Tag: Lee Roy Selmon

Former Bucs QB named as semi-finalist for Pro Football Hall of Fame

The Bucs can add another name to the fold in the form of a contributor role from one of their earlier quarterbacks in franchise history.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have a long and storied history, including several Hall of Famers like Ronde Barber, Derrick Brooks, and Lee Roy Selmon. In 2025, the Bucs can add another name to the fold in the form of a contributor role from one of their earlier quarterbacks in franchise history.

The Pro Football Hall of Fame announced nine semi-finalists for its contributor induction spot, and former Bucs quarterback Doug Williams made the cut.

Williams played quarterback for the Bucs from 1978 to 1982. He passed for 73 touchdowns and went 33-33-1 as the team’s starter. He parlayed his time in Tampa Bay into time in Washington, where he made history as the first to start in and win a Super Bowl, he was also named the MVP in that Super Bowl.

Since his playing time ended, he has worked in several front offices and has played a major role in increasing the chances of black quarterbacks succeeding.

Oklahoma to honor Switzer era national championship teams during season opener

Sooners to celebrate Barry Switzer’s 1974 and 1975 national title teams during the first game of the 2024 season

The Oklahoma Sooners are less than two weeks away from beginning the 2024 college football season. Third-year head coach [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag] leads OU from the [autotag]Big 12[/autotag] to the [autotag]SEC[/autotag] in a much-anticipated move.

When the Temple Owls come into Norman on Aug. 30, Oklahoma will combine the journey to their new future with a glimpse into the past.

The university announced via a press release on Friday that the 1974 and 1975 teams that won back-to-back national championships will be honored that night on Owen Field. This year marks 50 years since the ’74 squad won the national title.

According to the press release, “Former head coach [autotag]Barry Switzer[/autotag] and many of his players, coaches and support staff members from those two teams will be recognized on Owen Field at halftime of the contest against the Owls. They will also be celebrated during a private Thursday night gathering.”

In addition, halftime festivities will get started with a National Football Foundation salute to former OU defensive lineman [autotag]Dewey Selmon[/autotag], a member of the 1974 and ’75 teams who will become the 24th Sooner inducted into the [autotag]College Football Hall of Fame[/autotag] this December. Dewey will join his late brother, college teammate and fellow defensive lineman [autotag]Lee Roy Selmon[/autotag] in the Hall of Fame.

Two of the greatest teams in OU history, the ’74 and ’75 teams won national titles Nos. 4 and 5 in program history. They were the first of the three championships of the Switzer era. The University of Oklahoma highlighted both teams in detail.

“The 11-0 1974 squad was the only unbeaten team in the nation and featured eight first-team All-Americans: center Kyle Davis, defensive back Randy Hughes, split end Tinker Owens, guard John Rouse (consensus), Dewey and LeeRoy Selmon, linebacker Rod Shoate (consensus) and running back Joe Washington (consensus). The Sooners that year averaged a nation-leading 43.0 points per game and allowed only 8.4. They outscored opponents 473-92 and didn’t allow any foe to more than 14 points. OU posted three shutouts, won three contests by more than 60 points and seven by more than 30 points. It also set a still-existing NCAA FBS record of 73.9 rushes per game. The 1975 Sooners, who finished 11-1, also sported eight first-team All-Americans: Owens, Dewey and Lee Roy Selmon (both consensus), Washington, split end Billy Brooks, defensive end Jimbo Elrod (consensus), offensive tackle Mike Vaughan and guard Terry Webb. Lee Roy Selmon won the Outland Trophy and Vince Lombardi Award before being selected No. 1 in the NFL Draft the following spring. OU’s defense held five opponents to seven or fewer points and seven teams to 10 or fewer. Seven of the Sooners’ victories came against AP top-20 teams, including three over top-5 squads (24-17 over No. 5 Texas, 35-10 over No. 2 Nebraska and 14-6 over No. 5 Michigan in the Orange Bowl). Both OU teams were quarterbacked by Steve Davis, who was posthumously inducted into the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame last week.”

OU’s season opener against Temple will kick off at 6 p.m. Central on ESPN. The contest was moved up a day, agreed upon by the Sooners, the Owls, ESPN and the SEC. This allows Oklahoma’s first game as a member of the conference to take place in prime time on a Friday night.

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Danny Stutsman named to Lombardi Award watch list

OU’s senior linebacker made another preseason award watch list on Thursday.

