Tulane All-Americans

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FIRST TEAM ALL-AMERICAN

  1925  Charles Flournoy............B  1929  Willis Bill Banker..........B  1930  Jerry Dalrymple.............E  1931  Jerry Dalrymple*............E        Don Zimmerman..............HB  1932  Don Zimmerman*..............B  1934  Monk Simons................HB  1939  Harley McCollum*............T        Ralph Wenzel................E  1940  Tommy O'Boyle...............G  1941  Ernie Blandin*..............T  1944  W.A. Jones.................HB  1948  Paul Lea....................T  1949  Eddie Price.................B  1950  Jerome Helluin..............T  1955  Tony Sardisco...............G  1960  Tommy Mason.................B  1973  Charles Hall................T  1987  Marc Zeno..................WR  2001  Seth Marler.................K        * indicates consensus All-America selection

SECOND TEAM, THIRD TEAM OR HONORABLE MENTION

  1925  Milton Irish Levy...........G        Lester Lautenschlaeger......B  1928  Bill Banker.................B  1929  Jerry Dalrymple.............E        Elmer McCance...............T  1930  Lloyd Roberts...............C  1931  John Scafide................G        Nollie Felts................B  1936  William Moss................T  1937  Norman Buckner..............G  1938  Warren Brunner..............B  1939  Tommy O'Boyle...............G  1943  Lester Gatewood.............C  1944  Thomas Kane.................T  1967  Bobby Duhon.................B  1970  Rick Kingrea...............LB  1974  Charles Hall...............DT  1975  Bryan Alexander............DE        Jim Gueno..................LB  1976  Martin Mitchell............DB  1977  Eric Laakso................OT  1978  Roch Hontas................QB        Dee Methvin.................C        Ed Murray..................PK  1979  Roch Hontas................QB        Alton Alexis...............WR        Ed Murray..................PK        Chris Doyle.................C        Bob Becnel.................DE        Wilfred Simon..............NG        Rodney Holman..............TE  1980  Robert Griffin.............WR        Nickie Hall................QB        Wilfred Simon..............NG        Rodney Holman..............TE  1981  Rodney Holman..............TE  1982  Jim Boyle..................OG        Robert Griffin.............WR        Vince Manalla...............P  1983  Wayne Smith................WR        Tony Wood..................PK        Larry Route................TE  1984  Larry Route................TE        Burnell Dent...............LB  1985  Wayne Clements..............K  1986  Thurston Harrison..........DB        Andre Lockley..............OT        Marc Zeno..................WR  1988  Terrence Jones.............QB        Mitchell Price.............DB  1997  Brad Palazzo...............PK  2000  Bernard Robertson..........OT        Casey Roussel...............P  2007  Matt Forte.................RB  2008  Ross Thevenot...............P

ACADEMIC ALL-AMERICAN

  1961  Joe LeSage.................OG  1971  David Hebert...............DB  1978  Gerry Sheridan..............T

FRESHMAN ALL-AMERICAN

  1983  Larry Route................TE  1985  Wayne Clements............P/K  1998  Corey Sewell...............OT  2000  Mewelde Moore..............RB  2001  Bobby Hoover...............TE  2006  Jeremy Williams............WR  2007  Andrew Nierman.............OG

SOPHOMORE ALL-AMERICAN

  1972  Charles Hall...............DT        Ed Mikkelsen...............OT

ALL-AMERICAN CAPSULES

Charles "Peggy" Flournoy ? 1925 ? Back
"Peggy" Flournoy, Tulane's first All-American in football, led Coach Clark Shaughnessy's team to a 9-0-1 record in 1925. Flournoy established Tulane records for touchdowns, points in a season and points in a game that stand today. He set two of his long-standing records with four rushing touchdowns and 31 points in a 37-9 victory over Louisiana Tech. Flournoy, one of the first inductees into the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame in 1968, also is a member of the Tulane and Greater New Orleans sports halls of fame. He died in 1972.

Willis "Bill" Banker ? 1929 ? Back
Bill Banker, known as the "Blond Blizzard" because of the thick mane of light hair that was so visible to spectators as he raced helmetless through opposing defenses, was the first in a long line of Tulane greats from Lake Charles, La. He remains the all-time leading scorer in Tulane football history with 263 points and is third in career rushing with 2,516 yards. Banker helped Tulane to an undefeated 9-0 season in 1929 as the Green Wave outscored its opposition, 297-45. He was inducted into the National Football Foundation Hall of Fame in 1977 and also is a member of the Tulane, Greater New Orleans and Louisiana sports halls of fame. Banker died in 1985.

