(Ed. Note: This is the sixth in the series of digital postcards commemorating 75 years of the FWAA All-America Team.  The first FWAA All-America Team was published in 1944 during World War II and is the second longest continuously published team in major-college football.) 

In 1973, Spiro Agnew resigned as Vice President under Richard Nixon…Cost of a gallon of gas was 40 cents…A bill to allow the construction of the Alaska Oil Pipeline was passed…The classic movie “American Graffiti” premiered…The court case Roe vs. Wade made abortion a U.S. constitutional right…The Sears Tower in Chicago was completed…Billie Jean King beat Bobby Riggs 6-4, 6-3, 6-3 in “The Battle of the Sexes”…U.S. troops were withdrawn from Vietnam…Watergate hearings began…Secretariat became the first Triple Crown winner in 25 years…Elvis Presley’s “Aloha from Hawaii” TV special seen by more than 1 billion viewers.

After five lead changes, Bob Thomas kicked a 19-yard field goal in the final minutes to give Notre Dame a 24-23 Sugar Bowl victory over Alabama and the national championship…The Irish were represented on the All-American team by tight end Dave Casper and defensive back Mike Townsend. The Crimson Tide had offensive lineman Buddy Brown and linebacker Woodrow Lowe…Penn State running back John Cappelletti was the Heisman Trophy winner and John Hicks of Ohio State won the Outland Trophy… Pittsburgh’s Johnny Majors was the FWAA Coach of the Year…There were plenty of impressive names on the FWAA All-American team, including quarterback Danny White (Arizona State), running backs Kermit Johnson (UCLA) and Roosevelt Leaks (Texas), receiver Lynn Swann (USC), defensive lineman Lucius Selmon (Oklahoma) and linebacker Randy Gradishar (Ohio State).

Go to http://www.sportswriters.net/fwaa/awards/allamerica/alltime.pdf to see the entire list.

COTTON BOWL NUGGET

Nebraska coach Tom Osborne earned his first bowl triumph with a convincing 19-3 verdict over eighth-ranked Texas, which made its sixth consecutive Cotton Bowl appearance. The Longhorns were held to just 196 yards of total offense. After kicking a first-quarter field goal to start the scoring, Texas was blanked the rest of the way. Tony Davis rushed for 106 yards and a touchdown to lead Nebraska.

1973 FWAA Selectors

• Steve Weller, Buffalo Evening News
• Bob Galt, Dallas Times Herald
• Whitey Kelley, Charlotte Observer
• John Mooney, Salt Lake Tribune
• Earl Luebker, Tacoma News-Tribune
• Bob Collins, Indianapolis Star
• Alf Van Hoose, Birmingham News
• Del Black, Kansas City Star