Lee Roy Selmon Statue

Visit the Lee Roy Selmon Statue on THEA's Selmon Greenway

Our agency strongly supports and spearheads community initiatives throughout our region that activate spaces and enhance the beauty of our properties. As part of this effort, we commissioned Joel Randell to create a sculpture of Lee Roy Selmon for the Selmon Greenway. We chose to name our property, the Selmon Expressway, after Lee Roy Selmon and are honored to pay tribute to a man who was so deeply admired and respected in our community. After seeing Randell's bronze sculpture of Perry Harvey Sr. at the Perry Harvey Park in downtown Tampa, we knew Randell was would be the right artist to capture the essence of Selmon. Being from Oklahoma, Randell had been a football fan of Lee Roy Selmon and was well aware of the family legacy at the University of Oklahoma. Selmon is regarded as one of the University's all-time football greats.

With input from Mrs. Selmon, we worked with Randell to design a statue that would reflect a man who was so much more than just a football legend. He was a family man, a businessman, a leader, and a mentor at the University of South Florida, and a friend to all.

The statue's permanent home is along the Selmon Greenway on the corner of Florida Avenue and Brorein Avenue. It stands 8 feet tall and is built to "heroic scale" to commemorate a man who was larger than life. As represented in the statue, Lee Roy has a firm, bold stance and strong stature with a kind expression on his face. His left-hand makes the USF Bulls gesture while his right-hand rests on his hip in a characteristic stance. His business-casual outfit reflects the different aspects of his life, and he wears his #63 jersey from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Randell sculpts oil-based clay into a pre-designed model that is taken to a foundry for casting. The statue is 800 pounds of hollowed bronze and a powerful tribute to a man that was loved, respected, and touched so many lives. He was a true inspiration in what it means to live a good life.

More about the artist: https://www.sculptorjoelrandell.com/