Lee Roy Selmon All-Time DE
November 29th, 2019
Make it two Bucs defenders who will live forever as the best players in the NFL’s first century of play.
The NFL Network is producing an all-time team to commemorate the first 100 seasons of the league. Each week, a different position or two is announced with the top players in the history of the game selected. The panel in charge chose seven defensive ends and Bucs great Lee Roy Selmon was among them.
The thing about Selmon that Joe remembers is, even though Selmon was a defensive end in a three-man front, it was as if he was playing in a four-man front. Selmon was almost always double- and tripled-teamed. It did not matter.
Selmon joins Derrick Brooks in receiving this high honor.
You can see what Mean Joe Greene and Bill Belichick had to say about Selmon in the video below.
(The panel that selected this team for NFL Network is different than the 25-man panel JoeBucsFan.com columnist Ira Kaufman is part of assembled by the Pro Football Hall of Fame.)
Nothing but high praise for Lee Roy Selmon from Joe Greene and Bill Belichick.
📺: #NFL100 All-Time Team on @nflnetwork pic.twitter.com/UlWsuTwJZv
— NFL (@NFL) November 30, 2019
November 29th, 2019 at 10:06 pm
I wish I’d been able to see all of his games, not just when the Bucs played the Lions or Bears.
November 29th, 2019 at 10:07 pm
So sad that “TRASH” LICHT continues to neglect this vital position.
Noah Spence as the only investment under his tenure is a disgrace.
November 29th, 2019 at 10:25 pm
El
I take you think its easy to find Selmon quality pics in every draft?
Glad I’m not in your head!
November 29th, 2019 at 10:40 pm
Lee Roy was the nicest person you would ever want to meet- the total opposite from Sapp. I used to always see him at USF football fan meetings. I also had the honor of meeting him and Dewey when they played and still have an old creamsicle Bucs cap he autographed for me. For me he will always be the best Bucs player. RIP Lee Roy :-(.
November 29th, 2019 at 11:03 pm
When I chose my name years ago I left Lee Roy’s name alone our of respect.
November 29th, 2019 at 11:35 pm
Congrats to Lee Roy Selmon. But Sapp got snubbed
November 29th, 2019 at 11:49 pm
Selmons don’t come along very often. The Bucs will find a great one at some point but not another Lee Roy Selmon.
November 29th, 2019 at 11:54 pm
AWESOME! LEE ROY SELMON #63 OUR G.O.A.T. I’m lucky enough to have been 10 years old in 1976 & the year before my father got me into pro football. He was a life long Dallas Cowgirls fan (reason I still hate them with the power of the sun☀️). I watched my 1st full NFL game for the 1975 Super Bowl, Dallas vs Pittsburgh bc that was dad’s team. We already knew that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers would start later that year for the 1976 season, yet pop refused to become a fan? It truly started my hatred of Dallas, and my love for the Bucs. I still have a scrap book I made as a kid with all of the sports pages from the 1st two full seasons. Lots of Lee Roy Selmon articles back then as he was our only national star. Although our defense had a bunch of very good players (some could have been All-Pros if on winning teams) like DBs Cedrick Brown, Mark Cotney, Jarvis White & Mike Washington, LBs Batman Wood, Cecil Johnson, David Lewis, Dewey Selmon (Lee Roys brother & OU teammate drafted in 3rd round in ’76) and our very 1st All-Pro DT Dave Pear. I’ve been lucky enough to live thru all the Bucs seasons so far. I’ve seen the complete awful (2-26, 1976-77) & this team in 1979 being 9 points away from the Super Bowl (we actually scored points but thanks to penalties they were removed). I wouldn’t change my time frame for anything. Being able to watch a TRUE EXPANSION TEAM (not those with empty salary caps allowed to build that way) the Bucs & Seahawks along with the teams added in 1966 & 1960 had to build the hard way. In 1976 the Bucs went thru over 500 players that year alone. Those days were hard, but thanks to John McKay he noticed greatness in Lee Roy & selected him over Seattle’s DT Steve Niehaus who was defensive Rookie of the Year yet only played 2 seasons in Seattle & 4 in all, while our Great Lee Roy played in 9 (car cut short bc if a back injury in 1984, he didn’t trust the team doctors). In 1988 he was added to the College HOF, He was named NFL Def Player of the Year in 1979, was a 6 time All-Pro, and became our 1st Hall of Fame Player in 1995 & now in 2019 he’s been added to the top Defensive Players of All-Time for NFL! Really sucks he died so damn young at only 56 y/o on Sept 2, 2011 of a massive heart attack. He was a great player & a BETTER PERSON! WE MISS YOU LEE ROY SELMON, BUT I WAS DAMN HAPPY/LUCKY TO HAVE MET YOU (MANY TIMES) & WAS ABLE TO WATCH YOUR ENTIRE CAREER,
CONGRATULATIONS LEE ROY SELMON YOU DESERVE THIS HONOR!!!
November 30th, 2019 at 12:00 am
Total class act. And Dewey, you made an excellent choice.
