History Of The Nfl All-pro Team

The National Football League's All-Pro Team has a rich tradition dating to the 1920s. NFL players at each position are selected for outstanding performance during the season by a vote of Associated Press sportswriters, after which the news agency announces the team. Players who are runners-up for the most votes at each position are named to the AP All-Pro Second Team. Other news agencies also select All-Pro Teams, but the selection made by the Associated Press is the most recognized of all.

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Associated Press NFL All-Pro Team

The Associated Press All-Pro National Football League Team, not to be confused with the roster of players selected to play in the NFL Pro Bowl, is released to news outlets following each NFL season. The 1980s teams, selected by the AP national sports editor and a few bureau writers, included such notables as quarterback Brian Sipe of the Cleveland Browns and wide receiver John Jefferson of the San Diego Chargers. The AP archives note that the selectors numbered 90 writers in 1996, including the AP sports editor for each city that had a bureau and two writers selected by the editor. In 1997, this was shifted to a national panel of 50 media experts selected by AP sports writers.

All-Pro selections in the 1990s included quarterback Brett Favre of the Green Bay Packers, running back Barry Sanders from the Detroit Lions and wide receiver Jerry Rice of the San Francisco 49ers. NFL honorees at the turn of the 21st century featured Peyton Manning of the Indianapolis Colts at quarterback, the Minnesota Vikings' Steve Hutchinson at offensive guard and Charles Woodson of the Packers at cornerback.

United Press International All-Pro Team

The sports writers of United Press International also select a National Football League All-Pro Team each year. UPI, established in 1958 with the integration of the International News Service and United Press, markets news collected from domestic and international reporters for sale to media outlets throughout the world. News World Communication owned the company in 2011. Many of the UPI selections naturally overlap with those of other press agencies. Running back Walter Payton for the Chicago Bears, for instance, captured all-pro honors in 1980 from the United Press International, Associated Press, NFL Pro Football Writers, Newspaper Enterprise Association, Pro Football Weekly, Sporting News, as well as selection to the All-NFL first team.

Newspaper Enterprise Association All-Pro Team

A collection of sports writers working under the umbrella of the The Newspaper Enterprise Association first selected a National Football League All-Pro Team in 1954. Their first All-Pro team was selected and publicized in 1996. The selections appeared each year in "Pro Football Weekly." As of 2011, the Newspaper Enterprise Association, partners with the United Feature Syndicate, an organization known for syndicating comic strips, in marketing editorial features throughout the world.

Pro Football Writers Association All-Pro Team

The Pro Football Writers Association, formally known as the Pro Football Writers of America, also selects an NFL All-Pro Team. The group nominated their first all-pro team in 1996, and continued to make yearly selections as of 2011. The group is composed of approximately 300 professional sports editors, columnists and writers who cover professional football. The group promotes a professional working relationship between professional football writers and all of the NFL's teams.