NEW YORK (AP) - A tackle-machine linebacker, a tackle-busting running back and one of the most disruptive defensive tackles in the country made return appearances on the Associated Press All-America team.
Alabama linebacker C.J. Mosley, Arizona running back Ka'Deem Carey and Arizona State defensive tackle Will Sutton were selected to the first team for the second straight season.
The All-America teams were released Tuesday and selected by a panel of AP college football poll voters.
Missouri defensive end Michael Sam was selected to the first team after a dominant senior campaign. Sam led the Southeastern Conference in sacks (10.5) and tackles for loss (18).
Sam became a consensus All-American on Tuesday after also earning first-team All-American honors from the Walter Camp Foundation and The Sporting News.
The NCAA officially recognizes five postseason All-American lists. Players who make the first team on three are considered consensus All-Americans, while players who appear on all five are unanimous.
Sam becomes the 12th Missouri player - and just the third on defense - to earn consensus honors. Tight end Michael Egnew was the most recent Tiger to earn consensus All-American status, doing so back in 2010.
Heisman Trophy winner Jameis Winston from Florida State added All-American to his resume after a spectacular redshirt freshman season. Heisman finalists Andre Williams from Boston College and Northern Illinois' Jordan Lynch also made the first team. Williams joins Carey in the backfield and Lynch, the dual-threat quarterback, was chosen as an all-purpose player.
Carey, a junior, is second in the nation in rushing after leading last year, but said he thinks he's a better player now.
"I worked hard to improve my speed and strength in the offseason while keeping my speed," Carey said. "I put on 10 pounds of weight and I think that's helped my durability. I also wanted to be a better blocker away from the ball. Blocking for our quarterback and our receivers is key to our system and it's important that I do my part even when I'm not carrying the ball."
Mosley, a senior, was the leading tackler for a defense that ranked fifth in the country in yards allowed per game. Sutton, a senior, was named Pac-12 defensive player of the year for the season straight season.
Winston, a landslide Heisman winner last week, is joined on the first team by three Florida State teammates - center Bryan Stork, kicker Roberto Aguayo and cornerback Lamarcus Joyner - to give the top-ranked Seminoles more than any other school.
Florida State defensive tackle Timmy Jernigan made the second team, along with offensive tackle Cameron Erving. The Seminoles had six players on the three teams, the most of any school.
No. 2 Auburn, which plays Florida State on Jan. 6 in the BCS championship game in Pasadena, Calif., placed Heisman finalists Tre' Mason on the second team at running back and offensive lineman Reese Dismukes and Gregory Robinson on the third team.
Texas A&M Heisman finalist Johnny Manziel, last year's Heisman winner and All-American quarterback, made the second team. Alabama's AJ McCarron, another Heisman finalist, is the third-team quarterback for the second consecutive season.
The first-team receivers are Oregon State's Brandin Cooks, who leads the nation in yards receiving (139.2 per game), and Texas A&M's Mike Evans, who is averaging 20.3 yards a catch.
Texas Tech's Jace Amaro is the first-team tight end. The senior leads all tight ends in catches (98) and yards (1,240).
Joining Stork on the offensive line are Texas A&M tackle Jake Matthews and Alabama tackle Cyrus Kouandjio, as well as Baylor guard Cyril Richardson and Stanford guard David Yankey. Richardson and Yankey were second-team All-Americans last season.
Mosley and Sutton are on the first-team defense with Pittsburgh defensive tackle Aaron Donald, who won the Nagurski and Bednarik awards as the nation's best defensive player and the Outland and Lombardi as the country's best lineman.
Missouri's Sam, the Southeastern Conference defensive player of the year, and Jackson Jeffcoat, the Big 12 defensive player of the year, are the defensive ends. UCLA's Anthony Barr and Ohio State's Ryan Shazier round out the linebackers.
Michigan State's Darqueze Dennard, one of the leaders of the nation's top-ranked defense, is the other cornerback with Joyner. The safeties are Mississippi's Cody Prewitt and Washington State's Deone Bucannon.
Tom Hornsey of Memphis made the first team as the punter.
Florida State helped the Atlantic Coast Conference put six players on the first team, to match the Pac-12 and SEC for the most from any conference.