Bucs' Lee Roy Selmon Mourned By Fans, Friends

It’s easy to be a winner on a winning team. The press will eulogize your every move on the field, fans will scream themselves hoarse shouting your name, and companies from Avis to Zillow with throw bucket loads of cash your way seeking an endorsement.

Lee Roy Selmon was the exception. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ first-ever draft pick in 1976, Selmon was a winner on a team that perfected the art of losing, setting new records for mediocrity along the way.

Selmon died Sunday, two days after suffering a stroke. He was 56. Born in Eufaula, OK, Selmon was raised on a farm with eight siblings. He starred for Oklahoma with his brothers, winning consecutive national titles before moving to the Bucs. He lived in Odessa.

Selmon brilliance on the field — he was elected to six Pro Bowls and was the 1979 NFL Defensive Lineman of the Year — was only surpassed by the man he was off it.

In a day when heroes come cheap and are often more style than substance, Selmon was the real deal. So well loved, the bay area community named a major highway after Selmon in 1999. After retiring from the Bucs in 1984, Selmon served as athletic director for the University of South Florida from 2001-04.

He was a ferocious player on the field as a defensive end, often double-teamed, but off it, Selmon was a gentle man and a gentleman.

Listening to a radio interview on the eve of his induction into the NFL Hall of Fame replayed by a local radio station, Selmon was humble, generous and courteous to all who called congratulating him. He didn’t talk up his restaurant, instead he spoke about local charities of which he was an avid supporter.

“You need to live each day showing kindness and trying to help others. It’s not always easy but that’s what I try to do,” Selmon said. Few can copy what he did on the field but we could all remember those words and follow his advice as a tribute to the man.

The word “loss” springs to mind at times like this but perhaps it’s also a time to remember what the bay area gained having Lee Roy Selmon here for at least a short time.

For those who were lucky enough to know the man personally, he will never be forgotten.

The Selmon family asks donations be made to Abe Brown Ministries or the University of South Florida Foundation Partnership for Athletics.

Here's what some people are saying about Selmon's passing:

“Lee Roy Selmon was the greatest man I've ever met.” — Rock Riley, Bright House Sports Network

“Beyond his many and great accomplishments, I believe the true legacy of Lee Roy Selmon lies within the kind of man he was. Lee Roy possessed a combination of grace, humility, and dignity that is rare." — Barry Switzer, former Oklahoma coach

"Whenever I want to feel good, I think of Lee Roy Selmon." — John McKay, former Buccaneers coach

“He wasn't from the area. He didn't play at Miami or Florida. He was from Oklahoma and he came to Tampa and played nine years and they named an expressway after him. That's all you need to know about Lee Roy Selmon." — Rich McKay, Atlanta Falcons president and CEO, former Bucs GM

"Lee Roy's legacy is he's the most peaceful man you'd ever want to meet. Every time you were around him he made you feel better." — Jimmie Giles, former Bucs tight end

Got your own recollections of Lee Roy Selmon? Share them in the comments section below.