All-America

After every coach has been polled and every sportswriter has made his choice, there remains one man with the decisive voice. He is the pro scout. Others may nominate, but he must choose. Necessarily dispassionate, professionally unimpressed with headlines, he must assess a boy's football worth and back his judgment with money. So advised by those who decide which of Saturday's heroes will play next year for Sunday's paycheck, TIME'S choice for All-America:

End: Sam Williams, 27, Michigan State; 6 ft. 5 in., 220 lbs. Senior. Major: restaurant management. Drafted by the Los Angeles Rams back in 1956 on the strength of his play while serving a hitch in the Navy; so hefty and formidable on defense that opponents run plays away from him whenever possible.

End: Gilbert Leroy ("Buddy") Dial, 21, Rice; 6 ft. 1 in., 180 lbs. Senior. Major: physical education. Not notably fast but extraordinarily shifty and sure-handed on offense; blossomed this year on defense, piled up end sweeps, helped his team hold Army's famed halfbacks Anderson and Dawkins to 19 yds. rushing in 14 carries. The pros like him, but feel he must add a good deal of weight to withstand the inevitable pounding a player gets in the big time.

Tackle: Bill Leeka, 20, U.C.L.A.; 6 ft. 1 in., 210 lbs. Senior. Major: business education. Considered a "real sleeper" by pro scouts, lost chance for many All-Americas because of eligibility restrictions that allowed him to play in only five games. Likes to grin at opponents at game's start, offer to shake hands, saying: "Let's be civilized while we can, shall we?" May forgo pro football for career in movies.

Tackle: Jim Marshall, 20, Ohio State; 6 ft. 3 in., 222 lbs. Junior. Major: physical education. Fine blocker, fast-reacting on defense, has speed enough to outrun many backs, performed an incredible feat for a lineman against Purdue by running for two touchdowns with a blocked punt and an intercepted pass; a probable high pro choice next year.

Guard: John Guzik, 22, Pittsburgh; 6 ft. 3 in., 230 lbs. Senior. Major: business administration. Was the star of one of the most rugged lines in college football this year. Has the size and agility to make a tremendous linebacker for any pro defensive unit; drafted last year by Los Angeles Rams.

Guard: Roger Duone ("Zeke") Smith, 21, Auburn; 6 ft. 2 in., 215 lbs. Junior. Major: education. Alert, fast, hard charger; eyed as another good pro linebacker, considered by some scouts the best lineman in the U.S.

Center: Walter Jackson ("Jackie") Burkett, 21, Auburn; 6 ft. 4 in., 220 lbs. Junior. Major: forestry. Superb blocker with good speed, built in classic mold of pro-type middle guard; sure to be eagerly sought despite occasionally troublesome shoulder injury.

Quarterback: Joe Kapp, 20, California; 6 ft. 2 in., 205 lbs. Senior. Major: physical education. Football's best running quarterback; a slick ball handler, he put California in the Rose Bowl almost singlehanded; called his plays with rare perception, executed them with extraordinary finesse and poise.

Halfback: Billy Cannon, 21, Louisiana State; 6 ft. 1 in., 197 lbs. junior. Major: pre-dentistry. Still a year away from pro draft but already considered fast, powerful, brilliant enough to move into starting halfback spot on most any pro team.

Halfback: Dick Bass, 21, College of the Pacific; 5 ft. 10 in., 189 lbs. Junior. Major: speech. Arguably football's best back, led major college teams in rushing (1,361 yds.), total offense (1,440 yds.), scoring (116 points) for first "triple" since Colorado's "Whizzer" White in 19.37.

Fullback: Bob White, 20, Ohio State; 6 ft. 2 in., 215 lbs. Junior. Major: industrial arts. Converted center; so strong that in 218 carries this year he was not thrown for a loss once; would probably be shifted to linebacker by pros, who rate his defensive ruggedness even more highly than his offensive drive.

Several players from the service academies are eyed hungrily by the pros but usually omitted from their calculations, since a military career precludes any flirtation with pro football. Under any other circumstances, Air Force's Brock Strom, a quick, sure offensive tackle who can also be depended on to pile up interference on defense, would be near the top of pro lists. So would Army's rugged guard, Bob Novogratz (says a pro scout: "The very best"). The scouts speak of Army's two star halfbacks, Bob Anderson and Pete Dawkins, with regret but more equanimity.

In this week's preliminary pro-football draft, coaches will be guided more by their specific team needs than by sheer talent. Moreover, in some cases the pros have mapped different roles for their young stars than they performed in college. California's Kapp is an example. He can both pass and run. But pro teams have little use for a running quarterback (says Veteran Pro Quarterback Norm Van Brocklin of the Philadelphia Eagles: "A quarterback should run only from sheer fright"). As an option man, Kapp can be of more pro value as a halfback. Of the passing quarterbacks eligible for draft this year, most scouts prefer Utah's Lee Grosscup and his lobbed, easily caught passes to Iowa's Randy Duncan, who throws hard and straight.

But scouts are already drooling over Notre Dame's George Izo, who as a junior will not be eligible for the draft until next year. Says Earle ("Greasy") Neale, former coach of the Philadelphia Eagles: "Izo is best by far. He floats the ball like Sid Luckman used to, end up. He lays the ball out there so you can go get it. What I like best is the way he can throw accurately with men hanging all over him. I saw Sammy Baugh when he came up, and this kid can match him."

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