnote^[8]

Currently the FWAA sponsors seven awards and those are affiliated with the National College Football Awards Association (NCFAA).

• All-America and Freshman All-America Teams
• Bronko Nagurski Trophy
• Outland Trophy
• Grantland Rice Trophy
• Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year
• FedEx Orange Bowl Courage Award
• Tostitos Fiesta Bowl National Team of the Week

Beginning in 2014, 26 members of the FWAA will vote in a new poll in partnership with the National Football Foundation. It is called the FWAA-NFF Grantland Rice Super 16 Poll.

• Pro Football Writers Association
• National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association
• Baseball Writers' Association of America
• United States Basketball Writers Association (college)
• Pro Basketball Writers Association
• Professional Hockey Writers Association
• National Sports Media Association

• Official website