Hammer
09-04-2011, 09:14 PM
Everyone, please allow me this indulgence. We don't report much about the Bucs here, but I had to post this news. A wonderful piece of my childhood was lost today.
Hall of Fame defensive end Lee Roy Selmon died Sunday, two days after suffering a massive stroke. He was 56.
Selmon, who played college ball at Oklahoma, spent nine seasons in the NFL, all with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The team issued a statement on his passing.
"Tampa Bay has lost another giant," the Glazier family said. "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.
"Put simply, he was first class. He was the real deal. We are so blessed to have known this fine man and to have called him one of our own, yet so sad to have lost him so soon. Our hearts go out to the Selmon family at this time of their loss."
Selmon was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1995, becoming the first Bucs player to receive the honor. His No. 63 is the only number retired by the organization, and a Tampa, Fla., freeway is named after him.
Initially, there was confusion about Selmon's condition after he suffered the stroke. A spokesperson for his restaurant chain issued a statement that day announcing his passing. However, Selmon's brother, Dewey, refuted that statement.
A report on Saturday out of St. Joseph's Hospital in Tampa, where Selmon was admitted, indicated that he was improving.
"We're happy with the progress he has made," Dewey said. "Lee Roy is a fighter. It's just a delicate situation, and we're all waiting."
Now that he's gone, Selmon's teammates are stunned by the news.
"I don't know what to say," former Bucs quarterback Doug Williams told The Tampa 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."
Former Bucs tight end Jimmie Giles told the Tribune: "This is devastating for the NFL community, the Tampa Bay community and everyone that knew Mr. Lee Roy Selmon. 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."
Selmon was the first-ever draft pick (No. 1 overall in 1976) by the expansion Buccaneers. He went to six Pro Bowls and was named the 1979 NFL Defensive Player of the Year. He retired after the 1984 season because of a back injury.
Selmon was named the 98th-best player in NFL Network's "Top 100 Greatest Players of All Time."
Selmon was a two-time All-American at Oklahoma and won both the Lombardi Award and the Outland Trophy in 1975.
Hall of Fame defensive end Lee Roy Selmon died Sunday, two days after suffering a massive stroke. He was 56.
Selmon, who played college ball at Oklahoma, spent nine seasons in the NFL, all with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The team issued a statement on his passing.
"Tampa Bay has lost another giant," the Glazier family said. "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.
"Put simply, he was first class. He was the real deal. We are so blessed to have known this fine man and to have called him one of our own, yet so sad to have lost him so soon. Our hearts go out to the Selmon family at this time of their loss."
Selmon was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1995, becoming the first Bucs player to receive the honor. His No. 63 is the only number retired by the organization, and a Tampa, Fla., freeway is named after him.
Initially, there was confusion about Selmon's condition after he suffered the stroke. A spokesperson for his restaurant chain issued a statement that day announcing his passing. However, Selmon's brother, Dewey, refuted that statement.
A report on Saturday out of St. Joseph's Hospital in Tampa, where Selmon was admitted, indicated that he was improving.
"We're happy with the progress he has made," Dewey said. "Lee Roy is a fighter. It's just a delicate situation, and we're all waiting."
Now that he's gone, Selmon's teammates are stunned by the news.
"I don't know what to say," former Bucs quarterback Doug Williams told The Tampa 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."
Former Bucs tight end Jimmie Giles told the Tribune: "This is devastating for the NFL community, the Tampa Bay community and everyone that knew Mr. Lee Roy Selmon. 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."
Selmon was the first-ever draft pick (No. 1 overall in 1976) by the expansion Buccaneers. He went to six Pro Bowls and was named the 1979 NFL Defensive Player of the Year. He retired after the 1984 season because of a back injury.
Selmon was named the 98th-best player in NFL Network's "Top 100 Greatest Players of All Time."
Selmon was a two-time All-American at Oklahoma and won both the Lombardi Award and the Outland Trophy in 1975.