When the Tampa Bay Buccaneers selected Lee Roy Selmon as the No. 1 overall draft pick in 1976, it did more than launch an expansion franchise with a generational talent.
It also changed the course of USF athletics, although no one at the university could have known that at the time. A back injury forced Selmon to retire from the NFL after the 1984 season, but instead of returning to his home state of Oklahoma, Lee Roy chose to stay in Tampa.
That led to his joining USF as an assistant athletic director in 1993, just two weeks after the Bulls began a fundraising campaign to establish a football program.
He helped lead the effort.
There is no way to overstate his importance to USF. That's why the gesture the football announced Sunday is not only appropriate, but downright cool.
One defensive lineman who the university said "best embodies Selmon's enduring values, including integrity, leadership, and service to others" each season will be given the high honor of wearing Lee Roy's iconic No. 63 jersey.
A fantastic new tradition honoring the enduring legacy of a man who had such an incredible impact on our university, Bay area community and everyone he touched. 🤘 https://t.co/ocOAMCPbsv
— Brian Siegrist (@BSiegristUSF) August 10, 2025
The inaugural honoree is senior defensive tackle Josh Celiscar. He was presented that jersey Sunday after practice by Claybra Selmon and Lee Roy Selmon, Jr.
Lee Roy was the kind of person no one wanted to let down. Need a helping hand? Just ask, and he was there. He made everyone feel important, and in turn, when Lee Roy walked into the room, donations started flying out of people’s pockets and wallets.
I remember Lee Roy the same as anyone who knew him. He could be commanding and kind at the same time – not always an easy feat.
He was principled, grounded, and dedicated to USF and his adopted home of Tampa. Everyone knew he was a giant of a human being, but he managed that without the swagger you sometimes see in people of stature.
His voice was soft and gentle, but he knew how to get things done. You’d lose count trying to keep track of all the charities he helped and good causes he supported.
When USF needed an athletic director in 2001, he was the obvious choice. He only stayed in that job for three years before taking on another vital role. USF was about to join the Big East Conference, which required a significant influx of operating money.
Guess who made it work?
And for someone who was often in the spotlight, Lee Roy was essentially a private man. I found that out when I interviewed him for The Tampa Tribune after a medical issue caused him to take an extended leave of absence.
He noticed that even walking up a short flight of stairs left him winded. He tired easily.
Lee Roy told me what it was – congestive heart failure – but would not go on the record. I honored his request to keep it private. Only after he died on September 4, 2011, from complications following a stroke, did his medical condition become public.
His death came one day after USF beat Notre Dame in South Bend in one of the greatest wins in program history.
Shortly afterward, USF renamed the athletic center in Lee Roy’s honor. It was a fitting gesture.
Sunday's action with his No. 63 was as well. There is no way to say "thank you" enough for what he did, but it honors his memory in a way I'm sure he would have appreciated.