On Friday night, Tampa Bay Buccaneers Hall of Famer Lee Roy Selmon suffered a severe stroke and was rushed to the hospital. While reports earlier hinted that Selmon had been stabilized and was improving slightly, news broke Sunday night that Selmon has passed away. He was 56 years old.
We already wrote up a bunch on Selmon on Friday, so here’s a bit on his legacy to the Tampa Bay area. His impact here simply can’t be overstated:
Selmon was the Buccaneers first draft pick in their inaugural season, taken with the first overall pick of the draft in 1976. Selmon played eight seasons for the Bucs, before retiring in 1984, winning a rookie of the year award, an MVP award, and making six pro bowls during his illustrious career. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1995 and became the first member of the Buccaneers Ring of Honor in 2009.
Selmon is also considered the father of USF Football, as he played an instrumental role in bringing the sport to the University of South Florida. He had been a prominent member of the Tampa community since his retirement, serving as USF’s athletic director for a period as well as opening a chain of restaurants in the bay area.
John Romano from the St. Petersburg Times wrote a great piece on Selmon’s legacy to USF. I highly recommend you give it a read, as it’s a great tribute to one of the most important people in the history of Tampa Bay sports.
Our thoughts and prayers to the Selmon family. The Tampa Bay area lost a legend today.