Lee Roy Selmon, Pro And College Hall Of Famer, Passes Away At 56

Lee Roy Selmon touched many lives during his time at the University of Oklahoma and in his many years playing for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and working for the University of South Florida. It's only fitting that members of both communities will have a chance to pay their respects in dual funeral services.

The University of Oklahoma said Monday that there will be a public viewing Thursday at Exciting Central Baptist Church in Tampa and a funeral service Friday at Idlewild Baptist Church in Lutz, Fla. A funeral service also is set for Saturday at The First Southern Baptist Church in Oklahoma City.

Selmon remains the Tampa Bay all-time leader in sacks with 78 1/2, and posted 742 total tackles. His No. 63 was retired by the franchise in 1986, and he was inducted into the pro football Hall of Fame in 1995.

For more, head to Buccaneers blog Bucs Nation, Oklahoma blog Crimson And Cream Machine and USF blog Voodoo Five.

Pro Football Hall of Famer Lee Roy Selmon passed away on Sunday just two days after he suffered a stroke. Reactions from across the football world are coming in. His college coach at Oklahoma, Jimmy Johnson, tweeted that Selmon was a "great player [but] a better person." CBS Sports' Brett McMurphy echoed a similar sentiment by calling him the "nicest man I've ever known."

Sports Illustrated's Peter King recalls Selmon's legacy in the NFL, as he is the only Tampa Bay Buccaneer to make it into the Hall of Fame. The Bucs were a terrible team back in the 1970s when Selmon played there, but "Lee Roy Selmon [for the HOF] was a cinch. That's how great he was." ESPN's NFC South blogger Pat Yasinskas recalls how influential and long-lasting Selmon's impact on Tampa was:

He played it with uncommon grace and dignity and he lived his life that same way. That’s why the legend of Lee Roy Selmon is going to keep lingering in Tampa Bay.

After his playing career ended, Selmon eventually became the athletic director at South Florida in the 1990s and built the football program from the ground up. Voodoo Five, our USF blog, honors Selmon in understated tones: "Rest in peace, Mr. Selmon. Thanks for everything."

For more, head to Buccaneers blog Bucs Nation, Oklahoma blog Crimson And Cream Machine and USF blog Voodoo Five.

After a series of conflicting reports, Tampa Bay Buccaneers great Lee Roy Selmon has died Sunday, according to the Tampa Tribune. Selmon suffered a stroke Friday, with his brother terming his condition "stable" as of Sunday afternoon. 

Selmon was 56 years old. He's best known for his time with the Bucs, with whom he reached the Pro Football Hall of Fame, but he's also a College Football Hall of Famer for his career with the Oklahoma Sooners. He also served as athletic director of the South Florida Bulls after his playing days.

Selmon had an excellent reputation both on and off the field, known for participating in charity and establishing himself as an entrepreneur.

USF coach Skip Holtz found inspiration in Selmon's legacy before the Bulls' Saturday game against Notre Dame, a victory many are thinking of as a tribute to Selmon's memory.

For more, head to Buccaneers blog Bucs Nation, Oklahoma blog Crimson And Cream Machine and USF blog Voodoo Five.

Former NFL great Lee Roy Selmon is stable after a stroke on Friday, his older brother Dewey says.

“He’s stable and we all have great hope,‘’ Dewey Selmon said. "He’s a fighter. Keep the prayers going.’’

A nursing supervisor listed Selmon, 56, in critical condition as of early this afternoon.

Former Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker David Lewis said that Selmon recognized his family and was breathing without assistance.

“The family is leaning on their faith and nobody has more faith than Lee Roy,‘’ said Lewis, an assistant football coach at Tampa Catholic High School, who came to the hospital after TC’s game on Friday night. "Things like this can turn and they can turn for the best. That’s what I’m hoping and praying for.

In Saturday’s victory over Notre Dame, University Of South Florida players wore a No. 63 decal in tribute to Lee Roy Selmon, who is president of the University of South Florida Foundation Partnership for Athletics. Selmon had been expected to go to the game.

NFL and college football great Lee Roy Selmon, 56, has reportedly passed away following a stroke on Friday, according to WTSP in Tampa. He suffered the stroke on Friday afternoon and was taken to the hospital after paramedics found him unconscious and not breathing. The cause of the stroke has not yet been ascertained.

Selmon enjoyed an outstanding career as a defensive lineman with the Oklahoma Sooners before he entered the NFL as the first-ever draft pick by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who selected him with the first overall pick in 1976. He went on to a nine-year career, all with the Buccaneers, and joined the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1995. He totaled 78-1/2 sacks in his career and made the Pro Bowl in his last six years. He was the Defensive Player of the Year in 1979.

Following his football career, Selmon joined the University of South Florida in the 1990s as the athletic director. He was the guiding force in starting the football program from scratch.

[UPDATE] Additional reports out of Tampa indicate that these earlier reports were in error. Selmon's brother, Dewey, has told WTSP that Lee Roy is still alive.