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| Lee Roy Selmon | |
|---|---|
| Name | Lee Roy Selmon |
| Caption | Selmon with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 1979 |
| Birth date | January 4, 1954 |
| Birth place | Eufaula, Oklahoma, U.S. |
| Death date | August 4, 2011 |
| Death place | Tampa, Florida, U.S. |
| Alma mater | University of Oklahoma |
| Occupation | Professional football player, athletic administrator |
| Years active | 1976–2011 |
Lee Roy Selmon
Lee Roy Selmon was an American professional football player and athletic administrator notable for his impact with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the University of Oklahoma Sooners. A consensus All-American and the first overall pick in the 1976 NFL Draft of the expansion Buccaneers, Selmon became the franchise's first Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee and later served in athletic leadership and public service roles in Tampa, Florida. His career bridged collegiate prominence under Barry Switzer and professional recognition alongside contemporaries such as Joe Greene, Reggie White, and Deacon Jones.
Born in Eufaula, Oklahoma, Selmon was raised in a family with strong ties to Pineland, Texas and Oklahoma agricultural communities. He attended Eufaula High School where he played high school football and excelled as a standout lineman, attracting recruiting attention from programs including the University of Oklahoma, University of Texas, and Oklahoma State University. Choosing University of Oklahoma, he played under head coach Barry Switzer for the Sooners during the early 1970s, joining a program that featured contemporaries like Terry Miller and preceded stars such as Billy Sims. As a dominant defensive tackle, he earned unanimous consensus All-American honors and was pivotal in Oklahoma’s run-oriented offense era overseen by offensive coordinators and staff connected to the Big Eight Conference.
Selmon’s collegiate accolades included selection to All-Big Eight teams and national recognition that placed him among the same era as players like Tony Dorsett and Randy White. His performances at Oklahoma bowl games—events tied to the Orange Bowl and Cotton Bowl Classic circuits—raised his profile ahead of the 1976 professional draft.
Selected as the first overall pick by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 1976 NFL Draft, Selmon became the cornerstone signing for the expansion franchise co-founded by ownership groups linked to Hugh Culverhouse. He immediately impacted a Buccaneers roster that included early teammates such as Doug Williams, Jimmie Giles, and later personnel like Lee Roy Selmon Jr.—while coaches included John McKay and defensive staffers connected to NFL strategies of the era. Selmon’s rookie season set individual standards even as the Buccaneers struggled with team records, and by his second and third seasons he anchored a defensive unit that progressed to playoff contention by the late 1970s.
Throughout his 11-year NFL career, Selmon registered Pro Bowl selections and All-Pro honors while facing opponents like Larry Csonka, Roger Staubach, and defensive contemporaries such as Jack Youngblood and Ed "Too Tall" Jones. His tenure coincided with the Buccaneers’ first playoff appearances, including the 1979 NFC campaign that saw matchups against franchises like the Los Angeles Rams and coaches such as John Robinson. Battles against Hall of Fame offensive linemen and running backs in the NFC emphasized his role in pass rush containment and run-stopping.
Selmon retired after the 1984 season and left Tampa Bay as the franchise leader in numerous defensive categories at that time. His professional trajectory paralleled developments in NFL player representation associated with the National Football League Players Association and post-career transitions into athletic administration.
As a defensive tackle, Selmon combined length, leverage, and agility reminiscent of linemen such as Joe Greene and Alan Page; his technique emphasized hand placement, gap control, and pursuit angles often taught at coaching clinics hosted by figures like Tom Landry and Bill Walsh. Analysts compared his run-stopping prowess to contemporaries in the NFC and praised his motor, shedding blocks from offensive linemen connected to programs like Notre Dame and USC. Selmon’s leadership on and off the field influenced team culture in Tampa Bay and collegiate recruiting in Oklahoma, inspiring a lineage of defensive linemen including later Buccaneers greats like Warren Sapp and Warren Sapp’s predecessors.
His legacy extended beyond statistics to community recognition and institutional memory at the University of Oklahoma and within the Tampa Bay region; he became a symbol of successful franchise-building for expansion teams and a touchstone in Hall of Fame discussions alongside defensive stalwarts of the 1970s and 1980s.
Selmon earned multiple Pro Bowl selections and was named a first-team All-Pro during his NFL career, joining a cohort of honored players that included Reggie White and Bruce Smith. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in the early 1990s, joining other inductees such as Derrick Thomas and Rayfield Wright. The College Football Hall of Fame recognized his collegiate achievements, and Oklahoma retired his number in ceremonies linked to the Sooners’ athletic department activities. Regionally, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers enshrined him in team honorifics and he received civic awards from Hillsborough County and local institutions.
After retirement, Selmon served as athletic director and senior advisor at institutions including the University of South Florida and held roles within the Tampa Bay Area civic landscape. He participated in initiatives tied to youth development, partnering with local organizations and foundations associated with public health and athletics, and engaged with NFL alumni networks and charity events featuring figures such as Tom Brady and Derrick Brooks. Selmon also contributed to regional sports administration, working with municipal governments and university boards to advance facilities projects and community outreach programs.
Selmon was part of a noteworthy football family that included brothers who played at the collegiate and professional levels, with family connections to Dewey Selmon and others who represented Oklahoma in athletics; familial ties extended to local civic leadership and educational institutions. He was married and involved in faith-based and philanthropic activities within Tampa and the surrounding counties. Selmon died on August 4, 2011, in Tampa, Florida, after health challenges that were publicly noted by the Buccaneers organization and media outlets such as ESPN and The Tampa Tribune. His funeral and memorial services drew attendees from across the NFL and collegiate football communities, reflecting his broad impact on teammates, coaches, and civic leaders.
Category:Pro Football Hall of Fame inductees Category:Tampa Bay Buccaneers players Category:Oklahoma Sooners football players