Honoring Lee Roy Selmon's No. 63
Honoring Lee Roy Selmon's No. 63
Stephen Galvin / University of South Florida Athletics
August 10, 2025
In a new USF tradition that will signify one of the football program's highest honors, defensive lineman Josh Celiscar was selected to wear No. 63 for the 2025 season. That was the National Football League number of the late Tampa Bay Buccaneers legend Lee Roy Selmon, a Pro Football Hall of Famer and USF program patriarch who's remembered as one of Tampa's most beloved citizens and role models.
Each season, a defensive lineman will be selected to wear No. 63 in Selmon's honor. The criteria — integrity, leadership, athletic ability, academic excellence and service to others — reflect Selmon's distinguished life.
"I've heard about Lee Roy Selmon on the field — and I know he was amazing there — but it's more impressive to hear what he did in the community and how he helped the USF student-athletes,'' Celiscar said. "I'm going to honor him by being myself every day, just being a leader and a solid person, and exemplifying his work ethic on the field. This is such an honor and I want to live up to Lee Roy Selmon's name.''
"This will be a great way to carry on the legacy of Lee Roy Selmon throughout our program,'' head coach Alex Golesh said. "It's a really neat deal for USF football. I think Josh is super fired up about it and really honored. Wearing that No. 63 will signify someone who has worked and shown a level of integrity, athletic ability and academic excellence, all the traits that I've heard about since I got here to USF that defined Lee Roy Selmon.''
Lee Roy Selmon.
Around USF — and all of the Tampa Bay area — the name is magic.
Selmon, a University of Oklahoma All-American and the youngest of three brothers on the Sooners' defensive line, went to the expansion Bucs as the first overall pick in the 1976 NFL Draft. And he promptly became the cornerstone of a franchise that nearly reached the Super Bowl in its fourth season, when he was NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 1979.
Forced to retire prematurely due to a back injury in 1986, Selmon transitioned to a banking career. But in 1993, he was lured to USF to lead fundraising efforts for the school's proposed football program. "Potentially, we've hired the most effective builder of relationships that this university could ever have,'' then-USF athletic director Paul Griffin said. From 2001-04, Selmon served as USF's athletic director, helping to usher the program into the Big East Conference.
Selmon, an Academic All-American at Oklahoma, also provided ongoing purpose to USF athletes.
USF's Selmon Mentoring Institute offers a three-year program and one-on-one mentoring for student-athletes as they prepare for professional life. After Selmon died in 2011 at age 56 — sending shock waves through the campus and sports world — USF named its athletic headquarters in his honor.
Now the special honor surrounding his No. 63 — putting Celiscar first in line to carry on that legacy — will further solidify USF's ties to Selmon.
Celiscar wants to become a sports psychologist.
"A lot of athletes who have been injured don't know what to do after football or whatever sport they play,'' Celiscar said. "I could be that person to talk to them and kind of advise. I really feel like that's something I could do.''
With Celiscar's humility, insight and a selfless spirit, Selmon couldn't have said it better.
Josh Celiscar (& Family)
Josh Celiscar with wife, Sage-Lynae, and daughter, Nyellie.
A Breath Of Fresh Air
Celiscar, 23, said he doesn't have any bad days.
Regardless of what he experiences in the classroom or on the practice field, Celiscar's wife, Sage-Lynae, and their 15-month-old daughter, Nyellie, are always waiting at home.
"When I come home, everything just goes away and I don't even think about what happened at practice or whether I did something wrong,'' Celiscar said. "I just want to be in a moment with my wife and baby girl. I love my life right now.''
Celiscar, a native of Winter Haven, has enjoyed an interesting football life. He spent four seasons at UCF (2020-23), accumulating 24.5 tackles for a loss and seven sacks while serving as team captain. Celiscar also intersected with Golesh, who was UCF's co-offensive coordinator in 2020.
With a fifth year of eligibility due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Celiscar considered USF, but opted for the SEC experience of Texas A&M for 2024. It didn't work out. Celiscar only played in one game, preserving that final year of eligibility, and USF became his solid choice.
"Once it didn't go the way I planned (at Texas A&M), it was like, 'That's how life goes,' '' Celiscar said. "You have to take it with a grain of salt, move on and keep working as hard as you can. I gained something from the experience. It helped to mold me into who I was going to become.''
Celiscar, the son of Haitian parents and the sixth of eight siblings, has quickly become an integral part of USF's football program.
