The University of Alabama set a record when it had four players named All-Americans by the American Football Coaches Association on Wednesday.

In comparison, the rest of the Southeastern Conference had three selections.

Junior wide receiver Amari Cooper and junior safety Landon Collins were still on pace to be unanimous choices and the AFCA is one of the five services the NCAA uses to determined unanimous and consensus status. Senior linebacker Trey DePriest and guard Aria Kouandjio were also selected.

Consequently, Alabama was the seventh program to place four players on the AFCA All-America Team, but the first to do so four separate years:

  • 2008: Offensive lineman Andre Smith, center Antoine Caldwell, defensive lineman Terrence Cody and defensive back Rashad Johnson.
  • 2009: Offensive lineman Mike Johnson, running back Mark Ingram, linebacker Rolando McClain and defensive back Javier Arenas.
  • 2013: Offensive lineman Cyrus Kouandjio, quarterback AJ McCarron, linebacker C.J. Mosley and defensive back Ha Ha Clinton-Dix.

The remarkable thing about those selections and 2014 is that even though they were back-to-back years not one player repeated. The other teams with four selections were 1945 Army, 1966 Notre Dame, 1967 USC, 1990 Notre Dame, 1999 Florida

While the AFCA record for most selections in one year is six, which Oklahoma had in 2003, Alabama had the second-most with five just three years ago.

  • 2011: Offensive lineman Barrett Jones, running back Trent Richardson, linebacker Dont’a Hightower, defensive back Mark Barron, defensive back DeQuan Menzie.

Overall, Oklahoma has had the most selections since the AFCA first selected a team in 1945, but Alabama has had the most players. The Sooner have been represented 62 times by 53 players, compared to the Crimson Tide’s 59 by 57 players.

2014 AFCA FBS Coaches’ All-America Team
Offense
Pos. Name Ht. Wt. Cl. School Coach Hometown (High School)
WR Amari Cooper, 6-1 210 Jr., Alabama, Nick Saban, Miami, Fla. (Northwestern)
WR Kevin White, 6-3 210 Sr., West Virginia, Dana Holgorsen, Plainfield, N.J. (Emmaus)
TE Nick O’Leary, 6-3 247 Sr., Florida St., Jimbo Fisher, Palm Beach, Fla. (Dwyer)
OL Brandon Scherff, 6-5 320 Sr., Iowa, Kirk Ferentz, Denison, Iowa (Denison)
OL Arie Kouandjio, 6-5 315 Sr., Alabama, Nick Saban, Hyattsville, Md. (DeMatha Catholic)
C Reese Dismukes, 6-3 295 Sr., Auburn, Gus Malzahn, Spanish Fort, Ala. (Spanish Fort)
OL Rob Havenstein, 6-8 333 Sr., Wisconsin, Gary Andersen, Mount Airy, Md. (Linganore)
OL Tre’ Jackson, 6-4 330 Sr., Florida St., Jimbo Fisher, Jesup, Ga. (Wayne County)
QB Marcus Mariota, 6-4 219 Jr., Oregon, Mark Helfrich, Honolulu, Hawaii (St. Louis)
RB Melvin Gordon, 6-1 213 Jr., Wisconsin, Gary Andersen, Kenosha, Wis. (Bradford)
RB James Conner, 6-2 250 So., Pittsburgh, Paul Chryst, Erie, Pa. (McDowell)
RB Tevin Coleman, 6-1 210 Jr., Indiana, Kevin Wilson, Tinley Park, Ill. (Oak Forest)

Defense
DL Vic Beasley, 6-3 235, Gr., Clemson, Dabo Swinney, Adairsville, Ga. (Adairsville)
DL Shane Ray, 6-3 245, Jr., Missouri, Gary Pinkel, Kansas City, Mo. (Bishop Miege)
DL Joey Bosa, 6-5 278, So., Ohio St., Urban Meyer, Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (St. Thomas Aquinas)
DL Leonard Williams, 6-5, 300 Jr., USC, Steve Sarkisian, Daytona Beach, Fla. (Mainland)
LB Scooby Wright III, 6-1 246, So., Arizona, Rich Rodriguez, Windsor, Calif. (Cardinal Newman)
LB Hau’oli Kikaha, 6-3 246, Sr., Washington, Chris Petersen, Hau’ula, Hawaii (Kahuku)
LB Trey DePriest, 6-2 250, Sr., Alabama, Nick Saban, Springfield, Ohio (Springfield)
DB Gerod Holliman, 6-2 213, So., Louisville, Bobby Petrino, Miami, Fla. (Southridge)
DB Senquez Golson, 5-9 176, Sr., Mississippi, Hugh Freeze, Pascagoula, Miss. (Pascagoula)
DB Landon Collins, 6-0 222, Jr., Alabama, Nick Saban, New Orleans, La. (Dutchtown)
DB Ifo Ekpre-Olomu, 5-10 195, Sr., Oregon, Mark Helfrich, Chino Hills, Calif. (Chino Hills)

Specialists
P Tom Hackett, 5-11 187, Jr., Utah, Kyle Whittingham, Melbourne, Australia (Scotch College)
PK Roberto Aguayo, 6-1 203, So., Florida St., Jimbo Fisher, Mascotte, Fla. (South Lake)
AP Tyler Lockett, 5-11 175, Sr., Kansas St., Bill Snyder, Tulsa, Okla. (Booker T. Washington)