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Wake-Up Call: Lee Roy Selmon a key part of Bucs lore

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Lee Roy Selmon played a huge role in reversing the early woeful Bucs' fortunes.

By JOEY JOHNSTON | The Tampa Tribune

Published: August 2, 2009

Updated: 08/03/2009 08:12 am

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What do you take away from the Bucs' loss in Atlanta?

The Wake-Up Call greets you each weekday with news, views and a few Tampa Bay area sports offerings to anticipate for the day and night. We encourage suggestions and contributions.

Good morning!

When the Bucs announced plans last week for the franchise's first throwback game - Tampa Bay will wear orange jerseys and the winking-pirate helmet on Nov. 8 against the Green Bay Packers - some longtime fans cringed.

Why, they wondered, would the Glazers reintroduce the look associated with so many bad memories after taking such care to establish the red-and-pewter brand?

"It's time," Bucs co-chairman Ed Glazer said. "It's our history. You have to let it breathe and you appreciate it more as time goes by. You can never forget your history."

But that's just it.

Plenty of people have forgotten. Orange jerseys bring back the notion of an 0-and-26 beginning, then, later, the 14 consecutive losing seasons. There was a time, though, when orange was cool, when the Bucs were suddenly young and dynamic, shortly after escaping from their expansion shackles.

Now that is something to remember.

And that's why the franchise is doing the right thing - the only thing, really - in honoring former defensive end Lee Roy Selmon as the first member of its Ring of Honor, a tradition that will begin during the Nov. 8 throwback game.

More details will be announced today when Selmon appears during a news conference at the team's training facility.

Orange will matter again (and so will green, as the throwback merchandise is certain to be a hit at the cash register). The expansion Bucs will get their due after largely being remembered for their futility. In reality, those early players became the foundation of Coach John McKay's program, one that produced three playoff teams in four seasons.

Selmon was the personification of that era.

If the name "Selmon" makes you think of a barbecue restaurant or a busy Tampa expressway, it's time for a history lesson.

Lee Roy Selmon, the University of Oklahoma's mild-mannered defensive terror who became Tampa Bay's first-ever draft selection in 1976, finished with a franchise-record 78.5 sacks during his nine-year career (1976-84). In 1979, he was NFL Defensive Player of the Year, when the fourth-year Bucs, just two seasons after their 26-game losing streak, came within 10 points of Super Bowl XIV.

After a premature retirement at age 31 due to a herniated disk in his back, Selmon's No. 63 jersey was retired by the franchise in 1986. In 1995, after failing to become a finalist in his first four attempts, Selmon was voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Some people were skeptical.

Nine seasons, after all, was a relatively short career. But upon closer inspection, Selmon's NFL peers provided ample justification.

"If he played in a major market, especially in today's game where more pass rushing is stressed, there's no doubt in my mind that everybody would be talking about a player being the 'next Lee Roy Selmon' and not the 'next Lawrence Taylor,' " former Detroit Lions quarterback Gary Danielson said.

Former Bucs quarterback Doug Williams, now in the franchise's front office, said Selmon's statistics were tempered by Tampa Bay's bend-but-don't-break 3-4 defense.

"If he had been in a four-man front," Williams said, "they would've banned Lee Roy from the game."

And as for the men who attempted to block Selmon?

"The first time I played him, I think I lost 15 pounds in the first half," former San Francisco 49ers offensive tackle Ron Singleton said. "My wrists were actually hurting from hitting his chest."

"I remember one play where he took one of his powerful arms and knocked the offensive lineman to the ground with a club move," former Pittsburgh Steelers offensive tackle Ted Petersen said. "With the other arm, he knocked the blocking fullback to the ground and then he made a form tackle on the ball carrier. We were all just amazed."

Let's not forget the money quote.

In 1977, the Chicago Bears were locked in a scoreless tie with the Bucs at Tampa Stadium. When an assistant coach approached Bears offensive tackle Ted Albrecht at halftime, the player raised his head to reveal the face of a beaten man.

"Coach," Albrecht said, "there are four things in this world I do not want to do under any circumstance. No. 1, I don't want to milk a cobra. No. 2, I don't want to be buried at sea. No. 3, I don't want to be hit in the head with a hockey puck. And No. 4, I don't want to play the second half against Lee Roy Selmon."

Nearly 33 years have passed since Selmon made his NFL debut.

Nearly 14 years have passed since his induction into Canton.

To a young person, Selmon might be a barbecue restaurant or an expressway. But as an athlete and a man, he meant so much more to the Tampa Bay area.

As a franchise, the Bucs are now taking steps to make sure his orange-clad achievements last forever.

Bam! Bam! Bam!

Pittsburgh Pirates rookie outfielder Andrew McCutchen (Fort Meade), who had just 43 home runs in 1,967 minor-league at-bats, made a powerful impression on Saturday night.

He slammed three homers - becoming only the 10th player in the franchise's 123-year history to do that - and went 4-for-6 with six RBIs in an 11-6 victory against the Washington Nationals.

McCutchen's fourth hit?

A beautifully placed bunt single.

McCutchen, a 2005 first-round draft choice who was called up from Triple-A Indianapolis on June 5, is batting .292 with six homers, 31 RBIs and nine stolen bases. He's a prime candidate for National League Rookie of the Year.

"He's ridiculous," Pirates reliever Evan Meek told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. "And you know what? He's going to get even better."

Clippard sets Nationals' record

Nationals pitcher Tyler Clippard (Mitchell) set a franchise record for most strikeouts by a reliever last week in a 13-1 win against the San Diego Padres. Clippard, entering the game after a three-hour rain delay, had seven strikeouts in four innings of one-hit work. He also earned his first victory of the season.

Over his last four appearances, Clippard has struck out 17 batters in 11 innings, allowing just two runs on five hits with three walks.

Four goals for Cunningham

Former University of South Florida player Jeff Cunningham (Crystal River) had a career-high four goals on Saturday night as FC Dallas defeated the Kansas City Wizards 6-0 in Major League Soccer.

Cunningham is the ninth player to score four goals in an MLS match (the league record is five). He has 112 career goals, which is third all-time in the MLS.

Dupree leads Sky victory

Chicago Sky forward Candice Dupree (Wharton) had 20 of her 23 points in the first half on Saturday night in leading an 84-72 victory against Connecticut in the WNBA. Dupree is 14th in WNBA scoring (14.8 points per game) and tied for 11th in rebounding (6.8).

Birthday wishes

Happy birthday to outfielder Matt Joyce, the former Armwood High School outfielder who was the Rays' opening-day center fielder. Joyce, traded in the offseason for pitcher Edwin Jackson, had twice been sent down to the minor leagues, and he is currently batting .268 (with 29 doubles) at Triple-A Durham. Today, Joyce turns 25.

The Answer Man

Running back Manfred Moore was the first ex-Buc to make a Super Bowl game for another team. In 1976, Moore played for the winless Bucs, an expansion team. He was cut and picked up by Coach John Madden's Oakland Raiders, who wound up winning Super Bowl XI. In all, there were 37 ex-Bucs who played in the Super Bowl for different teams before Tampa Bay won a championship of its own in Super Bowl XXXVII.

Monday trivia

Here's our daily sports trivia question, featuring a Tampa Bay/Florida spin. Try your luck by commenting below.

The expansion Bucs made Lee Roy Selmon the No. 1 overall pick in the 1976 NFL draft. Who was taken with the second overall selection in that draft?

Check for the answer in Tuesday's Wake-Up Call.

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