Watch list season rolls on, and [autotag]Danny Stutsman[/autotag]’s added another accolade to the ever-growing list of preseason honors for the senior linebacker.

This time, Stutsman was named to the Lombardi Award watch list. “This prestigious accolade continues to honor the Outstanding College Football Lineman, whether on offense or defense, who displays exceptional performance and ability and embodies the character and discipline that Vince Lombardi championed throughout his life,” said the Lombardi Award website.

Stutsman heads into 2024 as one of the best off-ball linebackers in college football. He’s been named to the USA TODAY Sports, CBS Sports and ESPN All-American teams. He was a first-team All-SEC selection by the media and has been named to the Butkus, Bednarik, Nagurski, and Walter Camp Player of the Year watch lists.

Stutsman was also ranked the No. 32 player in the country by ESPN in their top 100 players released this week.

Three Sooners have previously been honored with the award. [autotag]Lee Roy Selmon[/autotag] first won the award back in 1975. [autotag]Tony Casillas[/autotag] earned the distinction in 1985, and [autotag]Tommie Harris[/autotag] took home the trophy in 2003.

Ohio State, Nebraska, and Notre Dame are the only programs with more Lombardi Award winners than the Oklahoma Sooners.

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Branson Hickman named to Outland Trophy Watch List

Oklahoma Sooners center Branson Hickman named to the Outland Trophy watch list.

Oklahoma Sooners offensive lineman [autotag]Branson Hickman[/autotag] has been named to the Outland Trophy watch list. The SMU transfer arrived in Norman in the spring [autotag]transfer portal[/autotag] window, but is already gaining some buzz in the hours before fall camp officially begins.

The Football Writers Association of America (FWAA) announced the preseason watch list, recognizing 75 returning standout interior linemen representing all 10 Division I FBS conferences and independents.

Hickman’s arrival bolsters a unit that has some fans and national analysts concerned about the Sooners in 2024. He looks to be a plug-and-play solution at the center position for offensive line coach [autotag]Bill Bedenbaugh[/autotag], as the offensive line coach tries to figure out the combination at the guard and tackle spots.

 

The offensive line will be crucial in OU’s move from the [autotag]Big 12[/autotag] to the [autotag]SEC[/autotag] in Year 3 of the [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag] era. The SEC is a trenches conference, and protecting quarterback [autotag]Jackson Arnold[/autotag] will be pivotal this season, as will opening up running lanes for [autotag]Gavin Sawchuk[/autotag] and the rest of the running back room.

Hickman should provide some stability, after having an excellent career with the SMU Mustangs. He will likely be the offensive lineman that Bedenbaugh relies upon the most.

Hickman will look to become the sixth Sooner to win the award, and the first since [autotag]Jammal Brown[/autotag] won in 2004. Greg Roberts, [autotag]Lee Roy Selmon[/autotag], J.D. Roberts, and Jim Weatherall are Oklahoma’s other winners.

The recipient of the 2024 Outland Trophy will be announced on “The Home Depot College Football Awards”, live on ESPN on December 12th, 2024.

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The legend of Lee Roy Selmon, the original Buc

A look back at the legacy of Lee Roy Selmon, the first draft pick and Hall of Famer in Tampa Bay Buccaneers history

When the Tampa Bay Buccaneers went on the clock for the first time ever, owning the No. 1 overall pick in the 1976 NFL draft as an expansion franchise, they had the opportunity to define their existence with a cornerstone player.

They couldn’t have made a better choice than Lee Roy Selmon.

A dominant defender on the field, Selmon’s incredible playing career was only outmatched by his impact off the field, which is still felt throughout the Tampa Bay community and beyond to this day.

With 63 days left before the start of the Bucs’ 2024 season, let’s take a look back at the first player (and Hall of Famer) in franchise history (via Liam Mitchell, Bucs Vault):

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The legend of Lee Roy Selmon

48 years ago, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers made Lee Roy Selmon the first draft pick in franchise history

48 years ago, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers made their first NFL draft pick in franchise history.

And boy, did they make it count.

With the No. 1 overall selection in the 1976 NFL draft, the Bucs picked Oklahoma defensive end Lee Roy Selmon, who would quickly become one of the most dominant defensive players in league history, and one of the most iconic figures to ever wear a Bucs uniform.

