They are considered two of the best to ever play in the NFL, and that came after strong college careers. So it makes sense that Barry Sanders and Calvin Johnson were selected to the 75th Anniversary All-America Team by the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA).

Sanders was one of two running backs on the second team along with Tony Dorsett, who played at Pitt. Sanders won the Heisman Trophy in 1988 and had 373 carries for 2,850 yards and 42 touchdowns that season. That includes his bowl stats from the 1988 season, which were not included in the Heisman voting, but do count for his overall numbers.

Johnson was a two-time All-American at Georgia Tech and is one of two receivers on the third team along with Michigan's Anthony Carter. Johnson caught 178 passes for 2,927 yards and 28 touchdowns in his three years at Tech, including winning the Biletnikoff Award in 2006 as the best receiver in college football.

Former Detroit Lions linebacker Chris Spielman and cornerback Dre Bly made the third team, and former Lions defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh was a first-team selection by the FWAA.