Sport: 1961 All-America

Cheerleaders cartwheel giddily across the grass and trumpets blare the notes of familiar fight songs. Undergrads guzzle brandy, nuzzle girl friends, nibble fingernails and lustily sing the praises of alma mater. Such are the sights and sounds of college football for most fans—but not for the pro scout. Cold-eyed and calm in the midst of it all, he perches in some remote corner of the stadium, clutching his notebook and pencil. His sound is the smack of leather meeting leather, and his sight is the glimpse of a crumpling block, a tooth-rattling tackle, or a precisely executed pass. Like a Broadway talent hunter who scours the chorus line for a budding star, the pro scout examines Saturday's heroes for the skill, size, strength and stamina that may be worth a Sunday paycheck. This week, prepared to back up their choices with cash in their annual draft, the scouts of both professional football leagues took time out to compile a team of the nation's best pro prospects. TIME's pro-picked All-America:

Ends: Gary Collins, 21, Maryland; 6 ft. 3 in., 205 Ibs. Bill Miller, 21, Miami; 6 ft., 195 Ibs. Says one scouting report of Collins: "Fast, does everything well, has all the moves. Also a good punter." Of Miller: "Great hands, and the unusual ability to catch a pass in a crowd. But he's not real big, and size will work against him." Colorado's Jerry Hillebrand, 21, is plenty big enough (6 ft. 4 in., 241 Ibs.), may wind up doing double duty as an offensive flanker and field-goal kicker. The pros are thinking about making offensive ends out of two star Southwest Conference halfbacks because of their broken-field running ability: Texas' crazy-legged Jimmy Saxton, 21 (5 ft. 11 in., 164 Ibs.) and Arkansas' fleet-footed Lance Alworth, 21 (6 ft., 178 Ibs.). Says one scout: "Alworth didn't catch many at Arkansas. But he has tremendous speed—he runs the 100-yd. dash in 9.6 seconds—and his performance as a breakaway running back shows that once he gets the ball, he can go the distance."

Tackles: Merlin Olsen, 21, Utah State; 6 ft. 5 in., 265 Ibs. Fate Echols, 22, Northwestern; 6 ft. 1 in., 255 Ibs. The nation's No. 1 college lineman, Olsen is a home-grown giant from Logan, Utah, who boasts brains as well as brawn: his scholastic average (3.96 out of a possible 4) is the highest in Utah State's College of Business. Tough and tenacious ("He doesn't block; he explodes"), Olsen could play either offense or defense with the pros. Smaller but extremely fast, Echols probably will be shifted to guard if he accepts a pro contract—but he may go directly into coaching instead. Also highly regarded by the pros: Minnesota's Bobby Bell, 21 (6 ft. 4 in., 218 Ibs.), Alabama's Billy Neighbors, 21 (6 ft., 229 Ibs.), and Olsen's Utah State Teammate Clark Miller, 23 (6 ft. 5 in., 250 Ibs.), who was drafted last year by the San Francisco Forty-Niners.