RIPs

I was saddened to hear that former Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Hall of Fame defensive lineman Lee Roy Selmon passed away Sunday. He was only 56. He had suffered a stroke on Friday. The news of the stroke was immediately followed by what turned out to be false reports of his death. All of that was quite shocking, but news from his family stating that he was in fact alive and improving was reassuring. That was followed two days later by the terrible news of his passing. Selmon was a tremendous football player for one of the truly bad teams in league history. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers were an expansion team that took a little while to gain proper traction. Selmon was an immediate star that eventually led a dominant defense to a fairly shocking NFC Championship game appearance. The Buccaneers lost that game but they were no longer a joke. During the last few years of the '70s Selmon may have been the finest defensive player in the league. Despite the endearingly ridiculous cream sickle uniforms, Lee Roy Selmon was a real treat. The Flea Flicker sends condolences to the Selmon family and all Buccaneer fans.

The NFL has really been rocked by the recent passing of many Hall of Fame players. Lee Roy Selmon, in particular, and John Mackey were far too early. Joe Perry, John Henry Johnson and Ollie Matson have also made their appearance on the heavenly football field. All these players made an incredible impact on the game. They will all be missed.