Milan Lazetich
Encyclopedia
Milan "Sheriff" Lazetich (August 27, 1921 – July 9, 1969) was an American football
player in the 1940s. He played college football
for the University of Montana and University of Michigan
. He was a first-team All-Big Ten
tackle
and second-team All-American
in 1944 for the Michigan Wolverines
. He later played professional football for the Cleveland Rams
and Los Angeles Rams
. He played on the 1945 NFL Championship
team as a rookie
and was an All-Pro
guard
/linebacker
for the Rams in 1948 and 1949.
. He was the son of Peter Lazetich, a pioneer Serbia
n rancher. He grew up on his father's cattle ranch a few miles from Anaconda. Lazetich attended Anaconda High School where he played football and was selected as an all-state tackle three straight years in 1938, 1939 and 1940. He also played basketball
and was a member of the track team. Two of his brothers were also all-state football players at Anaconda High School.
Lazetich played one year of college football
at the University of Montana. In a spring game in April 1942, Lazetich returned a kickoff
90 yards. He joined the U.S. Navy
during World War II
but received a medical discharge
. After being discharged from the Navy, Lazetich served as a deputy sheriff in Deer Lodge County, Montana
. He also worked as a cowpuncher
and rodeo
rider.
where he played for Fritz Crisler
's Wolverines football team in 1944. Because of his prior work in law enforcement, Lazetich was given the nickname the "Sheriff" by his Michigan teammates, a nickname that stuck throughout his football career. Lazetich was the star of the 1944 Wolverines team
that went 8–2 and finished the season ranked #8 in the AP Poll
. After being introduced to Big Ten
football in 1944, Lazetich told reporters that "no end or back ever threw a block like a pony that has been running wild for a couple of years, especially when he feels the first touch of a saddle." An NEA wire service story reported: "To him the Big Nine schedule can't be as tough as the battering bucking broncs handed out."
In a pre-game story about the 1944 Michigan – Ohio State game, the Associated Press
focused on Lazetich:
At the end of the 1944 season, Lazetich, in his sophomore season, was selected for the Associated Press
All Big Ten Team as a first-team tackle. He was also picked as a second-team All-American by the Associated Press
, Football Writers Association of America
, International News Service
, and Central Press Association
.
In 1946, the Rams moved to Los Angeles
, giving California
and the Pacific Coast
its first major league sports team. Lazetich played for the Rams in their first five seasons in Los Angeles. When the Rams moved west, the Los Angeles Times
ran an article introducing the city to the team's top players. In its feature on Lazetich, the Times noted that, in "Sheriff" Lazetich, the Rams had one of the country's greatest law enforcement officers in its line.
In the late 1940s, he was regarded as "one of the finest defensive right guards in pro football," and "50% of one of the best guard combinations in the National Football League." The Los Angeles Times gave Lazetich substantial credit for the success of the 1949 Rams. He was selected as a first-team NFL All-Pro by the Chicago-Herald American
in 1948 and as a second-team NFL All-Pro by Pro Football Illustrated. In 1949, he was selected as a first-team All-NFL/AAFC player by the International News Service
, the Hearst newspapers wire service.
Lazetich made a key play in the 1950 NFL Championship Game
. With the Rams ahead, 28–27, and only five minutes left to play in the game, the Cleveland Browns
were driving toward a score. After Browns quarterback Otto Graham
carried the ball on a quarterback draw, "linebacker Milan Lazetich hit him from behind, forcing a fumble recovered by the Rams at their own 22-yard line with just 3:16 to play." Lazeitch also recovered the fumble and appeared to have sealed a victory for the Rams. However, the Rams were unable to run out the clock, and the Browns kicked a field goal in the game's last minute to win, 30–28.
In addition to his ability as a player, Lazetich developed a reputation as "a wild character if there ever was one." Decades later, Los Angeles Times columnist Frank Finch wrote that, although modern players were bigger and faster, he preferred the characters of the early NFL over the "faceless robots" of the modern game. He focused in particular on Lazetich: "A character's character was Ram middle guard Milan (Sheriff) Lazetich. He was a blithe spirit from Montana who'd played college football at Michigan before joining the Rams in '46 for a five-year stint. That he lasted that long with the club is remarkable in light of what he pulled at Dan Reeves
' Christmas party for the team at the end of the '46 season." Reeves, the Rams' owner, invited the team to a party at his home; the centerpiece was a large cake in the design of a football field topped with a full-size football covered in chocolate. Teammate and Pro Football Hall of Fame
r Tom Fears
later recalled the incident this way:
By 1948, health problems began to affect Lazetich. Prior to the 1948 season, the Los Angeles Times reported on an unspecified medical condition that may prevent him from playing for the team. In November 1949, Lazetich was hospitalized in Pennsylvania
during the football season for treatment of a stomach ulcer
. He was given several blood transfusion
s, his condition was reported to be serious, and he was unable to play for the rest of the month.