Jerry Dalrymple ? 1930-31 ? End
Considered by many as the finest player in Tulane football history, Jerry Dalrymple earned first-unit All-America status in 1930 and became the only unanimous All-American in school history the next year. He led Tulane to its most successful three-season stretch ever in football, as the Green Wave posted a 28-1 regular-season mark in that span and earned its first bowl berth ever - in the 1932 Rose Bowl. Dalrymple became Tulane's first inductee into the National Football Foundation Hall of Fame in 1954. Dalrymple also was a charter member of the Louisiana, Greater New Orleans and Tulane sports halls of fame. He died in 1962.

Don Zimmerman ? 1931-32 ? Halfback
Don Zimmerman, playing one season behind fellow All-American Jerry Dalrymple, earned first-team honors in 1931 and became one of four consensus All-Americans in Tulane history one season later. He ended his Tulane career as the Green Wave's all-time leader in total offense and pass interceptions, setting records that lasted for 40 years. He also ranks fourth in career rushing yards with 2,369. Zimmerman also was Tulane's first-ever Southeastern Conference track champion, winning the 1933 pole vault title. Zimmerman is a member of the Louisiana, Greater New Orleans and Tulane sports halls of fame. He died in 1974.

Claude "Monk" Simons, Jr. ? 1934 ? Halfback
The first All-American to return to Tulane as a coach, "Monk" Simons Jr. led Tulane to a 10-1 record and a share of the Southeastern Conference title as a player in 1934, including a 20-14 victory over Temple in the first Sugar Bowl. Simons led Tulane in rushing, passing and scoring, but may have best made his mark as a kick returner. In the season finale against LSU, he returned a punt 45 yards for a touchdown, and in the Sugar Bowl, he had an 85-yard kickoff return for a TD. Simons would return to Tulane as head coach from 1942-45. He was inducted into the National Football Foundation Hall of Fame in 1975 and is also a member of the Louisiana, Greater New Orleans and Tulane sports halls of fame. Simons died in 1975.

Harley McCollum ? 1939 ? Tackle
Harley McCollum began a stretch of All-American linemen at Tulane when he earned the honors in 1939. McCollum was a member of Tulane's Sugar Bowl team that season, and his dominating play at tackle earned him consensus All-America honors, one of only four players in school history to reach that status. McCollum was inducted into the Tulane Athletics Hall of Fame in 1981 and into the Greater New Orleans Sports Hall of Fame in 1984. McCollum died in 1984.

Ralph Wenzel ? 1939 ? End
Ralph Wenzel, a right end at Tulane for three years, earned All-America status as a senior in 1939. Wenzel led a Green Wave team that went 8-0-1 in the regular season and met Texas A&M in the Sugar Bowl. Wenzel went on to play one season with the Pittsburgh Steelers. After football, he began a career in the U.S. Marine Corps, from which he retired in 1978 as a lieutenant colonel with 32 years of service. He was inducted into the Tulane Athletics Hall of Fame in 1988. He resides in Lexington, Ky.

Tommy O'Boyle ? 1940 ? Guard
Guard Tommy O'Boyle became an All-American in 1940, but his playing days at Tulane would be just the start of his career on Willow Street. After graduating in December 1940, O'Boyle elected to return to Tulane as an assistant coach for the 1941 season instead of pursuing a pro career (he was drafted by the Chicago Bears). O'Boyle returned to the Tulane staff in 1946 and 1961 and was named head coach prior to the 1962 season, a position he held for four years. He was inducted into the Tulane Athletics Hall of Fame in 1979 and resides in Kansas City, Mo. O'Boyle died in 2000.

Ernie Blandin ? 1941 ? Tackle
Another in the line of great Tulane linemen of his era, Ernie Blandin played for Green Wave teams from 1939-41 and earned All-America accolades as a senior. He is the most recent Tulane player to achieve consensus All-America status. Blandin was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in 1942 and went on to an eight-year pro career after the war, including six seasons with the Baltimore Colts. He is a member of the Tulane and Greater New Orleans sports halls of fame.

William "Dub" Jones ? 1944 ? Halfback
Halfback Williams "Dub" Jones made his mark on the football field at Tulane after transferring from LSU. Jones earned All-America recognition in 1944 as he rushed for 700 yards and four touchdowns. A first-round selection of the Chicago Cardinals in 1946, Jones went on to a 10-year professional career, spending eight of those seasons with the Cleveland Browns. Jones, a native of Ruston, is a member of the Louisiana, Greater New Orleans and Tulane sports halls of fame.

