Sept. 4, 2011 at 07:00 p.m.
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.
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.
—————————————————————————————–
Lee Roy Selmon was born on October 20th, 1954 according to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lee_Roy_Selmon
October 20th, 1954
10 + 20 +1+9+5+4 = 49 = his life lesson = what he was here to learn = Happy. Smiling. Satisfied. Life is sweet.
—————————————————————————————–
—————————————————————————————–
—————————————————————————————–
find out your own numerology at:
http://www.learnthenumbers.com/
numerology behind the news 