The NFL’s Defensive Player of the Year in 1979, Selmon was six-time Pro Bowler who eventually became the Bucs’ first member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Ron Wolf, the Bucs’ vice president of football operations back in 1976, holds Selmon in the highest regard among the greatest defenders to ever play the game:

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Sooners Legend Dewey Selmon headed to the College Football Hall of Fame

Oklahoma legend Dewey Selmon to be inducted in the College Football Hall of Fame as part of the 2024 class per report.

The College Football Hall of Fame has enshrined a number of Oklahoma Sooners greats of the past. And according to Brett McMurphy of the Action Network, another Sooners Legend will be inducted as part of the 2024 class.

Dewey Selmon will join brother and fellow defensive line stalwart Lee Roy Selmon in the College Football Hall of Fame.

Dewey was a member of the Oklahoma Sooners national championship teams in 1974 and 1975 and earned All-American honors in 1975. He was a two-time All-Big 8 selection for the Sooners.

In 1974 and 1975, Selmon and the Sooners went 22-1. During his career, he and brother Lee Roy were considered the best defensive linemen in the game and were the anchors to a Sooners defense that only allowed 8.4 points per game in 1974 and 12.3 points per game in 1975.

The Selmon Brothers were enshrined on campus at the University of Oklahoma back on Sept. 24, 2022.

Dewey Selmon was drafted in the second round by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and played 80 games in six seasons between the Bucs and the Chargers.

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Danny Stutsman named Lombardi Award semifinalist

Danny Stutsman named a semifinalist to a prestigious defensive award.

There is no question the Oklahoma Sooners defense is much improved from a season ago. A big reason is the step linebacker [autotag]Danny Stutsman[/autotag] has taken in Year 2 under Brent Venables.

Stutsman leads the team with 73 tackles and 11.5 tackles for loss. He also has 2 sacks and an interception. He ranks 26th in the nation in tackles per game. He was in the top 10 for most of the season but fell out after leaving last week’s game early.

On Wednesday, his performance this season was honored as he was named one of 12 semifinalists for the [autotag]Lombardi Award[/autotag].

The Lombardi Award is given each year to the college football offensive or defensive lineman or linebacker who exemplifies the character and discipline of NFL Hall of Fame head coach Vince Lombardi in addition to outstanding performance on the field.

To even be considered for the Lombardi Award, a player must be a down lineman on offense or defense, setting up no further than 10 yards to the left or right of the ball at the time of the snap, or a linebacker on defense setting up no more than five yards deep from the line of scrimmage.

Former Sooners [autotag]Lee Roy Selmon[/autotag] (1975), [autotag]Tony Casillas[/autotag] (1985) and [autotag]Tommie Harris[/autotag] (2003) have been honored with the award.

The finalists for the Lombardi will be announced on Nov. 15, 2023. Oklahoma’s best defensive player can continue to take a step toward postseason honors with a big game in [autotag]Bedlam[/autotag].

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Six great Bucs players of the ‘creamsicle’ era

In honor of Tampa Bay’s return to the creamiscles on Sunday, here are some of the best players of the creamsicle era in Tampa Bay from 1976 to 1996:

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are bringing out their throwback “creamsicle” uniforms on Sunday, and they’ll be looking to win in a uniform that doesn’t have a whole lot of history of seeing many.

The orange and white era of Bucs history is far more often dire than not, but that doesn’t mean that every player on those teams was bad. There were actually quite a few contributors who donned a helmet with Bucco Bruce on the side, with some of them earning a spot in the Bucs’ Ring of Honor and beyond to the Hall of Fame.

In honor of the Bucs wearing those uniforms against the Lions on Sunday, we compiled (in no particular order) six great Buccaneers players from the “creamsicle” era of Tampa Bay football:

Patty Gasso’s extension, Selmon Brothers statue highlights Oklahoma Sooners news and notes

Patty Gasso gets an extension, and the Selmon Brothers will get a new statue capping off an incredible week of news from Oklahoma.

As the Oklahoma Sooners get set to take on the Nebraska Cornhuskers in part two of their home-and-home series, the University of Oklahoma provided some highlights off of the gridiron this week.

OU Softball released its schedule, handed their living legend a contract extension, and earned a commitment from the No. 2 player in the 2024 class.

The athletic department also announced kickoff time for their matchup with Kansas State and that they’ll be honoring the legendary Selmon Brothers as part of the weekend’s festivities.

Check out some of the top Sooners’ stories from the week.