Manning Is All-American Quarterback

Peyton Manning, the Tennessee quarterback who led the Volunteers to the Southeastern Conference title, and a pair of game-breakers--Michigan’s Charles Woodson and Marshall’s Randy Moss--were selected to the Associated Press’ All-American team.

Manning, who directed the third-ranked Volunteers to an 11-1 record and an Orange Bowl matchup against No. 2 Nebraska, completed 287 of 477 passes for 3,819 yards and 36 touchdowns.

Woodson, the Wolverines’ cornerback/receiver/punt returner, had seven interceptions and four touchdowns--two on pass receptions, one on a 33-yard reverse and the other a 78-yard punt return against Ohio State.

Wide receiver Moss set an NCAA record with 25 touchdown catches. He caught 90 passes for 1,647 yards--an average of 18.3 yards per catch.

North Carolina and Nebraska had three players make the team--Tar Heel defensive end Greg Ellis, linebacker Brian Simmons and cornerback Dre’ Bly, and Cornhusker guard Aaron Taylor and defensive linemen Grant Wistrom and Jason Peter.

The running backs were Ricky Williams of Texas and Curtis Enis of Penn State. Williams, despite playing for a 4-7 team, led the nation in rushing with 1,893 yards and in scoring with 152 points. Enis ran for 1,363 yards and 20 touchdowns.

*

Eddie Robinson, college football’s winningest coach who recently retired from Grambling, was among four coaches and 12 players inducted into the National Football Foundation and College Hall.

Robinson, 78, who had a 408-165-15 record in 55 seasons, became the first coach to join the Hall without the usual three-year waiting period.

George Rogers, the 1980 Heisman Trophy winner from South Carolina, with Nebraska center Dave Rimington and Arizona State quarterback Danny White were among the dozen former college stars inducted.

The other coaches were Washington’s Don James, Georgia’s Wally Butts, and Bowden Wyatt, who coached at Wyoming, Arkansas and Tennessee from 1947-62. Butts and Wyatt were honored posthumously.

The foundation also honored 18 scholar athletes, including three All-Americans--Tennessee’s Manning, Nebraska defensive lineman Grant Wistrom and Louisiana State punter Chad Kessler.

Jackie Robinson was posthumously awarded the Gold Medal, the foundation’s highest honor. The former Brooklyn Dodger baseball star, excelled in football at UCLA (1939-40), where he was the school’s only four sport letter-winner.

*

ESPN is redoing a commercial for its Heisman Trophy presentation show to include Moss.

Fans of Marshall and Moss prompted the change, according to Dean Diltz, a spokesman for the cable network. He said they started calling when the commercial mentioned the other finalists--Manning, Woodson and Washington State’s Ryan Leaf--but not Moss.

All four were invited to the Heisman presentation ceremony Saturday in New York.