As we look forward to the 2014 USF Football season, we'll spend part of the summer looking back with the Voice of the Bulls Jim Louk. Louk has compiled his list of the 10 most influential Bulls in program history. As the radio voice for Bulls football since its inception in 1997, Louk has personally witnessed every game in the program's history and worked closely with coaches and players. Yet, his list may not line up perfectly with yours. Discussion and debate is welcome. Join the discussion by sending your list or feedback to @USFJimLouk and use the hashtag #USF10. 

We'll list these 10 players in no particular order in the coming weeks leading up to 2014 USF training camp. Selected players may or may not have huge statistics or have been a part of the big plays we all remember.  But, because of their talent, their effort or even their timing, they influenced the USF program greatly during our first 17 years of football.

First installment: Hugh Smith

Second Installment: Chad Barnhardt

Third Installment: Bill Gramatica

 Fourth Installment: Matt Grothe

By JIM LOUK

Voice of the Bulls

TAMPA, JULY 25, 2014 - I can't recall any particular excitement when George Selvie signed with USF out of Pine Forest High School in Pensacola.  He took a redshirt year at the beginning, but after winning the Overachiever Award for work in the Bulls strength and conditioning program in 2005, there was hope he'd turn out to be a serviceable center for USF.

Yes, center.  Can you imagine?

Selvie was moved to defensive end before his redshirt freshman season in 2006, and the carnage soon began.  He was tall and somewhat slender for a defensive end, but was strong and athletic. In 2006, the Bulls won their first bowl game, and Selvie was a big part of it.  He had 83 tackles (15 for loss), 5.5 sacks, and nine quarterback hits.  He was around the ball, forcing four fumbles and recovering two. 

But those impressive numbers were only a prelude to 2007, when Selvie had a year to rival Jason Pierre-Paul's monster 2009 season as arguably the greatest year a USF defender has ever had.

He came out of the gate fast, getting four sacks against Elon in the season opener on Sept. 1, 2007. While the Bulls went on a roller coaster ride of inconsistency that year, Selvie stayed steady. By the time season ended at the Sun Bowl in El Paso, he had earned consensus All-America honors.   

The numbers made him an easy choice; 31.5 tackles for loss, 14.5 sacks and 13 quarterback hits.  On any given play, Selvie would be disrupting something somewhere.  Seeing his familiar number 95 in the backfield became a common and even expected sight.

Away from the field, Selvie and Matt Grothe were the centerpieces of a USF team that became the media darlings of college football.   He was a good interview, and the level of national exposure he helped bring to the Bulls was immeasurable.

Selvie was by no means a one-man team in 2007 (in fact, two other Bulls defenders, Mike Jenkins and Ben Moffitt, made All-America status that year as well), but he was in the middle of it all, a feared defender that altered opponent's game plans.

In some ways, that wild 2007 season was the pinnacle for Selvie as a Bull.  His second two years weren't as dramatic, or as productive.  There were injuries, and he became a target for opposing teams as his reputation grew.  His number of tackles, tackles for loss and sacks decreased every year for the rest of his time as a Bull.  Still, he remained a major influence on those 2008 and 2009 teams; teams that went a combined 16-10.

By the time draft day came, Selvie's stock had fallen considerably.  The Rams took him in the seventh round, and he bounced around league for a few years.  Recently he hooked on with Dallas, and had his best year as a pro in 2013.

Selvie is still ranked near the top of many USF defensive categories.  He anchored the defensive line in what probably should be seen as the golden age of USF Football to date, and he is one of a select number of Bulls to play in four bowl games.  He was a part of three bowl wins; Birmingham, St. Petersburg and Toronto.

More importantly, he put a face and a personality to the Bulls football program in the midst of their remarkable rise up the top 25.  He made great play after great play when the national spotlight was at its brightest. 

After 17 seasons of football, there are still a few player numbers that Bulls fans immediately associate with one man.  A few people have worn number 95 well for the Bulls, especially current Bull Todd Chandler, but no one has worn it quite like George Selvie.

USF returns 16 starters (10 offense, 4 defense, 2 specialists) for Willie Taggart's second season at the helm, which kicks off on Aug. 30 vs. Western Carolina at Raymond James Stadium. The Bulls 2014 non-conference schedule features home clashes vs. Big Ten foe Maryland (Sept. 6) and ACC opponent N.C. State (Sept. 13) as well as a road game at perennial Big Ten power Wisconsin (Sept. 27). USF will welcome UConn (Fri., Sept. 19), East Carolina (Sat., Oct. 11), Houston (Sat., Nov. 1) and UCF (Fri., Nov. 28) to Raymond James in American Athletic Conference action.

Purchase season tickets by calling 1-800-GoBulls, online HERE or in person at the Ticket Sales and Service Center in the Sun Dome administrative offices (Gate B).