1986 College Football All-America Team
The 1986 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 1986. The National Collegiate Athletic Association recognizes five selectors as "official" for the 1986 season. They are: the American Football Coaches Association ; the Associated Press selected based on the votes of sports writers at AP newspapers; the Football Writers Association of America ; the United Press International selected based on the votes of sports writers at UPI newspapers; and the Walter Camp Football Foundation. Other notable selectors included Football News the Newspaper Enterprise Association, Scripps Howard, and The Sporting News.Consensus All-Americans
The following charts identify the NCAA-recognized consensus All-Americans for the year 1986 and displays which first-team designations they received.Offense
Defense
Special teams
Full selections - offense
Quarterbacks
- Vinny Testaverde, Miami
- Jim Harbaugh, Michigan
- Kevin Murray, Texas A&M
- Jamelle Holieway, Oklahoma
Running backs
- Brent Fullwood, Auburn
- Paul Palmer, Temple
- Terrence Flagler, Clemson
- Brad Muster, Stanford
- D. J. Dozier, Penn State
- Steve Bartalo, Colorado St.
- Bobby Humphrey, Alabama
- Gaston Green, UCLA
- Thurman Thomas, Oklahoma State
Wide receivers
- Cris Carter, Ohio State
- Tim Brown, Notre Dame
- Wendell Davis, LSU
- Michael Irvin, Miami
- Sterling Sharpe South Carolina
- Marc Zeno, Tulane
- J. R. Ambrose, Ole Miss
- Nasrallah Worthen, North Carolina State
Tight ends
- Keith Jackson, Oklahoma
- Rod Bernstine, Texas A&M
- Robert Await, San Diego St.
Centers
- Ben Tamburello, Auburn
- Gregg Rakoczy, Miami
- John Davis, Georgia Tech
- Joe Tofflemire, Arizona
- Eric Coyle, Colorado
- Bob Maggs, Ohio State
Offensive guards
- Jeff Bregel, USC
- Jeff Zimmerman, Florida
- Paul Kiser, Wake Forest
- Chris Conlin, Penn State
- Dave Croston, Iowa
- Mark Hutson, Oklahoma
- Randall McDaniel, Arizona State
- John Phillips, Clemson
- Steve Trapilo, Boston College
- Anthony Phillips, Oklahoma
- Fred Childress, Arkansas
- Doug Aronson, San Diego St.
- Todd Peat, Northern Illinois
- Eric Andolsek, LSU
- Mark Stepnoski, Pittsburgh
Offensive tackles
- John Clay, Missouri
- Randy Dixon, Pittsburgh
- Danny Villa, Arizona State
- Harris Barton, North Carolina
- Jumbo Elliot, Michigan
- John Davis, Georgia Tech
- Dave Croston, Iowa
- Wilbur Strozier, Georgia
- Tom Welter, Nebraska
Full selections - defense
Defensive ends
- Jason Buck, BYU
- Reggie Rogers, Washington
- Tony Woods, Pittsburgh
- Scott Stephen, Arizona State
- Darrell Reed, Oklahoma
- Daniel Stubbs, Miami
Defensive tackles
- Jerome Brown, Miami
- Danny Noonan, Nebraska
- Tim Johnson, Penn State
- Al Noga, Hawaii
- Tony Cherico, Arkansas
- Jerry Ball, SMU
- Wally Kleine, Notre Dame
- John Bosa, Boston College
- Shawn Knight, Brigham Young
- Henry Thomas, LSU
- Mark Messner, Michigan
- Dan Sileo, Miami
Linebackers
- Cornelius Bennett, Alabama
- Brian Bosworth, Oklahoma
- Shane Conlan, Penn State
- Chris Spielman, Ohio State
- Terry Maki, Air Force
- Dave Wyman, Stanford
- Johnny Holland, Texas A&M
- Marcus Cotton, USC
- Byron Evans, Arizona
- Mike Junkin, Duke
- Ken Norton Jr., UCLA
- Van Waiters, Indiana
- Cedric Figaro, Notre Dame
- Shane Bullough, Michigan State
- Brad Hastings, Texas Tech
- Tyronne Stowe, Rutgers
Defensive backs
- Thomas Everett, Baylor
- Tim McDonald, USC
- Rod Woodson, Purdue
- Bennie Blades, Miami
- Garland Rivers, Michigan
- Deion Sanders, Florida State
- Gordon Lockbaum, Holy Cross
- John Little, Georgia
- Mark Moore, Oklahoma State
- Tim Peoples, Washington,
- Ray Isom, Penn State
- David Vickers, Oklahoma
- Ron Francis, Baylor
- Harold McGuire, Toledo
- Tom Rotello, Air Force
- Deion Sanders, Florida State
- Freddie Robinson, Alabama
- Chuck Cecil, Arizona
Full selections - special teams
Kickers
- Jeff Jaeger, Washington
- Jeff Ward, Texas
- Marty Zendejas, Nevada-Reno
- Van Tiffin, Alabama
- Chris Kinzer, Virginia Tech
- John Diettrich, Ball State
Punters
- Barry Helton, Colorado
- Greg Montgomery, Michigan State
- Bill Smith, Mississippi
- Greg Horne, Arkansas
Returners
- Rod Woodson, Purdue
Key
- Bold – Consensus All-American
- -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, selected by the members of the AFCA for the Kodak All-America team
- AP – Associated Press
- FWAA – Football Writers Association of America
- UPI – United Press International
- WC – Walter Camp Football Foundation, selected by the nation's college coaches and sports information directors
Other selectors
- FN – Football News
- NEA – Newspaper Enterprise Association, the NEA/World Almanac team
- TSN – The Sporting News
- SH – Scripps Howard
