Stormin in Norman
Fansided

Oklahoma football: Pair of Sooners make ESPN All-Time All-America Team

By Chip Rouse

TAMPA, FL - NOVEMBER 08: Hall of Fame defensive end Lee Roy Selmon is inducted into the Buccanners Ring of Honor at halftime of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers game against the Green Bay Packers at Raymond James Stadium on November 8, 2009 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by J. Meric/Getty Images)
TAMPA, FL - NOVEMBER 08: Hall of Fame defensive end Lee Roy Selmon is inducted into the Buccanners Ring of Honor at halftime of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers game against the Green Bay Packers at Raymond James Stadium on November 8, 2009 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by J. Meric/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit

When you consider how many truly great players have graced college football in the 150-year history of the sport, the fact that two former Oklahoma football players are among the 50 considered the greatest all-time at their position is recognition of the highest order.

As part of the continuing celebration of the 150th anniversary of college football, ESPN has come up with the All-Time All-America Team. The great Lee Roy Selmon is a first-team defensive tackle on that team.

Selmon, along with brothers Lucious and Dewey, anchored a dominant Sooner defensive line that was a large part of Oklahoma’s 32-1-1 record between 1973 and 1975, marking the first three seasons that Barry Switzer was the head coach of the Sooners. Lee Roy, the youngest of the three Selmon brothers, earned All-America honors his junior and senior seasons, in 1974 and ’75, and was a key contributor to OU’s back-to-back national championships those same two seasons.

His senior season, Lee Roy was awarded the Outland Trophy, as the best interior lineman in the country on either offense or defense, and the Lombardi Award, recognizing the best college football player, regardless of position.

In the article announcing the ESPN All-Time All-America Team, the ESPN writers noted that Switzer frequently called Lee Roy the best player he ever coached

Lee Roy was the No. 1 overall pick in the 1976 NFL Draft, selected by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He played his entire nine-year career in the NFL with Tampa Bay. He was a six-time Pro Bowl selection and earlier this year was named to the NFL 100th Anniversary All-Time Team.

Selmon died of a stroke in 2011 at the age of 56.

Another Sooner all-time great, Keith Jackson, was named to the All-Time All-America second team offense, at the tight end position.

Jackson also played for Switzer, from 1984-87. Oklahoma was 42-5-1 in the four seasons Jackson played for the Sooners, including the 1985 national championship season.

A two-time consensus All-American (1986, 1987), Jackson played in a wishbone offense that didn’t pass very often. He caught a total of 65 passes in his college career for 1,561 yards and 15 touchdowns, averaging close to 24 yards per catch.

A first-round pick by the Philadelphia Eagles (No. 13 overall) in the 1988 NFL Draft, Jackson played nine seasons in the NFL.

Home/OU Football