Lee Roy Selmon statue unveiled
ORACLE PHOTO/BRIAN HATTAB
A statue of Lee Roy Selmon stands on the corner of Florida Avenue and Brorein Street in Downtown Tampa.
The statue, unveiled Friday by the Tampa Hillsborough Expressway Authority, commemorates Selmon (1954-2011) not just for his playing days as the first ever draft pick by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (noted by his retired No. 63 jersey), but also his time at USF Athletics (noted by USF’s “Horns Up” hand sign), where he served as an assistant athletic director from 1993-2001 and athletic director from 2001-2004.
During his time at USF, Selmon was instrumental in bringing football to the university in 1997 and eventually leading the entire department into the Big East in 2005.
Selmon’s statue stands underneath an overpass of the Lee Roy Selmon Expressway, which was renamed in his honor in 1999, as part of the Selmon Greenway, a two-mile pedestrian and bike trail which runs from the Tampa Riverwalk to Adamo Drive.
The 8-foot statue was sculpted by Joel Randell of Selmon’s home state of Oklahoma as part of the $4.9 million Selmon Greenway project, according to the Tampa Bay Times. The project first opened in 2015.
More Stories
USF takes Hawaii Bowl in overtime thriller
In the fifth overtime of the longest game in program history, USF junior quarterback Bryce Archie delivered a strike to put the Bulls up against the San Jose State Spartans in the Hawaii Bowl. Two plays later, the green and gold rushed the field as Hawaii Bowl Champions, prevailing in the 41-39 shootout. The Christmas […]
USF’s Byrum Brown could play against San Jose State in Hawaii Bowl
USF could see star quarterback Byrum Brown make his anticipated return in the Hawaii Bowl against San Jose State Tuesday. “If Byrum’s ready to roll, Byrum rolls,” head coach Alex Golesh said at a press conference on Dec. 12. Brown exited during the Bulls’ 45-10 loss to Tulane on Sept. 28 with a lower leg […]
How USF’s Maria Clara Andrade became AAC Player of the Year
When Maria Clara Andrade first picked up a volleyball in Taubaté, Brazil, she didn’t imagine the journey that would unfold. At the age of 12, she was encouraged by her father, Mauricio, to take up a sport. Volleyball quickly became her passion, propelling her into a breakout junior career at USF and American Athletic Conference […]
USF QB Israel Carter enters transfer portal
USF’s Israel “Izzy” Carter, who was thrust into a months-long quarterback controversy amid calls to see playing time, has entered the transfer portal Thursday. Carter began the season as the third-string quarterback. He was elevated to the backup role when starter Byrum Brown suffered an injury against Tulane on Sept. 28. Carter’s profile on USF […]
Takeaways from the first day of USF football’s early signing period
A quarterback with strong family ties, an Australian punter plus talent from all over the country. Those are some of the highlights from the 25 recruits that announced their intention to play for USF during the first day of early signing period on Wednesday. From those 25 players, 23 are high school recruits and one […]
USF set to face off against San Jose State in Hawaii Bowl
USF football will head to Honolulu to take on San Jose State in the Hawaii Bowl on Dec. 24 at the Clarence T.C. Ching Athletics Complex. The Hawaii Bowl is usually played by mid-level conferences and teams in the football bowl subdivision. The Christmas Eve game, set for an 8 p.m. EST kickoff on ESPN, […]