We are 91 days away from college football kickoff. Or better yet, let’s say, 13 Saturdays left without college football. We only have 13 more Saturdays to finish every house project. As well as knock out every wedding, baby shower, and gender reveal party. Don’t you hate it when people schedule “important” dates on college football Saturdays? That might be a whole other article we need to dive into. Until then, let’s keep this countdown rolling.
Dewey Selmon Days Away From College Football Kickoff
Boomer Sooner
Dewey Selmon was a two-time First Team All-American, earning consensus honors in 1975. He played for Hall of Fame coach Barry Switzer and the Sooners from 1972 to 1975. He helped Oklahoma win national titles in 1974 and 1975. In the 1975 Orange Bowl, the Sooners secured the championship by defeating No. 5 Michigan 14-6. Selmon made 13 tackles in that game, setting an OU bowl record for a defensive lineman. The OU defense limited the Wolverines to only 202 yards of offense.
He started for Oklahoma from 1973 to 1975; the team went 32-1-1 and finished in the top three of the final AP rankings for four straight years: No. 2 in 1972, No. 3 in 1973, and No. 1 in both 1974 and 1975. The Sooners’ defense was strong, allowing just 12.1 points per game in 1973, 8.4 in 1974, and 12.8 in 1975. Selmon started 34 games in his career, which was the second-most by an OU defensive lineman at that time.
Selmon finished his OU career with 325 tackles, 25 tackles for a loss totaling 109 yards, three forced fumbles, and two fumble recoveries. In a close 16-13 win over Texas in 1974, he made 22 tackles, a single-game school record for a defensive lineman that still stands. He is one of just five OU defensive linemen ever to have two seasons with over 100 tackles. Selmon was named First Team All-Big Eight twice and helped the Sooners win four straight Big Eight titles from 1972 to 1975.
Off the field Selmon stood out as well, earning CoSIDA Academic All-American honors twice—First Team in 1975 and Second Team in 1974—and being named to the Academic All-Big Eight team four times. In 2010, he was inducted into the CoSIDA Academic All-America Hall of Fame.
Selmon played alongside his brothers, Lee Roy Selmon and Lucious Selmon. In 2022, OU honored the three brothers by unveiling a statue in their honor to celebrate their unique contributions to the university.
In the 1976 NFL Draft Selmon was picked in the second round by Tampa Bay. After playing seven seasons in the NFL with the Buccaneers and the San Diego Chargers, he went back to Oklahoma to work as an oil and gas consultant and later started his own construction company.
Another Great #91: Doug Atkins, Tennessee
Doug Atkins was an all-state center on a high school basketball team that won 44 straight games before he came to the University of Tennessee to play basketball. But head football coach Bob Neyland saw his 6’8″, 245-pound size and wanted him on the football field too.
As a sophomore in 1950, Atkins played end on Tennessee’s 11-1 Cotton Bowl champion team. In his junior year, after moving to defensive tackle, he became an All-SEC player. Atkins led a strong pass rush, helping Tennessee lead the nation in pass defense as the Vols won 10 straight regular-season games and claimed a national championship. In his senior year in 1952, Atkins earned All-America honors as Tennessee led the nation in total defense.
In a game against Vanderbilt, he intercepted a pass from future Chicago teammate Billy Wade and ran it back for the first touchdown in a 46-0 win. Atkins played during a memorable time in UT football history, when the Vols made three straight bowl appearances and finished with a 29-4-1 record. After college, Atkins played professionally for 17 years with Cleveland, Chicago, and New Orleans.
Editor’s Note: The countdown to college football kickoff has been a series on the Last Word on College Football social media platforms for the past 9 years. They consisted of a photo and a small blurb for each player, with the jersey corresponding to the number of days until kickoff. The rank of the players is sourced from articles by Bleacher Report, Fox Sports, and The Athletic. There are also some favorite players of the Last Word on College Football writers. Their bios are sourced from multiple online sources, including but not limited to the College Football Hall of Fame, their Heisman profiles, and school websites.
Main Photo: Malcolm Emmons-Imagn Images
