Validating The All-America Candidacy Of Kenny Washington Via The 1940 College All-Star Game – Final Roster Selection

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Almost an entire week before the College All-Stars had actually even held their first practice session, no less of an authority than legendary Green Bay Packers head coach Earl “Curley” Lambeau, rather prophetically, wrote in The Chicago Tribune newspaper on August 5, 1940 :

“(Kenny) Washington and (Banks) McFadden will likely be the collegians’ stars, carrying on where Bill Osmanski of Holy Cross left off (as Most Valuable Player) in 1939. These two men are the pick of the finest set of backs ever assembled for the (College) All-Star Game. Washington, UCLA’s rugged halfback, is the epitome of football perfection. He was the toast of the Pacific coast, where great football players abound. And we’re not overlooking Iowa’s Nile Kinnick, either.”

The lavish praise heaped upon Washington by the future Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee who, at this point in his most distinguished career, had already won five National Football League titles with the Packers was particularly significant, especially considering the source. The 1940 edition of the College All-Stars had no less than five first round NFL draft picks plus the 1939 Heisman Trophy winner (Kinnick) in the backfield. Furthermore, one of those first round draft picks (Hal van Every from Minnesota) also just so happened to be the property of Lambeau’s defending champion Green Bay Packers .

1940 COLLEGE ALL-STARS : Halfbacks
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# 1 ….. Nile Kinnick ……………. Iowa …………………….. 2nd rd – Brooklyn
# 11 … Dom Carney ……………. Rockhurst
# 12 … Benny Sheridan ………. Notre Dame
# 14 … Floyd Dean ……………… Iowa
# 19 … Kenny Washington …… UCLA
# 23 … Lou Zontini ……………… Notre Dame
# 40 … Lou Brock ……………….. Purdue ………………… 3rd rd – Green Bay
# 43 … Dick Cassiano ………….. Pitt ………………………. 6th rd – Green Bay
# 45 … Bob Hoffman …………… USC ……………………… 9th rd – Washington
# 57 … Jack Padley ……………… Dayton ……………….. 16th rd – Detroit
# 60 … Bob Kellogg ……………… Tulane
# 61 … Jack Nix …………………… Mississippi St
# 66 … Banks McFadden ………. Clemson ………………. 1st rd – Brooklyn
# 67 … Olie Cordill ……………….. Rice …………………….. 1st rd – Cleveland
# 72 … George Cafego …………… Tennessee …………… 1st rd – Chi Cardinals
# 83 … Hal van Every ……………. Minnesota …………… 1st rd – Green Bay
# 93 … Bill Hutchison ……………. Dartmouth

1940 COLLEGE ALL-STARS : Quarterback
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# 7 ….. Steve Sitko ………………… Notre Dame ………. 22nd rd – Washington
# 8 ….. Ken Heineman ……………. Texas Mines ……….. 6th rd – Cleveland
# 24 … Ambrose Schindler …….. USC ………………….. 13th rd – Green Bay
# 29 … Ben Kish …………………….. Pitt …………………….. 8th rd – Chi Cardinals
# 34 … Tony Sacco ………………… St. Ambrose
# 78 … Grenville Lansdell ……….. USC …………………… 1st rd – New York
# 87 … Ted Hennis …………………. Purdue …………….. 13th rd – Philadelphia

1940 COLLEGE ALL-STARS : Fullback
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# 21 … Dom Principe ………………. Fordham …………… 9th rd – New York
# 31 … Jim Molnar ………………….. Bradley ………….. 17th rd – Philadelphia
# 33 … Joe Thesing …………………. Notre Dame
# 37 … George McGurn ……………. Northwestern
# 39 … Frank Emmons …………….. Oregon …………….. 5th rd – Philadelphia
# 49 … John McDermott ………….. Detroit
# 51 …. Marty Christiansen ………. Minnesota ……….. 5th rd – Chi Cardinals