chicot60
09-05-2011, 10:44 AM
By Mike Foss, USA TODAY
Tampa Bay Buccaneers Hall of Fame defensive end Lee Roy Selmon died Sunday afternoon, two days after suffering a massive stroke.
It had been reported that Selmon, 56, showed signs of improvement after being admitted to St. Joseph's Hospital on Friday.
http://i.usatoday.net/communitymanager/_photos/the-huddle/2011/09/04/selmonx-inset-community.jpg
A statement released on behalf of his wife, Claybra Selmon, said he died at a St. Joseph's Hospital surrounded by family members.
"For all his accomplishments on and off the field, to us Lee Roy was the rock of our family. This has been a sudden and shocking event and we are devastated by this unexpected loss," the statement said.
The Glazer family, which owns the team, released a statement mourning him.
"Tampa Bay has lost another giant. This is an incredibly somber day for Buccaneer fans, Sooner fans, and all football fans. Lee Roy's standing as the first Buc in the Hall of Fame surely distinguished him, but his stature off the field as the consummate gentleman put him in another stratosphere," the statement said.
"I don't know what to say," former Bucs quarterback Doug Williams told the Tampa Bay Tribune. "Nobody expects something like this to happen, but you don't control it. I'm 56, just like Lee Roy. There's not a whole lot to say."
Selmon was the No. 1 pick in the 1976 draft — the first ever selection by expansion Tampa Bay —suffering through a winless inaugural season. In 1979, he won the NFL Defensive Player of the Year award and helped Tampa Bay to the NFC Championship Game.
He went on to record 78 sacks and earn six consecutive Pro Bowl selections during his nine-year career. He retired after the 1984 season and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1995.
Prior to his professional career, Selmon was an All-American lineman and played for two national championship teams under Barry Switzer at the University of Oklahoma.
Selmon, who won the Outland Trophy and Lombardi Award, played alongside his brother Dewey and Lucious in Norman. Switzer often referred to him as the greatest player he ever coached.
A memorial service will be held in Tampa before Selmon's body is flown to his home state of Oklahoma for burial services.
After his playing career, Selmon served as athletics director for the University of South Florida from 2001-04, helping establish the school's football program. Most recently, he was a restaurant owner in the Tampa area.
USF's football players wore Selmon's old number 63 on their helmets yesterday during their victory at Notre Dame.
"This is devastating for the NFL community, the Tampa Bay community and everyone that knew Mr. Lee Roy Selmon," said former Bucs tight end Jimmie Giles, the newest player inducted into the Bucs Ring of Honor. "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."
http://content.usatoday.com/communities/thehuddle/post/2011/09/former-bucs-star-selmon-dead/1?csp=hf
Tampa Bay Buccaneers Hall of Fame defensive end Lee Roy Selmon died Sunday afternoon, two days after suffering a massive stroke.
It had been reported that Selmon, 56, showed signs of improvement after being admitted to St. Joseph's Hospital on Friday.
http://i.usatoday.net/communitymanager/_photos/the-huddle/2011/09/04/selmonx-inset-community.jpg
A statement released on behalf of his wife, Claybra Selmon, said he died at a St. Joseph's Hospital surrounded by family members.
"For all his accomplishments on and off the field, to us Lee Roy was the rock of our family. This has been a sudden and shocking event and we are devastated by this unexpected loss," the statement said.
The Glazer family, which owns the team, released a statement mourning him.
"Tampa Bay has lost another giant. This is an incredibly somber day for Buccaneer fans, Sooner fans, and all football fans. Lee Roy's standing as the first Buc in the Hall of Fame surely distinguished him, but his stature off the field as the consummate gentleman put him in another stratosphere," the statement said.
"I don't know what to say," former Bucs quarterback Doug Williams told the Tampa Bay Tribune. "Nobody expects something like this to happen, but you don't control it. I'm 56, just like Lee Roy. There's not a whole lot to say."
Selmon was the No. 1 pick in the 1976 draft — the first ever selection by expansion Tampa Bay —suffering through a winless inaugural season. In 1979, he won the NFL Defensive Player of the Year award and helped Tampa Bay to the NFC Championship Game.
He went on to record 78 sacks and earn six consecutive Pro Bowl selections during his nine-year career. He retired after the 1984 season and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1995.
Prior to his professional career, Selmon was an All-American lineman and played for two national championship teams under Barry Switzer at the University of Oklahoma.
Selmon, who won the Outland Trophy and Lombardi Award, played alongside his brother Dewey and Lucious in Norman. Switzer often referred to him as the greatest player he ever coached.
A memorial service will be held in Tampa before Selmon's body is flown to his home state of Oklahoma for burial services.
After his playing career, Selmon served as athletics director for the University of South Florida from 2001-04, helping establish the school's football program. Most recently, he was a restaurant owner in the Tampa area.
USF's football players wore Selmon's old number 63 on their helmets yesterday during their victory at Notre Dame.
"This is devastating for the NFL community, the Tampa Bay community and everyone that knew Mr. Lee Roy Selmon," said former Bucs tight end Jimmie Giles, the newest player inducted into the Bucs Ring of Honor. "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."
http://content.usatoday.com/communities/thehuddle/post/2011/09/former-bucs-star-selmon-dead/1?csp=hf