Sport: TIME'S All-America Team: The Pick of the Pros

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TIGHT END. Riley Odoms, Houston, 6ft. 41n.. 236 Ibs. Tabbed by the scouts as "the fastest tight end around.""

Odoms excels at taking a pass up the middle and then powering his way through tacklers. "And." adds one scout, "he gives you that extra bonus — oh, how "he can block!" Often compared to the Baltimore Colts' bulldozing John∧ Mackey. Odoms hauled in 45 passes this season, for an average gain of 16 yds.

GUARDS. Royce Smith, Georgia, 6 ft. 31n

230 Ibs.. and Reggie McKenzie, Michigan, 6 ft. 4 in.. 232 lbs. A mountain of muscle. Smith is "a real savage with great straight-aheaid blocking power." Since Georgia is mainly a running team, the scouts say that Smith will have to brush up on his pass protection. Even so, most agree that he "plays like a pro already." McKenzie, equally devastating at cutoff and down field blocking, was key to undefeated Michigan's vaunted running at tack. According to the scouts, he is still a growing boy>and will have no trouble adding the necessary 20 lbs, or so to play in the pros.

TACKLES. John Vella. U.S.C., 6 ft. 4 in., ∧250 Ibs. and Lionel Antoine, Southern Illinois. 6 ft. 7 in.. 240 Ibs. Vella will follow a long line of giant Southern Cal tackles (offers: Ya31 Sid Smith,

Mary Montgomery who∧∧have flourished in the pros. He is rated as " tough, driving blocker who picks up rushers aggressively and forces them to concentrate on him instead of the quarterback." Antoine, who also played tight end and defensive tackle in college, has "all the tools: balance, great anticipation and a true N.F.L. physique." Praising his "great attitude," one scout adds: "One thing that counts with me is that he shaves his head. I like clean-cut players." Another highly regarded tackle is Tom Drougas, Oregon, 6 ft. 4 in., 257 Ibs.

CENTER. Tom DeLeone, Ohio State, 6 ft. 2 in., 227 Ibs. Big college∧ centers are so hard to find that the pros often groom a college guard or tackl^tor the position. The best of a mediocre lot, De-Leone should make it in the N.F.L., provided that he packs on a few more pounds. Rated an "excellent long snapper," he never once misfired on a pass from center this season.

DEFENSE