November 30th, 2019 at 5:34 am
cheers
November 30th, 2019 at 6:38 am
Nice that we had players like Selmon and Brooks who were exceptional people as well as incredible players.
I have a vivid memory of being at a Bucs/Packers game in ’84. Lynn Dickey drops back to pass from his end zone. I remember seeing Lee Roy getting free and running a long way to try to sack Dickey. I thought “nice, but there’s no way he’ll get to him.” But Dickey held the ball too long and Lee Roy crushed him (and, from what I recall, tackled him across the goal line, so no safety). The crowd went absolutely crazy. We ended up winning in overtime.
6-10 in McKay’s last season and such a great win. We may have sucked, but those were the days. So much fun without all the nonsense you hear about today.
November 30th, 2019 at 7:36 am
I saw everyone one of his games in the Ole Sombrero…and had tears in my eyes listening to his HOF induction speech…What a Human Being !
November 30th, 2019 at 7:47 am
No Sapp?
November 30th, 2019 at 8:19 am
Tattoodonny: I hear you. I saw all the great players you mention play games at Tampa Stadium. Met Lee Roy at a fan gathering. He was all class…..and smart. This award is worthy of him. RIP, good gentleman.
November 30th, 2019 at 8:27 am
@Tatoo
Cool memories. Thanks for sharing.
November 30th, 2019 at 9:35 am
Great post TattooDonny! I was there to as an 11 year kid with my Dad for the 76 season for games in the South End zone at the Sombrero and watched all the excellence on defense you mentioned! Great fan you are sir. You should post on JBF more often, beats reading the trolls and negative podcasts (by non Buc Fans)…
TattooDonny: my best memory of the ’70s Bucs was that gambling addict: Brent M on CBS congratulating the Bucs for a great season but that Philly was going to punish them that weekend! I hope he lost his shirt in Vegas that day! Great post, brought back memories of great times for many fans!
November 30th, 2019 at 9:37 am
hmmm should clarify that I was referring in my previous post to Tampa’s knock out of Philly in their ’79 playoff run for those too young to recall that great season…..
November 30th, 2019 at 11:10 am
27 to 10 twice. I live 50 miles from fleagle town now. The 2002 NFCC game will always be my favorite. Oh, and the game the following week was nice too.
November 30th, 2019 at 11:24 am
I remember one pro bowl where was not double or triple teamed and he got 4 sacks.
November 30th, 2019 at 5:23 pm
Leroy Selmon is the best Buc ever hands down. Not just because I shook his huge Paws as a kid. But during the games which we..often lost, He’s be playin his butt off. The opposition would put 2 and yes sometimes 3 men on him and still could not stop him. He was a flat out Beast..period. Best ever done it. Long live the memory of Football Player..Leroy Selmon..we sure could use him now.
November 30th, 2019 at 5:52 pm
Selmon is deserving but how the hell was Randy White chosen over Sapp?
November 30th, 2019 at 9:16 pm
To Orlbucfan & FortMyersDave, Thank You for your kind words. I’ve loved this team for 43 years of my life, I have 5 Bucs tattoos. I was medically discharged from the Army in 1993 bc of my Gulf War injuries. I’ve had season tixs since that season, from the Big Sombrero to Ray Jay. Those days in those beautiful orange uni’s were some of my best memories. The 1979 season still my favorite season bc we went from 7 wins in 3 seasons to that awesome 10-6 record & the Central Div Title. Even started 5-0 before injuries got us but having that home playoff game was so important to this city and our fans. It was such a shame our owner was so damn CHEAP. The way he would trade away 1st round picks for duds or in the case of Bo Jackson, wasted that pick knowing he was NEVER going to sign in Tampa after Hugh killed his chance at winning a college world series by lying to him about clearing his travel to Tampa on his private jet. There’s so many travesties “ol’ Pugh” pulled. Trading away the 2nd over all pick for the Colts QB Chris (Chandelier) Chandler & then cutting him 6 games into his 2nd season? It was so he wouldn’t have to pay another 1st round pick. Remember ol’ Pugh traded away our 1979 1st for broken down DE Wally Chambers, their 1983 1st for the Bears 82, 2nd round pick to select DE Booker Reese (there was a dud) then the 1984 1st for QB Jack “throwin Samoan” Thompson, instead of paying Doug Williams the raise he wanted bc his wife had died after surgery for a brain tumor. He wanted security for him and his child, instead we trade for Jack, and Doug took off for the USFL. The best thing that ever happened to our Bucs wasn’t winning the Super Bowl, it was August 26, 1994, the day Hugh Culverhouse passed away & we got new owners! Many of us HATED the Glazer’s at first, especially when they started looking at moving the team to Baltimore. Luckily Art Model & those lovable losers, the Cleveland Browns beat them to it! History, it’s a beautiful thing even if its dressed in orange uni’s.
November 30th, 2019 at 9:35 pm
I have a funny feeling that the defense under Bowles is started to jell. Go Bucs!!
November 30th, 2019 at 9:45 pm
Go Bucs!!