1961 All-America

Cheerleaders cartwheel giddily across the grass and trumpets blare the notes of familiar fight songs. Undergrads guzzle brandy, nuzzle girl friends, nibble fingernails and lustily sing the praises of alma mater. Such are the sights and sounds of college football for most fans--but not for the pro scout. Cold-eyed and calm in the midst of it all, he perches in some remote corner of the stadium, clutching his notebook and pencil. His sound is the smack of leather meeting leather, and his sight is the glimpse of a crumpling block, a tooth-rattling tackle, or a precisely executed pass. Like a Broadway talent hunter who scours the chorus line for a budding star, the pro scout examines Saturday's heroes for the skill, size, strength and stamina that may be worth a Sunday paycheck. This week, prepared to back up their choices with cash in their annual draft, the scouts of both professional football leagues took time out to compile a team of the nation's best pro prospects. TIME's pro-picked All-America:

Ends: Gary Collins, 21, Maryland; 6 ft. 3 in., 205 Ibs. Bill Miller, 21, Miami; 6 ft., 195 Ibs. Says one scouting report of Collins: "Fast, does everything well, has all the moves. Also a good punter." Of Miller: "Great hands, and the unusual ability to catch a pass in a crowd. But he's not real big, and size will work against him." Colorado's Jerry Hillebrand, 21, is plenty big enough (6 ft. 4 in., 241 Ibs.), may wind up doing double duty as an offensive flanker and field-goal kicker. The pros are thinking about making offensive ends out of two star Southwest Conference halfbacks because of their broken-field running ability: Texas' crazy-legged Jimmy Saxton, 21 (5 ft. 11 in., 164 Ibs.) and Arkansas' fleet-footed Lance Alworth, 21 (6 ft., 178 Ibs.). Says one scout: "Alworth didn't catch many at Arkansas. But he has tremendous speed--he runs the 100-yd. dash in 9.6 seconds--and his performance as a breakaway running back shows that once he gets the ball, he can go the distance."

Tackles: Merlin Olsen, 21, Utah State; 6 ft. 5 in., 265 Ibs. Fate Echols, 22, Northwestern; 6 ft. 1 in., 255 Ibs. The nation's No. 1 college lineman, Olsen is a home-grown giant from Logan, Utah, who boasts brains as well as brawn: his scholastic average (3.96 out of a possible 4) is the highest in Utah State's College of Business. Tough and tenacious ("He doesn't block; he explodes"), Olsen could play either offense or defense with the pros. Smaller but extremely fast, Echols probably will be shifted to guard if he accepts a pro contract--but he may go directly into coaching instead. Also highly regarded by the pros: Minnesota's Bobby Bell, 21 (6 ft. 4 in., 218 Ibs.), Alabama's Billy Neighbors, 21 (6 ft., 229 Ibs.), and Olsen's Utah State Teammate Clark Miller, 23 (6 ft. 5 in., 250 Ibs.), who was drafted last year by the San Francisco Forty-Niners.

Guards: Roy Winston, 21, Louisiana State; 6 ft. 1 in., 224 Ibs. Treva Bolin, 21, Mississippi; 6 ft. 3 in., 222 Ibs. Passed over by the pro scouts with hardly a glance were such highly touted college guards as Colorado's Joe Romig and Iowa's Sherwyn Thorson. Reason: they are too small. "We can't look at the little guys," explains one scout. "We have to start around 6 ft. 2 in. and 225 Ibs. Anybody smaller simply can't play this game."

Center: Irv Goode, 21, Kentucky; 6 ft. 5 in., 230 Ibs. "He's a good blocker," says a pro scout, "and he's got quickness--something you don't see too often in a college center. A college center has to be really exceptional to make the grade in the pro game, because he has to do so much that he isn't called upon to do in school: throw key blocks, drop back to protect the passer. Goode has what it takes."

Quarterback: Roman Gabriel, 21, North Carolina State; 6 ft. 4 in., 225 Ibs. A superb passer--and the unanimous choice of the pro scouts--Gabriel is certain to be picked in the first round of the pro draft. Says one scouting report: "He throws excellent short passes, hard and fast, and he's physically rugged. This means that he is strong enough to wait until the last moment to deliver, allowing his receivers to get into ideal position--and he can absorb the beating he'll have to take for waiting so long." The pros also praise the versatility of Kansas' John Hadl, 21 (6 ft. 1 in., 198 Ibs.), who runs, punts, and passes accurately off the option play, probably will switch to halfback in the play-for-pay league. A bright future prospect is Texas Christian's towering (6 ft. 7 in., 230 Ibs.) Sonny Gibbs, a 22-year-old junior who could become, says one scout, "the greatest quarterback ever."

Halfbacks: Ernie Davis, 21, Syracuse; 6 ft. 2 in., 212 Ibs. Ronnie Bull, 21, Baylor; 6 ft., 198 Ibs. Elusive Halfback Davis, the "glamour boy of college football," is likely to be the National Football League's No. 1 draft choice. "He can run over you or away from you," reads one glowing report. "He takes a beating every week and still comes back for more." Although he has been handicapped this season by a back injury, Bull is also regarded as a top pro prospect, a "smart player of the Frank Gifford type, who twists off tacklers for extra yardage." Also high on the scouts' list is Kansas' Curtis McClinton, 22 (6 ft. 2 in., 212 Ibs.), drafted two years ago by the Los Angeles Rams.

Fullback: Bob Ferguson, 22, Ohio State; 6 ft., 215 Ibs. Only first-string repeater from TIME's 1960 All-America, Ferguson is a punishing, pile-driving runner with good straight-ahead speed (TIME, Nov. 24). Pro scouts are skeptical about his ability to alter course abruptly or block effectively, but they are willing to take a chance. Says one: "The toughest running back in the toughest conference in the country."

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