TAMPA, Fla. — University of South Florida Football has announced a meaningful new tradition starting in the 2025 season in which the Bulls will honor the enduring legacy of Lee Roy Selmon by selecting a defensive lineman each season to wear his iconic No. 63.
This distinction will be awarded to a student-athlete who embodies Selmon’s enduring values, including integrity, leadership, athletic achievement, academic excellence, and service to others.
Senior defensive tackle Josh Celiscar has been chosen as the inaugural recipient of this honor for the 2025 season. Following Sunday’s practice, Celiscar was presented with the No. 63 jersey during a post-practice ceremony attended by Lee Roy’s widow, Claybra, and son, Lee Roy Selmon Jr., a former Bulls defensive tackle who played for USF from 1999 to 2004.
"It feels good, actually. It feels legendary, in a way," Celiscar said with a smile. He said he doesn't feel any added pressure of wearing a meaningful number, but he does feel a heightened sense of responsibility. "I have to do my part not just as a student athlete, but as a person that’s honoring his legacy."
"What [Lee Roy Selmon] left here was a legacy of humility. A legacy of giving more of yourself than taking from the program," head coach Alex Golesh said after Monday's practice. "[Josh] comes to work every day and tries to help everybody around him. I didn’t get a chance to meet Lee Roy, but you meet the entire family, and that’s what he did. It was always servant leadership, servant leadership, servant leadership."
Celiscar wants to pursue a career in sports psychology. Part of his mission is to impact student-athletes the way Selmon did during his time as USF athletic director.
"I’ve heard stories about Lee Roy, that student-athletes would just go up to his office and have conversations with him. And they’ll feel like it’s a sigh of relief," Josh explained. "Student-athletes, if they trust you, they’re willing to talk to you and have conversations with you. That’s just something I want to do."
Celiscar, who previously wore No. 8 at USF, joined the Bulls in the spring after transferring from Texas A&M. With 51 games of collegiate experience, he is expected to be an impactful presence on the defensive line this season. He arrived at USF with 156 career tackles, 24.5 tackles for loss, and eight sacks in his career. Beyond his performance on the field, Celiscar quickly made a significant impact as a leader and mentor within the Bulls locker room.
A revered figure in the Tampa Bay community, Selmon served USF Athletics for 19 years until his passing in 2011. He played a pivotal role in launching the USF football program, which debuted in 1997, and served as Director of Athletics from 2001 to 2004, helping guide the Bulls into the Big East Conference. The Lee Roy Selmon Athletics Center and Lee Roy Selmon Mentoring Institute, a program dedicated to preparing student-athletes for careers beyond sports, are named in his honor. They are lasting tributes to Selmon’s profound impact on USF student-athletes, staff, and the trajectory of Bulls athletics.
Selmon was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, College Football Hall of Fame, Academic All-American Hall of Fame, and USF Athletic Hall of Fame, reflecting his extraordinary achievements both on and off the field.
While at the University of Oklahoma, he was a two-time national champion, consensus All-American, GTE Academic All-American, and recipient of both the Outland Trophy and Lombardi Trophy. Selected No. 1 overall in the 1976 NFL Draft by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Selmon went on to earn six Pro Bowl selections, was named the 1979 NFL Defensive Player of the Year, and helped transform the franchise, leading the team to three playoff appearances from 1979-82. His No. 63 jersey was retired by the franchise in 1986.
Selmon’s lasting impact on the Tampa Bay community is commemorated in part through the naming of the Lee Roy Selmon Expressway and a statue in Downtown Tampa.
Celiscar wants to let his actions on and off the field honor a historic legacy- regardless of what jersey he wears.
"The number doesn’t make you. You make the number," he added confidently. "I’m honestly excited for this year."
USF opens the season Aug. 28 when they host #25 Boise St. at Raymond James Stadium. Kickoff is set for 5:30 p.m. on ESPN.
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