By Darin Hayes October 20, 1954 – Eufaula, Oklahoma. – Lee Roy Selmon was born as the youngest of nine children in the Selmon home. Lee Roy was a great student, as he became a National Honor Society member while at Eufaula High School.
After high school, Selmon followed his two older brothers and played football at the University of Oklahoma. Lee Roy Selmon was a Defensive Tackle for the Sooners and a pretty good one at that. The NFF’s website states that Lee Roy won the Outland and Lombardi Awards as the nation’s best lineman. In his three years as a starter, Oklahoma went 32- 1-1 and won two national championships. He was also selected as an NFF Scholar-Athlete in 1975.
The National Football Foundation selected Lee Roy to enter its College Football Hall of Fame in 1988.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers used their very first-ever Draft pick to choose Lee Roy Selmon to play for their new team. He played 9 seasons in the NFL. For his career, he registered 78 1/2 sacks, 380 QB pressures, forced 28 1/2 loose balls, and recovered 10 of these fumbles.
The Pro Football Hall of Fame enshrined him in 1995.
Additional Verified Contributions and Accolades
- NFL Defensive Player of the Year: 1979 (AP, PFWA).
- All-Pro Honors: 3x First-team All-Pro (1979, 1980, 1982).
- Retired Number: His jersey No. 63 was the first and only number retired by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1986).
- All-Time Teams: Named to the NFL 1980s All-Decade Team and the NFL 100th Anniversary All-Time Team.
- Franchise Icon: Was the inaugural inductee into the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Ring of Honor in 2009.
- Jersey Numbers: Wore No. 93 at the University of Oklahoma and No. 63 for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
- Academic Excellence: Was a three-time Academic All-American at Oklahoma, where he earned a degree in special education.
- Post-Playing Career: After football, he became the Athletic Director for the University of South Florida (USF) and was instrumental in launching the school’s football program.
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