Lucious Selmon
Encyclopedia
Collegiate career
Selmon came to Oklahoma from Eufaula High School in 1970, and played nose guard for the Oklahoma SoonersOklahoma Sooners
The University of Oklahoma features 19 varsity sports teams. Both men's and women's teams are called the Sooners, a nickname given to the early participants in the land rushes which initially opened the Oklahoma Indian Territory to non-native settlement. They participate in the NCAA's Division I-A,...
for both Chuck Fairbanks
Chuck Fairbanks
Chuck Fairbanks is a former American football coach, a head coach at the high school, collegiate and professional levels. The offensive and defensive systems he introduced and helped develop have proven influential in the NFL....
and Barry Switzer
Barry Switzer
Barry Switzer is a former football coach, active in the college and professional ranks between 1962 and 1997. He has one of the highest winning percentages of any college football coach in history, and is one of only two head coaches to win both a college football national championship and a...
. He was a consensus All-American in 1973, and was named Chevrolet/ABC National Defensive Player of the Year, Big 8 Conference Athlete of the Year, and Big 8 Conference Defensive Player of the Year. He finished second in balloting for the Outland Trophy
Outland Trophy
The Outland Trophy is awarded to the best United States college football interior lineman by the Football Writers Association of America. It is named after John H. Outland. One of only a few players ever to be named All-America at two positions, Outland garnered consensus All-America honors in...
and seventh in voting for the Heisman Trophy
Heisman Trophy
The Heisman Memorial Trophy Award , is awarded annually to the player deemed the most outstanding player in collegiate football. It was created in 1935 as the Downtown Athletic Club trophy and renamed in 1936 following the death of the Club's athletic director, John Heisman The Heisman Memorial...
. He made 255 tackles, including 31 for losses (144 yards), during his career. Selmon graduated from Oklahoma with a degree in special education
Special education
Special education is the education of students with special needs in a way that addresses the students' individual differences and needs. Ideally, this process involves the individually planned and systematically monitored arrangement of teaching procedures, adapted equipment and materials,...
in 1974.
Selmon's younger brothers, Dewey
Dewey Selmon
Dewey Selmon is a former football linebacker. He played collegiate football at Oklahoma . He went on to play for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the San Diego Chargers in the National Football League....
and Lee Roy
Lee Roy Selmon
Lee Roy Selmon was a Hall of Fame NFL football defensive lineman.-Early life:Selmon was the youngest of nine children of Lucious and Jessie Selmon, raised on a farm near Eufaula, Oklahoma...
, followed him as defensive linemen to Oklahoma. Both were named consensus All-Americans in 1975 and both were drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football franchise based in Tampa, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the Southern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League – they are the only team in the division not to come from the old NFC West...
in the 1976 NFL Draft
1976 NFL Draft
The 1976 National Football League Draft was an annual player selection meeting held on April 8–April 9, 1976. It lasted 17 rounds, with the expansion Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Seattle Seahawks making the first two selections. The expansion teams were also given a pair of extra picks at the end of...
. Lee Roy won the Outland Trophy and Lombardi Award
Lombardi Award
The Rotary Lombardi Award is awarded annually to the best college football lineman or linebacker. The Lombardi Award program was approved by the Rotary Club in Houston in 1970 shortly after the death of Vince Lombardi. The committee outlined the criteria for eligibility for the award, which...
, and went on to be the Sooners' first Pro Football Hall of Fame
Pro Football Hall of Fame
The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame of professional football in the United States with an emphasis on the National Football League . It opened in Canton, Ohio, on September 7, 1963, with 17 charter inductees...
inductee in 1995. Although more than 30 years has passed since the Selmons played for Oklahoma, Oklahoma fans still say (referring to the Selmon brothers' parents), "God bless Mr. and Mrs. Selmon" or "Thank you, Mrs. Selmon."
Professional and coaching career
Selmon was drafted in the 16th round of the 1974 NFL Draft1974 NFL Draft
The 1974 National Football League Draft took place at the Americana Hotel in New York City on January 29–30, 1974. Each of the 26 NFL teams was granted 17 selections for a total of 442 picks....
by the New England Patriots
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...
