Statue Shows Why Selmon Brothers' DNA is All Over Oklahoma Football

Barry Switzer, Joe Castiglione, the Selmons and others talked Saturday about what the statue means, and what OU football means to their family.

NORMAN — The spirit of Lee Roy Selmon, and the spirit of Sooner Nation, was felt everywhere on Saturday.

Outside Memorial Stadium, where Lee Roy and his older brothers, Lucious and Dewey, wreaked havoc on opposing offense and caused nightmares that probably continue today, another “heroic-sized” statue was unveiled.

Not one of Heisman Trophy winners. There are enough of those, six, with one more coming soon.

This one was of the Selmon brothers. This one was of a trio of defensive players — three players from whom comes the program’s DNA.

Take that, Heisman Park.

As much as pre-statehood football, as much as Bennie Owen, as much as Bud Wilkinson and the Split T and 47 straight, as much as the wishbone and Bob Stoops and the Heisman, as much as Brent Venables and Saturday night's game against Kansas State, the Selmon brothers are Oklahoma football.

Barry Switzer, who coached the brothers out of Eufaula, OK, from 1971-75, recounted how everyone wanted defensive tackle Barry Price out of nearby Midwest City, but after verbally committing to OU, Price flipped to Oklahoma State.

It was the greatest recruiting loss of all time, Switzer said.

“We got Lucious,” Switzer said, “but we didn’t even know about Dewey and Lee Roy.

“We got three of the greatest football players ever to play they game all by circumstances of another kid deciding he wanted to go to another school. … We were right in every way.”

Lee Roy became the most accomplished of the trio: a two-time first-team All-American, a Lombardi Award and Outland Trophy winner, the No. 1 overall pick in the 1976 NFL Draft, a College Football Hall of Fame and a Pro Football Hall of Fame.

After a career in athletic administration — he started the program at South Florida as USF’s athletic director — Lee Roy died suddenly in 2011. It left a hole in the OU program. But over the last decade, that hole has become a warm light — and now stands proud and strong, cast in bronze.

Saturday, his son, Lee Roy Jr. talked about his dad.

“Just to be part of this today, a day that will go down in history,” Selmon Jr. said, “I heard the word ‘immortalize’ used, and that’s exactly what this is. This statue here means so much to me, and it means so much to my uncles.

“They were a hard-hitting, powerful defense. The opposition never knew what hit ‘em. Didn’t have a way to prepare for ‘em. … I love hearing from former teammates that reach back as far as Eufaula, OK, who get to tell me great stories about him and how great a person he was, how great an athlete he was.”

Lucious Selmon — oldest of the famous trio, who were the youngest of nine children — told the story of cheating his little brothers playing football in the yard. Finally, they grew tired of his shenanigans and teamed up to plant him in the hedges.

When his little brothers finally joined him at OU, he told his coach how he didn’t want to go up against them in practice. His coach thought he was trying to take it easy on them.

“He didn’t know how wrong he was,” Lucious said.

Lucious said he wants the statue to “serve as an inspiration” to current and future Sooners who walk past the corner of Brooks Street and Jenkins Avenue.

“Just go out, when you don’t know where it’s gonna lead,” he said, pointing at the statue, “just be willing to be consistent and give it your best. And who knows where that will lead?”

Dewey Selmon recalled memories of being made to carry Greg Pruitt’s books across campus and told everyone how Lee Roy would treat today if he were here (he’d make it about everyone else, then after everyone had left, he would cry because he got to be a part of a day everyone else held in such esteem).

“This day is so very, very special,” Dewey said. “I can’t explain in words what today really means.

“I want you to know, everyone here today, know from the bottom of our hearts — the Selmon family — that we are moved by your presence, your commitment and your love.”