Aug. 20, 2015 DALLAS – Former Baylor linebacker Mike Singletary was named to the Football Writers Association of America's 75th Anniversary All-America first team, announced Thursday by the FWAA.
The FWAA's announcement of its three All-America teams marked the 75th anniversary of the organization's founding in 1941.
At Baylor, Singletary became the school’s first three-time All-American (1978-80) as he still holds BU school records with 662 career tackles and 232 stops in the 1978 season. Singletary was also the cornerstone of a Baylor defense that held opponents to a school-record 129 points in 11 regular-season games and led the Bears to the 1980 Southwest Conference championship by a record three-game margin.
He was a two-time Davey O’Brien Memorial Trophy winner and a three-time All-Southwest Conference, while being named the SWC Defensive Player of the Decade for the 1980s.
Following college, Singletary was selected in the second round of the NFL Draft with the 38th overall pick by the Chicago Bears. By the end of his pro career, Singletary was arguably the best middle linebacker in the history of the game, piling up 1,488 career tackles (885 solo), 51 pass breakups, 12 fumble recoveries and seven interceptions. He was selected to 10 consecutive Pro Bowls, named All-Pro eight times and NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 1985 and '88.
Since his playing days, Singletary has been inducted into the Baylor, Texas Sports, College Football and Pro Football Hall of Fames.
Baylor was one of only three current Big 12 schools to have an athlete make the FWAA first-team, joining Oklahoma and Texas.
The FWAA has picked an annual All-America team since the 1944 season, making it the second longest continuously selected team in major college football.
Balloting for the teams began in the spring and involved participation from the entire FWAA membership. Selection of the teams also involved a "Blue Ribbon" committee of past FWAA presidents, current board members and officers. In order for a player to be considered for the FWAA’s 75th team, he had to be on a previous FWAA All-America team.
The Football Writers Association of America consists of 1,400 men and women who cover college football. The membership includes journalists, broadcasters and publicists, as well as key executives in all areas that involve the game.
For the latest news on the Baylor football team follow its official Twitter account: @BUFootball.
