Williams Paid Homage To Selmon
May 14th, 2015
Former Bucs QB Doug Williams had kind words for his former teammate, the late great Lee Roy Selmon yesterday.
Yeah, it was a cool day yesterday when both Doug Williams and Mike Alstott were announced for the Ring of Honor. That was one helluva curveball Team Glazer threw by surprising everyone with Alstott.
Not that Alstott is a surprise. He is most deserving. Just that no one expected two honorees in one season, and already leaked about Williams.
What struck Joe was the old timers who played with Williams, some 36 years later, they all still know who was the real stud on that 1979 team. And that was Mr. Buccaneer, Lee Roy Selmon.
Williams made sure to talk about Selmon and remembered the first time he met Selmon, the Hall of Fame defensive end did not live up to his reputation, nor impress Williams.
“I can remember when I was drafted, we all met down in Sarasota,” Williams said. “The first guy I met was Lee Roy Selmon. When you talk about Lee Roy Selmon, you talk about defensive lineman. You are looking for that brutal, heavy-voiced type of guy. I was scared when I put my hand out there; I knew he was going to squeeze it to death. He handed it out there and said, ‘Hi guy,’ (in a high pitch voice). It killed me. Killed me.
“I remember we played in a game and they were killing me out there. Lee Roy had a shot on the quarterback, I mean had the blind side and he pushed the guy down. I said ‘Lee Roy, what the hell you doing? They are killing me. Cut him in half!’ He said, ‘I didn’t want to hurt the guy.’ (Laughter). Wow. That’s what happened.”
That is a very good description of Selmon. He truly was a gentle giant. He was always worried about hurting quarterbacks. Maybe that’s why most of his sacks, it looks like he just bear-hugged quarterbacks and they simply fell softly to the ground.
Selmon, from a personalty standpoint, was the opposite of, say, Warren Sapp as a human being could get. Sapp made sure quarterbacks (and everyone else) knew he was there, and Sapp was every bit the gnarling, loud, angry defensive lineman one envisions.
Selmon’s personality was more like the team chaplain.
May 14th, 2015 at 12:47 pm
The last time I saw Mr. Selmon was at Friday’s years ago. I was having lunch with my wife and saw him having lunch with his wife. It was raining like crazy and of course on the way out I see him holding the door and umbrella to make sure his wife was unimpeded and dry. The guy was all class all the time. Something Sapp could never comprehend.
May 14th, 2015 at 12:51 pm
Yep, Sarasota, that’s where I met Doug Williams, at the the boys club, but also met Leeroy, Dewey at Jimmy DuBose house around the corner from where we lived. Bucs used to come down to Sarasota and sign autographs and have the community meet the team.
May 14th, 2015 at 1:01 pm
I am honored and humbled to know that Lee Roy Selmon was my friend for 30-plus years.
Lee Roy and my father are the two best men I have ever known.
I plan on seeing both of them on the other side.
May 14th, 2015 at 1:26 pm
Ive met multiple bucs QBs growing up in south tampa
Doug Williams was standing in front of me in line at TIA when i was going to chicago. Shaun King and his family were in the booth behind myn at IHOP when he was still playing (he should’ve ordered a salad). Freeman at Mcdintons on south howard (he was drunk). Glennon at the Patio on swann when UF was in the final four (i believe he was drinking club soda).
May 14th, 2015 at 1:27 pm
Luther,
Sapp is not a hall of fame person, no doubt, but I would argue that Sapp’s disposition made him even better as a player. I understand that Sapp can do some stupid sh!t, and can be an a-hole, but holy cow- 16 sacks from the 3-technique in one season. Sapp had the best 3-5 year run of any DT, ever.
No Sapp, no Lombardi.
May 14th, 2015 at 1:46 pm
SteveK I feel that football is not life and it matters to me what people think of me outside of my profession. Sapp seems to think that his exploits on the field will allow him to be a total jerk off the field. Lee Roy maybe didn’t win a title, but he is much more revered by society.
May 14th, 2015 at 2:15 pm
Jimminy Christmas look at the size of that monster!
May 14th, 2015 at 2:33 pm
Remember this article the next time someone says Gerald McCoy is too nice and shouldn’t help people off the ground.
May 14th, 2015 at 4:25 pm
Luther
Agree with you completely. If we are honest there are some incredibly gifted DL who were not aholes or violent jerks. In addition to Selmon you can think of Merlin Olson and plenty of others.
There have been many violent jerks or aholes like Sapp who have ALSO been great football players.
And so if you can win EITHER way I just don’t see rooting for the jerks of the world. This was my biggest concern about Fameis and so far he had done a great job of calming those fears.
May 14th, 2015 at 7:34 pm
Selmon is laying the smacketh down on that Iggles QB in the picture.
Who was that getting his arse kicked by Selmon?
May 14th, 2015 at 7:57 pm
Marc says:
Remember this article the next time someone says Gerald McCoy is too nice and shouldn’t help people off the ground.
I agree Marc.
Selmon was a mans’ man, and a gentleman. Yet, certain people want to dump on McCoy for the same demeanor…
Weak minds want to think that it is kill or be killed but it isn’t, it is a game and just a job for these guys.
May 14th, 2015 at 9:39 pm
Selmon was the gentle giant. When I was a student at USF back in the ’80s I worked at Busch Gardens Smokehouse BBQ in Stanleyville to make ends meet as well as get the complimentary 2 cases of beer each employee received monthly along with after shift trips to the Hospitality House…. Anyhow: LeRoy Selmon and one of his brothers were in the park with their parents. Leroys’ mother was wheelchair bound and he got his mom lunch at our restaurant. Dude was so polite with everyone, reading people’s names off of their tags and speaking to us as if he had known us his whole life. One of the girls I worked with said he had the kindest smile she ever saw and we watched as he helped his mom eat her bbq. The fact that he did not complain about the bbq was telling as well as we obviously were not in the same league as the Selmon Brother’s BBQ was back then, their sauce was something else. I used to be able to get it at Kash n Karry/Sweetbay but since they went Winn ixie I have not been able to find it… Anyhow Mr Selmon illustrated to me that day in Busch Gardens how one’s actions give us an inner view of one’s character and its pretty ****ing obvious that Leroy was a man of exceptional character while someone like Warren Sapp may be comparable on the field to #63 but off of the field there is no comparison between #s 63 and 99! In fact it is fairer to compare #99 to someone like Floyd Merriweather…..
May 14th, 2015 at 9:55 pm
That looks like Mr. Jaworski getting hit.
May 15th, 2015 at 11:00 am
All men should inspire to be like Mr. Selmon. Was honored to shake hands with him twice and told him as much. Was a very gracious human being.
I ha used the comparison of McCoy and Selmon often when some moron out here says McCoy isn’t mean enough.
You are who you are.
McCoy and Selmon are gentlemen.
Sapp is and probably always will be a jerk.
May 15th, 2015 at 11:33 am
Great of Doug to mention Leroy Selmon. What a beast he was!! I can remember going to the games with my dad. We would be losing bigtime. But there he was, playing his heart out and kickin opponents butts!! That was..Mr. Selmon. Sure Sapp was a beast on the field. But he will never be the complete all around man Leroy was. N-E-Vvv-E- R !!