In July 1951, Lazetich announced his retirement from football. At the time, the Los Angeles Times wrote: "Sorry to see the gruff rough Sheriff on the shelf. His departure leaves the Rams with only two members of the original cast of the 1945 world's championship team."
road department, as a court bailiff and as a surveyor with the Montana Highway Department. He was a member of the Serbian Orthodox Church
in Butte, Montana
, the Bokelian Brotherhood Lodge in Butte, and the Serbian Fraternity of Anaconda.
Lazetich died in a hospital in Butte, Montana at age 47 in July 1969. He was buried with military honors at the Mount Olivet Cemetery after a funeral in Butte's Holy Trinity Serbian Orthodox Church. Lazetich was survived by his wife, the former Mary Laughlin, and his daughter Milana.
Lazetich's nephew, Pete Lazetich
, helped the Stanford football team
to a victory over his uncle's alma mater, Michigan, in the 1972 Rose Bowl
. Pete Lazetich was part of the Stanford's front four known as the "Thunder Chickens." The younger Lazetich made 11 tackles in the 1972 Rose Bowl.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
player in the 1940s. He played college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
for the University of Montana and University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
. He was a first-team All-Big Ten
Big Ten Conference
The Big Ten Conference is the United States' oldest Division I college athletic conference. Its twelve member institutions are located primarily in the Midwestern United States, stretching from Nebraska in the west to Pennsylvania in the east...
tackle
Tackle (American football)
Tackle is a playing position in American and Canadian football. Historically, in the one-platoon system a tackle played on both offense and defense. In the modern system of specialized units, offensive tackle and defensive tackle are separate positions....
and second-team All-American
1944 College Football All-America Team
The 1944 College Football All-America team is composed of college football players who were selected as All-Americans by various organizations and writers that chose College Football All-America Teams for the 1944 college football season...
in 1944 for the Michigan Wolverines
Michigan Wolverines
The Michigan Wolverines comprise 27 varsity sports teams at the University of Michigan. These teams compete in the NCAA's Division I and in the Big Ten Conference in all sports except men's ice hockey which competes in the NCAA D1 Central Collegiate Hockey Association, and women's water polo, which...
. He later played professional football for the Cleveland Rams
St. Louis Rams
The St. Louis Rams are a professional American football team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are currently members of the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Rams have won three NFL Championships .The Rams began playing in 1936 in Cleveland,...
and Los Angeles Rams
History of the St. Louis Rams
The following is a detailed history of the St. Louis Rams a professional American football team and member of the National Football League .-AFL Cleveland Rams :...
. He played on the 1945 NFL Championship
NFL Championship Game, 1945
In the 1945 National Football League Championship Game, the Cleveland Rams defeated the Washington Redskins, 15–14, at Cleveland Municipal Stadium in Cleveland, Ohio on December 16, 1945. This was the last game before the Rams moved to Los Angeles, California and was the 13th annual NFL...
team as a rookie
Rookie
Rookie is a term for a person who is in his or her first year of play of their sport or has little or no professional experience. The term also has the more general meaning of anyone new to a profession, training or activity Rookie is a term for a person who is in his or her first year of play of...
and was an All-Pro
All-Pro
All-Pro is a term mostly used in the NFL for the best players of each position during that season. It began as polls of sportswriters in the early 1920s...
guard
Guard (American football)
In American and Canadian football, a guard is a player that lines up between the center and the tackles on the offensive line of a football team....
/linebacker
Linebacker
A linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen...
for the Rams in 1948 and 1949.
Early years
Lazetich was born in 1921 in Anaconda, MontanaAnaconda, Montana
Anaconda, county seat of Anaconda City/Deer Lodge County, is located in mountainous southwestern Montana. The Continental Divide passes within 8 miles of the community with the local Pintler Mountain range reaching 10,379 feet...