Paul Lea ? 1948 ? Tackle
Paul Lea established himself as one of the top tackles in the country in 1948, earning first team All-America honors after using his 6-2, 220-pound body to pave the way for Eddie Price's 1,178 yards rushing. Lea is Tulane's only three-time selection to an all-league first team as he was honored by the SEC in 1948, 1949 and 1950. During his four-year career, the New London, Texas, native and the Green Wave rolled to 24 victories. A seventh-round draft pick of the Chicago Bears, Lea played in both the Senior Bowl and the Blue-Gray All-Star Classic following his Green Wave career. He is a 1990 inductee into the Tulane Athletics Hall of Fame. Lea died in 2009.

Eddie Price ? 1949 ? Back
All-American Eddie Price was a man of firsts during his days as a Tulane running back. He became the first Green Wave player to rush for more than 200 yards in a game, the first Tulanian to rush for 1,000 yards in a season and the first player in NCAA history to surpass 3,000 yards for his career. Price finished his career with 3,095 yards, a Tulane record broken in 2003 by Mewelde Moore. His 1,178 yards in 1948 was also the Green Wave standard until Moore broke the mark in 2001. Price went on to play six seasons for the New York Giants. He was inducted into the National Football Foundation Hall of Fame in 1982 and is also a member of the Louisiana and Greater New Orleans sports halls of fame. He was a charter inductee into the Tulane Athletics Hall of Fame in 1977. He died in 1979.

Jerome Helluin ? 1950 ? Tackle
Jerome Helluin, one of the biggest linemen in college football at the time at 285 pounds, earned All-America honors as a senior in 1951. Helluin played both guard and tackle for the Green Wave. He began his Tulane career blocking for Eddie Price and finished it blocking for future NFL star Max McGee. Helluin was drafted by the Cleveland Browns in 1952, where he began a seven-year pro career as a defensive tackle. Helluin was a 1984 inductee into the Tulane Athletics Hall of Fame. He resides in Houma.

Tony Sardisco ? 1955 ? Guard
Tony Sardisco earned All-America honors at Tulane as a guard, but was athletically-talented enough to play both guard and linebacker during his professional career in the NFL and AFL. He was an All-AFL selection with the Boston Patriots in 1961, also as a guard. As a senior, Sardisco helped Tulane post a 5-4-1 record, its best in five seasons. Sardisco is a member of the Tulane, Louisiana and Greater New Orleans sports halls of fame. He died in 2006.

Tommy Mason ? 1960 ? Back
With one of the greatest seasons in Tulane football history, Tommy Mason earned All-America honors as a senior in 1960. Mason led the Southeastern Conference in rushing with 663 yards and scored 13 touchdowns. He set a school record for all-purpose yards (1,475) that lasted 28 years. Mason was the first player overall selected in the 1961 NFL Draft by the Minnesota Vikings and played professionally for 11 years with the Vikings, Los Angeles Rams and Washington Redskins. He is a member of the Louisiana, Greater New Orleans and Tulane sports halls of fame. Mason currently resides in Anaheim, Calif.

Charles Hall ? 1973 ? Tackle
Charlie Hall led a fierce Tulane defense in one of the most memorable seasons in Green Wave football history, 1973. The Tulane defense had three shutouts that season, including a 14-0 whitewashing of LSU in the regular-season finale, and held two other teams to six points or less. He had 71 tackles, seven sacks and two interceptions in 1973 despite missing three full games and parts of two others with a knee injury. Hall was a fourth-round draft pick of the New Orleans Saints in 1975 and had a brief career in the World Football League before becoming a coach. He was an assistant at Tulane from 1977-82. Hall was a 1981 inductee into the Tulane Athletics Hall of Fame.

Marc Zeno ? 1987 ? Wide Receiver
Marc Zeno concluded a spectacular career in 1987 by earning first-team All-America honors from the Associated Press. As a senior, Zeno surpassed his own Tulane records with 77 receptions for 1,206 yards and, in the process, became the NCAA's career leader in receiving yards with 3,725. The native of Lutcher, La., who finished his career as the owner of every Tulane receiving record, helped a high-powered offense set a school record for points scored in 1987. Zeno was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1988 and played several years at all levels of pro ball. He was inducted into the Tulane Athletics Hall of Fame in 1997.

Seth Marler ? 2001 ? Kicker
Seth Marler became the Green Wave's first first team All-American in 14 years following an amazing year as the Tulane kicker, in which he made 15-of-16 field goals and 54 straight kicks (PAT and FG). The Lilburn, Ga., native hit all seven of his field goal tries from 40 yards and longer while setting the school record for field-goal percentage in his junior season. In addition to FWAA All-America recognition, Marler captured the 2001 Lou Groza Award as the top collegiate placekicker in the nation. He closed his career as the Tulane and Conference USA all-time leader in field goals. He is also the Wave's all-time scoring leader and was inducted into the Tulane Hall of Fame in 2009.

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Tulane All-Americans

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