"When you become aware of Josh, you know he's an older guy and he has gone through some battles,'' defensive coordinator Todd Orlando said. "Then when you talk to him, it's so sincere, so polite, so aware. The first time I met him, I thought, 'Man, this guy thinks like a true adult. He's aware of stuff that's going on.' He brings connection to our defense.''
With teammates, Celiscar's presence prompted instant credibility.
"He brings juice, a different level of intellect and a different type of compassion because he's a dad,'' said defensive lineman Michael Williams II. "He has a drive for this game because he's fighting hard to put food on the table for his family. The first thing that stuck out for me was he's the first one in line, the first one in drills. He tries to show everyone else. He wants to be the standard around here.''
"Josh looks the part, but he also is the part,'' offensive lineman Derek Bowman said. "In practice against him, I know I've got to bring my A-game and have a true game rep, or else I'm not going to find success on that part. Every time I get to go against him, he makes me better.''
Golesh refers to Celiscar as "a breath of fresh air.''
"Josh plays with his hair on fire,'' Golesh said. "We show attack clips every day, meaning guys who are playing harder for longer, guys who are standing out from an effort standpoint. And he consistently is on that film.
"He has brought us veteran confidence because he has played so much football. Among all the craziness going on in college football, he just wanted to be closer to home. He and his wife are about an hour from home. He's around family. He's the first guy to give you a hug every morning. He's just grateful to be here. And believe me, we are grateful for him being here.''
For Celiscar, family is everything.
And that's another quality of Selmon's legend.
Honoring Lee Roy Selmon's No. 63
Lee Roy Selmon Jr., Claybra Selmon and Josh Celiscar.
Welcome To The Family
Following Sunday's practice, Celiscar was formally presented with No. 63 from Lee Roy Selmon Jr., a former USF football player who wore No. 93 (his father's OU number) during his Bulls career, and Selmon's widow, Claybra.
"My heart is so full right now,'' Claybra Selmon said. "Lee Roy would probably say, 'What is all this hoopla about? You didn't have to do something like this.' But the fact that USF is doing this, it just fills me with so much joy and happiness. I feel like Josh is in our family now.''
In fact, Claybra Selmon told Celiscar she'd like to volunteer as a babysitter for his daughter.
"I hope he takes me up on it,'' Claybra Selmon said with a smile. "When it comes down to it, it's always about family.''
Selmon's children — Lee Roy Jr., Brandy and Christopher — are all grown and living in the Tampa Bay area and Orlando. They have carried on the family name with pride. Selmon's legacy will get an additional spotlight this season with USF's new tradition and the Bucs celebrating the franchise's 50th anniversary season.
"My father was a man of humility and very few words, but when he did speak, he spoke truth,'' said Lee Roy Selmon Jr. "He brought energy to the people around him. He loved this university. He bled green and gold. This new initiative means so much to us. It signifies someone who has ferocious tenacity on the football field, but at the same time is the most humble and gentle guy off the field, someone who is all about his fellow teammates and his community. We have the right person to establish that tradition in Josh Celiscar.''
When Celiscar transferred to USF, he was given No. 8 — a very big deal since it usually means star-status for a defensive lineman to wear a single-digit number.
"So, I go to Josh (recently) and say, 'Man, we'd like for you to change your number and here it is … No. 63,' '' Golesh said. "He kind of looks at you funny. Then you explain why and you explain the history of it.
"On top of being one of the best to ever play the position, you've got a man in Lee Roy Selmon who did so much for this community, certainly for this university and definitely for this football program. Josh just lit up and said, 'Man … that's really cool.' He got a chance to meet with Junior (Lee Roy Selmon Jr.) at a lunch and he came back just absolutely fired up. Josh said, 'Man, I get to carry on this legacy just by playing the right way.' He was really honored by it.''
No. 63 will carry great honor, of course.
Along with great responsibility.
"I saw Josh for the first time (at UCF) as a young guy trying to find his way and make a huge impact on the field and in the locker room,'' Golesh said. "Now I've got the opportunity to see Josh again as a sixth-year guy. He's now a husband and a father. He has grown up.
"He has always exuded those same values, but now he can do it in a big-time leadership role at a new place where he came in and established relationships and trust, while earning the respect of everybody in this building.
"I couldn't think of a better person to symbolize the very first one wearing No. 63 in our program.''
–#GoBulls–