. He was the son of Peter Lazetich, a pioneer Serbia
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
n rancher. He grew up on his father's cattle ranch a few miles from Anaconda. Lazetich attended Anaconda High School where he played football and was selected as an all-state tackle three straight years in 1938, 1939 and 1940. He also played basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
and was a member of the track team. Two of his brothers were also all-state football players at Anaconda High School.
Lazetich played one year of college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
at the University of Montana. In a spring game in April 1942, Lazetich returned a kickoff
Kickoff (American football)
A kickoff is a method of starting a drive in American football and Canadian football. Typically, a kickoff consists of one team – the "kicking team" – kicking the ball to the opposing team – the "receiving team"...
90 yards. He joined the U.S. Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
but received a medical discharge
Military discharge
A military discharge is given when a member of the armed forces is released from their obligation to serve.-United States:Discharge or separation should not be confused with retirement; career U.S...
. After being discharged from the Navy, Lazetich served as a deputy sheriff in Deer Lodge County, Montana
Deer Lodge County, Montana
-National protected areas:*Beaverhead National Forest *Deerlodge National Forest -Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 9,417 people, 3,995 households, and 2,524 families residing in the county. The population density was 13 people per square mile . There were 4,958 housing units at an...
. He also worked as a cowpuncher
Cowboy
A cowboy is an animal herder who tends cattle on ranches in North America, traditionally on horseback, and often performs a multitude of other ranch-related tasks. The historic American cowboy of the late 19th century arose from the vaquero traditions of northern Mexico and became a figure of...
and rodeo
Rodeo
Rodeo is a competitive sport which arose out of the working practices of cattle herding in Spain, Mexico, and later the United States, Canada, South America and Australia. It was based on the skills required of the working vaqueros and later, cowboys, in what today is the western United States,...
rider.
University of Michigan
He enrolled at the University of MichiganUniversity of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
where he played for Fritz Crisler
Fritz Crisler
Herbert Orin "Fritz" Crisler was an American football coach who is best known as "the father of two-platoon football," an innovation in which separate units of players were used for offense and defense. Crisler developed two-platoon football while serving as head coach at the University of...
's Wolverines football team in 1944. Because of his prior work in law enforcement, Lazetich was given the nickname the "Sheriff" by his Michigan teammates, a nickname that stuck throughout his football career. Lazetich was the star of the 1944 Wolverines team
1944 Michigan Wolverines football team
The 1944 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan in the 1944 college football season. The team's head coach was Fritz Crisler. The Wolverines played their home games at Michigan Stadium.-Schedule:-Starters:...
that went 8–2 and finished the season ranked #8 in the AP Poll
AP Poll
The Associated Press College Poll refers to weekly rankings of the top 25 NCAA teams in one of three Division I college sports: football, men's basketball and women's basketball. The rankings are compiled by polling sportswriters across the nation...
. After being introduced to Big Ten
Big Ten Conference
The Big Ten Conference is the United States' oldest Division I college athletic conference. Its twelve member institutions are located primarily in the Midwestern United States, stretching from Nebraska in the west to Pennsylvania in the east...
football in 1944, Lazetich told reporters that "no end or back ever threw a block like a pony that has been running wild for a couple of years, especially when he feels the first touch of a saddle." An NEA wire service story reported: "To him the Big Nine schedule can't be as tough as the battering bucking broncs handed out."
In a pre-game story about the 1944 Michigan – Ohio State game, the Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
focused on Lazetich:
"The Michigan line is built around Milan Lazetich, a big
tackle from Anaconda, Mont., who once was sheriff in his home community. He's the No. 1 All-America candidate from the Wolverine camp, so the reports say, but he's only one of a stalwart line which held Illinois speedsters without a score."
At the end of the 1944 season, Lazetich, in his sophomore season, was selected for the Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
All Big Ten Team as a first-team tackle. He was also picked as a second-team All-American by the Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
, Football Writers Association of America
Football Writers Association of America
The Football Writers Association of America is one of the organizations whose College Football All-America Team is recognized by the NCAA...
, International News Service
International News Service
International News Service was a U.S.-based news agency founded by newspaper publisher William Randolph Hearst in 1909.Established two years after the Scripps family founded the United Press Association, INS scrapped among the newswires...
, and Central Press Association
Central Press Association
The Central Press Association was an American newspaper syndication company based in Cleveland, Ohio. It was in business from 1910 to 1971. At its peak, the Central Press supplied features, columns, and photographs to more than 400 newspapers and 12 million daily readers.-History:Virgil Venice...
.