. He played two years as a defensive tackle for the Memphis Southmen
Memphis Southmen
The Memphis Southmen were a franchise in the World Football League which operated in 1974 and 1975. They played their home games at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium in Memphis, Tennessee, United States.-From North to South:...
(1974–75) in the World Football League
World Football League
The World Football League was a short-lived gridiron football league that played in 1974 and part of 1975. Although the league's proclaimed ambition was to bring American football onto a worldwide stage, the farthest the WFL reached was placing a team – the Hawaiians – in Honolulu, Hawaii. The...
before returning to Oklahoma as an assistant coach at Switzer's invitation.
At Oklahoma, Selmon worked 13 seasons under Barry Switzer
Barry Switzer
Barry Switzer is a former football coach, active in the college and professional ranks between 1962 and 1997. He has one of the highest winning percentages of any college football coach in history, and is one of only two head coaches to win both a college football national championship and a...
(1976–88) and six more under Gary Gibbs
Gary Gibbs
-External links:*...
(1989–94). He coached the Sooner defensive line from 1976 to 1983 before taking over duties as outside linebackers and defensive ends coach from 1984 to 1994. Selmon helped develop four players that went on to earn All-America honors: nose guard Reggie Kinlaw
Reggie Kinlaw
Reggie Kinlaw Reggie Kinlaw Reggie Kinlaw (born January 9, 1957 is a former American football defensive tackle who played college football for the Oklahoma Sooners and for the Oakland/Los Angeles Raiders in the National Football League. He graduated from Miami Springs Senior High School....
, Rick Bryan
Rick Bryan
Rick Don Bryan was an American football defensive tackle who played for the Oklahoma Sooners and the Atlanta Falcons. He was a consensus All-American in 1982 and 1983 and the Big Eight Defensive Player of the Year in 1982, and Academic All-Conference 1981-1983, he played for the Atlanta Falcons...
, Kevin Murphy
Kevin Murphy (American football)
Kevin Murphy is a former American football linebacker who played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the San Diego Chargers and the Seattle Seahawks in the National Football League. He was converted from defensive lineman to linebacker in the NFL. He played college football for the Oklahoma Sooners...
and defensive end Darrell Reed
Darrell Reed
Darrell Reed is a former American football defensive end who played for the Oklahoma Sooners. He was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the fifth round of the 1988 NFL Draft.-External links:*...
. He participated in the NFL's Minority Coaching Fellowship Program from 1980 to 1989, and worked with the Denver Broncos
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver, Colorado. They are currently members of the West Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
' linebackers and defensive ends.
Selmon went to work as an assistant coach for Tom Coughlin
Tom Coughlin
Thomas Richard Coughlin is an American football coach who is currently head coach for the New York Giants of the National Football League . Coughlin has led the Giants to victory in Super Bowl XLII. Coughlin was also the inaugural head coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars, serving from 1995–2002 and...
and the Jacksonville Jaguars
Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
in 1995. Selmon tutored the outside linebackers from 1995-2001 before taking over the defensive line in 2002. Two Jaguars, outside linebacker Kevin Hardy and defensive end Tony Brackens
Tony Brackens
Tony Lynn Brackens Jr. is a former defensive end in the NFL a born and raised in Fairfield, Texas.-College years:He played his college football at the University of Texas where he earned a reputation as a fierocus hitter. In 1995, Brackens was on the All-American team and was also on the...
, earned All-Pro honors.
In 2005, after working in football camps around the United States, Selmon joined the staff of the Michigan State Spartans
Michigan State Spartans
The Michigan State Spartans are the athletic team that represent Michigan State University. The school's athletic program includes 25 varsity sports teams. Their mascot is a Spartan warrior named Sparty, and the school colors are green and white...
as defensive line coach, but he left Michigan State after one season. He worked as a private consultant to aspiring professional football players for two years.
Selmon recently applied for the head coaching position at the University of Central Oklahoma
University of Central Oklahoma
The University of Central Oklahoma, often referred to as UCO, is a coeducational public university located in Edmond, Oklahoma. The university is the third largest in Oklahoma, with almost 18,000 students and approximately 434 full-time and 400 adjunct faculty...
, but he was not hired.
Selmon currently resides with his family in Jacksonville.