Selmon appreciates the game

[Guest Duh]

Selmon appreciates the game

By STEVE WISEMAN

Staff Writer

He is the namesake of an NFL Hall of Fame player and wears the same uniform number his father wore as an All-American lineman at Oklahoma a generation ago.

Yet when a second knee injury in a 10-month period left Lee Roy Selmon Jr.’s football career in shambles two summers ago, Lee Roy Selmon suggested his son turn his focus from the game in order to overcome.

“If it was God’s will, and we have to be prayerful, for him to return and play football, that would be great,†Lee Roy Selmon said. “But it’s about the rest of your life and to be able to live a normal life as best you can.â€Â

The suggestion, atypical for a man who built his fame and fortune in football, eased Selmon Jr.’s fears that he never would be able to play the same way. Instead, he spent the rest of 2002 and the early part of 2003 rehabilitating the torn anterior cruciate ligament in his knee that was injured during a pickup basketball game.

After sitting out two seasons because of the back-to-back knee injuries, Selmon Jr. returned last fall to start 11 games for South Florida and record 63 tackles and 3.5 sacks from his defensive line position. He earned third-team All-Conference USA honors.

The NCAA granted Selmon Jr. a sixth season of eligibility, allowing the 23-year-old to play a senior season for the Bulls this fall.

When he arrives at Williams-Brice Stadium to face South Carolina on Saturday, Selmon Jr. brings perspective and an affection for the game.

“I had three years under my belt of college ball when I’d actually been able to play,†he said. “I wanted to get that fourth season to be able to go out there and compete. I truly felt it is a blessing to get that opportunity.â€Â

Selmon was blessed by the athleticism in his genes.

His father, along with his uncles Dewey and Lucious, starred on great Oklahoma teams in the 1970s. Lee Roy and Dewey Selmon played defensive line for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, with Selmon making six Pro Bowl appearances before retiring in 1985.

A herniated disc in his back prematurely ended Selmon’s NFL career, and Selmon Jr. feared his two knee injuries  a torn medial collateral ligament in 2001 followed by the ACL tear  could do the same for him.

“I know when I tore my ACL a lot of things were going through my mind about whether I should hang it up or not,†Selmon Jr. said. “But I went through rehab and was able to come back 100 percent.â€Â

The 5-foot-11, 280-pound Selmon Jr. recorded three solo tackles, including two tackles for loss in Saturday’s 21-7 win against Tennessee Tech.

“He’s a very good leader for us and a hard worker,†South Florida coach Jim Leavitt said. “ It’s a lot of fun to see him have a chance to play again.â€Â

As for following his father into the NFL, Selmon Jr. realizes nothing is certain.

“I’m going to try to play to the best of my abilities to make a contribution to South Florida,†Selmon Jr. said. “That ... would be just another blessing that God has given me to continue to play the sport I love.â€Â

Lee Roy Selmon found life after football to be rewarding. A chain of restaurants in the Tampa area bears his name, and he was South Florida’s athletics director until resigning in February, saying he wanted a less stressful position. He is president of South Florida’s Foundation Partnership for Athletics, a fund-raising position.

Selmon Jr. has completed a degree in criminology and is close to a second degree in communications. So no matter what happens with football, he is prepared for life away from the game.

Getting to have a senior season is treat enough for Selmon Jr.

Reach Wiseman at 803-771-8472 or swiseman@thestate.com

http://www.thestate.com/mld/thestate/9675296.htm

[Ricky the Bull]

Great article about a player who exemplifies humility, hard work and resulting success.  The apple certainly does not fall far from the tree.

[Matt]

great story, great man, great father