Redshirt junior defensive lineman Lee Roy Selmon Jr. was arrested Tuesday and charged with aggravated assault for a Sept. 16 fight at the Jefferson Commons apartment complex.

Selmon is the son of USF athletic director and NFL Hall of Fame member Lee Roy Selmon Sr.

Selmon Jr. was arrested before Tuesday’s practice for assaulting 20-year-old Hillsborough Community College student Clint Lowman, who attended a late night/early morning party at a Jefferson Commons apartment. Lowman had to be hospitalized after being punched and kicked in the face by at least two assailants. Lowman reported to police, after picking Selmon out of a lineup, that Selmon approached him outside the party, slapped him twice in the face, and then left only to return with six to 10 friends to continue the assault.

Lee Roy Selmon Sr. could not be reached for comment Wednesday but did release a statement to the media, declaring his support for his son.

“As a parent, I am disappointed in the situation I find my son in. I believe he is innocent of these accusations, and I await a full investigation. As the athletic director, I have informed my son that he will be required to comply with all applicable internal (athletic department) and external (university) disciplinary action of the University of South Florida.”

Selmon Jr. was using a redshirt season so he could save a year of eligibility to provide leadership for the Bulls’ first season in Conference USA in 2003, when Selmon will be a senior. Selmon Jr. has automatically been suspended from the team until the charges are resolved.

USF coach Jim Leavitt said he was not going to jump to conclusions in the case of his player.

“He told me he didn’t do anything wrong, and I believe him,” Leavitt said. “I think when it all comes out, I’m going to believe he’s innocent until I see or know for sure any other way. That’s how our country was founded, innocent until proven guilty.”

This is the second felony charge for South Florida’s football team. Freshman defensive back Antonio Warren was charged Sept. 2 with possession of a weapon on a school campus, but those charges were dropped.