Cleveland and Los Angeles Rams
In August 1945, the 23-year-old Michigan sophomore signed to play professional football for the Cleveland Rams. With the Rams, Lazetich was converted from a tackle to a guard on offense and linebacker on defense. Lazetich played in ten games at right guard for the Rams in 1945, and he helped the Rams to win the NFL championship in his first year as a professional player.In 1946, the Rams moved to Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, giving California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
and the Pacific Coast
West Coast of the United States
West Coast or Pacific Coast are terms for the westernmost coastal states of the United States. The term most often refers to the states of California, Oregon, and Washington. Although not part of the contiguous United States, Alaska and Hawaii do border the Pacific Ocean but can't be included in...
its first major league sports team. Lazetich played for the Rams in their first five seasons in Los Angeles. When the Rams moved west, the Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
ran an article introducing the city to the team's top players. In its feature on Lazetich, the Times noted that, in "Sheriff" Lazetich, the Rams had one of the country's greatest law enforcement officers in its line.
"Lazetich is a copper from Anaconda ... Lazetich was a deputy sheriff of Deer Lodge County but he has made most of his arrests on the football field ... Lazetich played freshman football at the University of Montana after which he moved up to Big Ten football ... While Lazetich was an All-Big Ten tackle for the Wolverines, he is the regular right guard of the Rams."
In the late 1940s, he was regarded as "one of the finest defensive right guards in pro football," and "50% of one of the best guard combinations in the National Football League." The Los Angeles Times gave Lazetich substantial credit for the success of the 1949 Rams. He was selected as a first-team NFL All-Pro by the Chicago-Herald American
Chicago's American
Chicago American, an afternoon newspaper in Chicago, Illinois, was the last flowering of the aggressive journalistic tradition depicted in the play and movie The Front Page....
in 1948 and as a second-team NFL All-Pro by Pro Football Illustrated. In 1949, he was selected as a first-team All-NFL/AAFC player by the International News Service
International News Service
International News Service was a U.S.-based news agency founded by newspaper publisher William Randolph Hearst in 1909.Established two years after the Scripps family founded the United Press Association, INS scrapped among the newswires...
, the Hearst newspapers wire service.
Lazetich made a key play in the 1950 NFL Championship Game
NFL Championship Game, 1950
The 1950 National Football League championship game was the 18th NFL title game. The game was played on December 24, 1950 in Cleveland, Ohio's Municipal Stadium.-Background:...
. With the Rams ahead, 28–27, and only five minutes left to play in the game, the Cleveland Browns
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
were driving toward a score. After Browns quarterback Otto Graham
Otto Graham
Otto Everett Graham, Jr. was a professional American football and basketball player who played for the Cleveland Browns in both the All-America Football Conference and National Football League, as well as the Rochester Royals in the National Basketball League.-Early life:Born in Waukegan,...
carried the ball on a quarterback draw, "linebacker Milan Lazetich hit him from behind, forcing a fumble recovered by the Rams at their own 22-yard line with just 3:16 to play." Lazeitch also recovered the fumble and appeared to have sealed a victory for the Rams. However, the Rams were unable to run out the clock, and the Browns kicked a field goal in the game's last minute to win, 30–28.
In addition to his ability as a player, Lazetich developed a reputation as "a wild character if there ever was one." Decades later, Los Angeles Times columnist Frank Finch wrote that, although modern players were bigger and faster, he preferred the characters of the early NFL over the "faceless robots" of the modern game. He focused in particular on Lazetich: "A character's character was Ram middle guard Milan (Sheriff) Lazetich. He was a blithe spirit from Montana who'd played college football at Michigan before joining the Rams in '46 for a five-year stint. That he lasted that long with the club is remarkable in light of what he pulled at Dan Reeves
Dan Reeves (NFL owner)
Daniel "Dan" Reeves was the owner of the Cleveland/Los Angeles Rams from 1941 to his death in 1971.In addition to the controversial move of the Rams from Cleveland to Los Angeles, Reeves is remembered for being the first NFL owner to sign an African-American player in the post World War II era...
