OT- LeRoy Selmon Dies
Lee Roy Selmon has passed away. http://news.yahoo.com/hall-fame-defensive-end-lee-roy-selmon-dies-232215589.html It seems like a lot of great college football players from the 70s are leaving the scene suddenly: e.g., Rob Lytle, Bubba Smith. now Selmon.
In 1975 (I guess it was January 1, 1976), Michigan played in the Orange Bowl. It was the first year that Big Ten teams were allowed to play in a bowl other than the Rose Bowl. Rick Leach was finishing his freshman year as QB for Bo.
Michigan faced Oklahoma and the Selmon brothers, who were en route to a national championship. Michigan was destroyed by these guys. It was always interesting to me that while the outcome of the game was never in doubt, Bo was somehow able to keep the score well under control. If memory serves correctly, Oklahoma won 14-6. (Lytle also played in that game.)
September 4th, 2011 at 10:35 PM ^
September 4th, 2011 at 10:35 PM ^
Lee Roy was revered here in Southern Florida. I never knew much about him, but everything I've learned suggests he was a class act all the way through his playing days and beyond. He has a chain of restaurants / sports bar named after him, and I watch all my M games there. Nice place.
September 4th, 2011 at 10:48 PM ^
I also learned recently he had a lot to do with building USFs football program as well. Definitely a sports legend here in Tampa. RIP
September 4th, 2011 at 11:56 PM ^
He was instrumental in bringing college football to Tampa. There's a big tribute to him in the library on campus at USF.
September 5th, 2011 at 7:11 AM ^
Lee Roy Selmon was even more of a success off the field than he was on. It is a very sad day in the Tampa Bay area. Because of his high profile in the community, he was the closest thing the Tampa Bay area had to a Bo Schembechler-like presence.
He will be missed. RIP, Mr Selmon.
September 4th, 2011 at 10:51 PM ^
He played with a ton of heart. 1st Bucs pick ever.
September 4th, 2011 at 10:51 PM ^
He played with a ton of heart. 1st Bucs pick ever.
September 4th, 2011 at 11:12 PM ^
The only decent player on that TB team for awhile.
September 4th, 2011 at 11:14 PM ^
But that was a very gutty Michigan team that Ricky Leach led in the '75 Orange Bowl. My recollection is that the OU defense, including at least one of the Selmons piled on Leach out of bounds. Rick left the game, and our offense could not get going without him. A very bad break in an otherwise extraordinary bowl game. I haven't seen that game video in years.
September 4th, 2011 at 11:23 PM ^
September 4th, 2011 at 11:54 PM ^
Leach, Wangler (cheap-shotted by Lawrence Taylor in Gator Bowl), and Steve Smith (brutal but clean hit by UCLA's Don Rogers in Rose Bowl).
I disagree that OK "destroyed" us. They were National Champions after that game, and we held them to 14 points while we fielded a pure freshman QB who was 2 for 15 with 2 INTs. It's hard to win games against anybody when your passing game is that off, and we had a hard time running the ball against that great defense. But destroyed, no.
September 5th, 2011 at 7:50 AM ^
Maybe not destroyed. Your point is well-taken.
My point, and the reason I reached out for the word "destroyed" was that as a young kid watching the game, I was impressed by the fact that Michigan had no chance winning the game. As I indicated. Bo's teams really knew how to keep the lid on games even though we had no hope. I have always thought of that Orange Bowl game as a great illlustration how Bo never got blown out or beaten deep. But, notwithstanding that, we never had a chance to win. In that sense, the final score is deceptive.
I should have used a different word.
I had forgotten about Leach getting knocked out of the game. It is coming back to me now (bad memory), It was a very physical game.
September 5th, 2011 at 8:31 AM ^
True. Our defenses back then were to good to be "destroyed" by anybody. But that Oklahoma defense was one of the best ever. And Leach, while very talented, was still a freshman and not what he would become in a couple of years.
September 5th, 2011 at 8:21 AM ^
The score was 14-7. I remember it well. NBC had Ufer do the play by pay for one half. Unfortunately the world did not get to experience Ufer when he is excited because the OU defense, led by brothers Leroy and Dewey Selmon, shut Michigan down.
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<br>RIP
September 5th, 2011 at 8:28 AM ^
It actually was 14-6. I remember reading a piece on Bo years (decades) ago that indicated that was the only game he felt one of his Michigan teams just wasn't good enough to beat the other team.
September 5th, 2011 at 8:55 AM ^
Yep, it was 14-6. Ted got me wondering whether I might have remembered the score wrong, but I just confirmed that it was 14-6. Knowing how tough OU's defense was, I am pretty sure our 6 was the result of two field goals, not a missed extra point.
September 5th, 2011 at 10:30 AM ^
Great player. He and his brother were an unstoppable tandem. He did a nice job at Tampa Bay too during their early years.
September 5th, 2011 at 11:18 AM ^
I remember watching that Orange Bowl. It was one of the first Michigan games I watched on TV. We were fighting an uphill battle all game long. Their defense was one of the best ever. And I think if you picked an all time greatest college all star team, Selmon would be on it. I remember hearing a true story about how during the game Leach was near the bottom of a pile up, and it was clear he was about to suffer a severe leg injury. Apparently Lee Roy Selmon recognized it and literally threw people off the pile to relieve the stress on Leach's leg so he wouldn't get injured. That's class. RIP Lee Roy.