USF Athletics

A Look Back at the Grand Return of BullsFest

May 30, 2019

By TOM ZEBOLD
USF Senior Writer

TAMPA, MAY 30, 2019 – The first BullsFest since 2014 saw support soar through the roof at Raymond James Stadium for a program that would make the late and great Lee Roy Selmon proud.

The largest BullsFest crowd ever of more than 500 people filled the West Club on Saturday, May 18 for the premier auction event that raised funds for USF Athletics' Selmon Mentoring Institute. The substantial support served as a huge boost toward the $4 million endowment goal that would keep the unique program alive in Selmon's name forever.

"We're not only going to be able to raise the awareness of the Selmon Mentoring Institute but raise great dollars to help formulate that program and make it even stronger in the future," Vice President of Athletics Michael Kelly said.

Since its inaugural class in 2014, 151 USF student-athletes have graduated from the Selmon Mentoring Institute, which continues to fulfill Selmon's passion for preparing Bulls well for life after sports. The progressive program provides one-on-one mentorship opportunities for USF's nearly 500 student-athletes to develop as people and professionals.

The mentor pool consists of more than 120 experts from area companies like USF Health, the Tampa Bay Lighting and Rays, ESPN, Tampa Bay Times, Parks Motor Group and Tampa Police Department. BullsFest 2019 presenter R.R. Simmons was one of 19 new mentors this academic year.

"We are encouraged by the growth the program has seen thus far and we are extremely excited about what is yet to come," said Director of Selmon Mentoring Institute and Student-Athlete Enhancement Kristen Harris.

"The goal is to endow the program, so the Selmon Mentoring Institute remains a USF Athletics staple and continues to impact the lives of our student-athletes," Harris added. "As we begin to move into the sixth year of the program, more student-athletes are participating and taking ownership of their futures."

Bulls, Big Names Unite
Selmon Mentoring Institute inaugural class member Abby Ritter is a shining example of the impact the development program continues to make. The former USF cross country runner is now USF's Assistant Athletic Director of Development and was honored to share her story with the large crowd at BullsFest 2019.

"I think most college students struggle with the idea of picking a career path at such a young age," Ritter said. "The Selmon Mentoring Institute not only allowed me to grow tremendously as an individual, but I feel I also developed as young professional."

Selmon Mentoring Institute graduates Eric Lee, now a Detroit Lions defensive end, and former USF high jump standout Giscard Petion also shared their testimonials during the special evening that attracted big names in the Bay area.

Selmon's wife, Claybra, and members of his family were special guests along with Bucs Ring of Honor member Doug Williams, prominent USF donors Pam and Les Muma, and USF System President Judy Genshaft and her husband, Steven Greenbaum. The guest list also included former USF President Betty Castor and her husband, Sam Bell, in addition to USF Foundation CEO Joel Momberg and his wife, Debbie.

Bucs radio play-by-play announcer Gene Deckerhoff served as emcee for the event that gave supporters a true inside look at USF Athletics. Attendees got to chat with USF head coaches Charlie Strong (football), Brian Gregory (men's basketball), Warren Bye (track & field), Steve Bradley (men's golf), Erika Brennan (women's golf), Courtney Draper (volleyball), Ashley Fisher (men's tennis) and Cristina Moros (women's tennis). Several current USF student-athletes also were in the house to tell people all about the program that honors the legacy of Selmon.

"Tonight feels great because one of our goals for the year is to find more and more ways to engage with the community, with our former players, with our alumni," Vice President of Athletics Michael Kelly said. "To see this great turnout of (more) than 500 people at this event at Raymond James Stadium is just fantastic."

Place Your Bids
From tables filled with autographed Marlon Mack, Jason Pierre-Paul and Derrick Brooks memorabilia to College Football National Championship tickets, BullsFest attendees got to bid on 100 different silent auction items before the fun (and contributions) skyrocketed during the live auction.

Bill Mariotti was the lucky winner of two tickets to the 2020 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club along with a hotel stay.

David Goldstein and Mike Charles each won a private dinner for six at super USF supporter Richard Gonzmart's new Sicilian restaurant, Casa Santo Stefano, in Ybor City. Those prize winners will be among the first to dine from the menu prepared by Executive Chef Alessio Selleri and they'll be joined by former Major League Baseball star Tino Martinez and USF Athletics' own Michael Kelly.

Mike Wilsey will be dressed to impress at the 2020 ESPY Awards show after winning a three-day trip to Los Angeles. Tom Raad's support of the Selmon Mentoring Institute won him a Pebble Beach dream getaway stay at Chateau Valentine and two rounds of golf for three players.

Mary Edens, Andy Hafer and Jeff Marple's successful live auction bids resulted in a three-night stay in Toronto, where they'll have floor seating for Elton John's Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour stop at Scotiabank Arena in October.

The Selmon-style grand prize of the night sure was spectacular.

USF alum and prominent donor Jeffrey Fishman won the keys to a specialized Lee Roy Selmon Legacy Locker packed with incredible items. Inside were three different autographed Selmon jerseys (Sooners, Buccaneers, Bulls), a black USF football helmet and a $500 adidas gift card. Fishman also won tickets and a parking pass to USF home games for every sport in 2019-20 along with an all-inclusive trip for two to a Bulls football away game this upcoming season.

Honoring LRS
Just a day after USF football's memorable win at Notre Dame in 2011, Lee Roy Selmon passed away at age 56 but his memory continues to live on strong throughout the Bay area and beyond.

BullsFest 2019 was the perfect opportunity to learn all about Selmon's life and legacy in a number of ways. Speeches and media interviews were filled with fond memories of Selmon while his name and number were under the spotlight on the Ring of Honor at Ray Jay. Attendees even had the honor of posing for photos with Selmon's Pro Football Hall of Fame bust.

Classy tributes continued with Selmon videoboard messaging and iconic photos of USF's former athletic director (2001-04) who was still making an impact on the program in his final days.

The "Join the Legacy 63" slogan served as a grand finale to the event with pledges of more than $80,000 pouring in for the Selmon Mentoring Institute. Numerous people raised their hands to give $20,000 or more before the final call for pledges was a fitting figure - $63 – in honor of Selmon's jersey number.

For those who didn't get a chance to be a part of BullsFest 2019, don't worry because there's always next year. After a five-year absence, the event will be a tradition USF Athletics definitely plans to keep going in the future.

"I heard so many times over my first nine months here about how people really enjoyed the auction. We had it years ago," Vice President of Athletics Michael Kelly said. "To bring it back and to have this kind of turnout and to be able to have it specialized and focused on the Selmon Mentoring Institute is just like the perfect combination. We're very pleased."
 
About USF Athletics
USF Athletics sponsors 19 varsity men's and women's teams that compete in 11 different sports, 18 at the NCAA Division I level in the American Athletic Conference. The Bulls' athletic program began in 1965 and is in its 53^rd season in 2018-19. Nearly 500 student-athletes train and compete in the athletic district located on the east end of the campus in Tampa, Fla. The Bulls have claimed 18 American Athletic Conference team titles since joining the conference in 2013, and own 119 conference titles overall. Nine USF programs reached national post-season competition in the 2017-18 season and six were ranked in the Top 25 nationally. The Bulls posted a combined annual grade-point average over 3.0 for the third straight year in 2017-18 and have posted a program record eight straight semesters with a combined GPA over 3.0. USF has had more than 250 student-athletes earn their degree in the last three years.
 
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