' Christmas party for the team at the end of the '46 season." Reeves, the Rams' owner, invited the team to a party at his home; the centerpiece was a large cake in the design of a football field topped with a full-size football covered in chocolate. Teammate and Pro Football Hall of Fame
Pro Football Hall of Fame
The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame of professional football in the United States with an emphasis on the National Football League . It opened in Canton, Ohio, on September 7, 1963, with 17 charter inductees...
r Tom Fears
Tom Fears
Thomas Jesse Fears was a Mexican-American football wide receiver for the Los Angeles Rams in the National Football League, playing nine seasons from 1948 to 1956.-Early life:...
later recalled the incident this way:
"During the course of predinner libations, someone asked Lazetich to demonstrate his punting prowess. I don't think he'd ever kicked a football before in his life. They dared him to boot the chocolate football, which was a big mistake because Laz wasn't the kind of guy to take a dare lightly. He ambled out to the kitchen, plucked the football off the top of the fancy cake, brought it out in the front room and drove his toe into it with beautiful form and a perfect follow through. Cake, frosting and everything else that was loose was well distributed over the ceiling, walls, windows and drapes. ... It also was the last party Reeves ever held in his house for the Rams."
By 1948, health problems began to affect Lazetich. Prior to the 1948 season, the Los Angeles Times reported on an unspecified medical condition that may prevent him from playing for the team. In November 1949, Lazetich was hospitalized in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
during the football season for treatment of a stomach ulcer
Peptic ulcer
A peptic ulcer, also known as PUD or peptic ulcer disease, is the most common ulcer of an area of the gastrointestinal tract that is usually acidic and thus extremely painful. It is defined as mucosal erosions equal to or greater than 0.5 cm...
. He was given several blood transfusion
Blood transfusion
Blood transfusion is the process of receiving blood products into one's circulation intravenously. Transfusions are used in a variety of medical conditions to replace lost components of the blood...
s, his condition was reported to be serious, and he was unable to play for the rest of the month.
In July 1951, Lazetich announced his retirement from football. At the time, the Los Angeles Times wrote: "Sorry to see the gruff rough Sheriff on the shelf. His departure leaves the Rams with only two members of the original cast of the 1945 world's championship team."
Later years
After retiring from football, Lazetich returned to Montana, where he worked for the Deer Lodge County, MontanaDeer Lodge County, Montana
-National protected areas:*Beaverhead National Forest *Deerlodge National Forest -Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 9,417 people, 3,995 households, and 2,524 families residing in the county. The population density was 13 people per square mile . There were 4,958 housing units at an...
road department, as a court bailiff and as a surveyor with the Montana Highway Department. He was a member of the Serbian Orthodox Church
Serbian Orthodox Church
The Serbian Orthodox Church is one of the autocephalous Orthodox Christian churches, ranking sixth in order of seniority after Constantinople, Alexandria, Antioch, Jerusalem, and Russia...
in Butte, Montana
Butte, Montana
Butte is a city in Montana and the county seat of Silver Bow County, United States. In 1977, the city and county governments consolidated to form the sole entity of Butte-Silver Bow. As of the 2010 census, Butte's population was 34,200...
, the Bokelian Brotherhood Lodge in Butte, and the Serbian Fraternity of Anaconda.
Lazetich died in a hospital in Butte, Montana at age 47 in July 1969. He was buried with military honors at the Mount Olivet Cemetery after a funeral in Butte's Holy Trinity Serbian Orthodox Church. Lazetich was survived by his wife, the former Mary Laughlin, and his daughter Milana.
Lazetich's nephew, Pete Lazetich
Pete Lazetich
Peter Gary Lazetich is a former professional American football player who played defensive lineman for five seasons for the San Diego Chargers and Philadelphia Eagles.-References:...
, helped the Stanford football team
Stanford Cardinal football
The Stanford Cardinal football program represents Stanford University in college football at the NCAA Division I FBS level and is a member of the Pac-12 Conference's North Division. Stanford, the top-ranked academic institution with an FBS program, has a highly successful football tradition. The...
to a victory over his uncle's alma mater, Michigan, in the 1972 Rose Bowl
1972 Rose Bowl
The 1972 Rose Bowl was a college football bowl game played on January 1, 1972. It was the 58th Rose Bowl Game. The Stanford Indians defeated the Michigan Wolverines, 13–12...
. Pete Lazetich was part of the Stanford's front four known as the "Thunder Chickens." The younger Lazetich made 11 tackles in the 1972 Rose Bowl.
See also
- Michigan Wolverines Football All-AmericansMichigan Wolverines Football All-AmericansMichigan Wolverines football All-Americans are American football players who have been named as All-Americans while playing for the University of Michigan football team.-Overview:...
- 1944 College Football All-America Team1944 College Football All-America TeamThe 1944 College Football All-America team is composed of college football players who were selected as All-Americans by various organizations and writers that chose College Football All-America Teams for the 1944 college football season...