Penn’s Chuck Bednarik cracks the AP’s top 100 all-time All-America football team
Bednarik, who was named an all-time All-America among the AP’s first-team selections, made the list at the center position and is the only player from a Philly-area university on the list.
Before Chuck Bednarik became a beloved Eagles bruiser lauded for his tenacious defense as a linebacker and given the nickname “Concrete Charlie,” he was scaring Ivy League opponents on both sides of the ball at Penn.
The latter is what landed him on the Associated Press’ all-time All-America team, which was announced Thursday as part of the news organization’s celebration of the 100th anniversary of the storied honor for the top players in college football.
Bednarik, who was named a first-team all-time All-American, made the list at the center position and is the only player from a Philly-area university on the list. The 6-foot-3, 220-pounder out of Bethlehem, Pa., was an AP All-American with the Quakers in 1947 and 1948.
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Bednarik, who entered the College Football Hall of Fame in 1969, is well-known for his 14-year career, entirely with the Eagles, where he was a two-time NFL champion during his rookie year in 1949 and again in 1960.
For a player to qualify, he must have been an AP first-team All-American at least once. His professional career, if any, was not to be considered. Also, a member of the all-time team could only be listed on the side of the ball where he was named first-team All-America. All-purpose players could come from any position.
Former Eagles standout Herschel Walker, who was a three-time AP All-America selection at Georgia (1980, 1981, 1982) and won the Heisman Trophy, was the first-team running back. Additionally, current Eagles wideout DeVonta Smith was named a second-team all-time selection for his exploits during his time at Alabama, where he picked up first-team AP All-America honors in 2020.
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Quarterback Vince Young, who had a brief stint with the Eagles during the 2011 season, was named to the all-time list as a second-team selection for his heroics mainly during the 2005 season, in which he became a first-team All-American after leading Texas to a national championship over Southern Cal.
The complete list can be found at apnews.org.