Aug. 11, 2025
by Penny Carnathan

NFL Hall of Famer Lee Roy Selmon received just one fine during his storied career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. As unlikely as it was for “The Gentle Giant” to get slapped for misconduct, the source may have come as an even bigger surprise.

Like Selmon, Tom “Ox” Oxley, the Bucs’ head athletic trainer from 1977 to 1984, had a reputation for being kind and easygoing. But Ox grew frustrated when the towels he relied on for warm compresses and cold wraps kept disappearing. He eventually found them — stuffed in Selmon’s locker. He called foul and charged his friend $25.

That irked the star defensive end, who complained mightily. 

If you ever get into the Hall of Fame, Oxley told Selmon, I’ll give you a refund. Until then, get over it.

It might have ended their friendship. It did not. In 1995, Selmon was inducted into the Hall of Fame. As promised, during a USF reception for the then-associate athletics director, Oxley presented him with a $25 check. Selmon had it enshrined with his personal memorabilia at the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio.

“How about that,” Oxley told the St. Petersburg Times that year. “Me and Lee Roy going to the Hall of Fame at the same time. Only I had to buy my way in.”

Selmon was just one of many devoted friends — patients, colleagues and mentees alike — who grew to love for Oxley during his extraordinary career teaching and practicing physical therapy. That became evident after Oxley died May 12 at 82. Days later, his only child, Elizabeth Oxley, MA ’01, established USF Health’s Thomas Oxley Memorial Scholarship in Physical Therapy. In just three weeks, the fund grew to endowment level — $25,000 — meaning it will benefit students for generations to come.

The outpouring of gifts would make her father cry, Elizabeth says. “He would not want people to be making a big fuss over him, but he'd be really proud.”

She hopes the fund continues to grow. Physical therapists now require a doctorate, she notes, which is a big investment for students. And the scholarships will go to people who demonstrate the qualities that defined her father.

“The Thomas Oxley Memorial Scholarship is more than financial support — it’s a tribute to the values that define exceptional physical therapists: compassion, empathy and a deep commitment to others,” says Douglas Haladay, director of the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine School of Physical Therapy & Rehabilitation Sciences. “By honoring students who embody these qualities, this endowed scholarship ensures that his legacy will continue to shape the future of patient care and professional mentorship.” 

Elizabeth was a toddler when Coach John McKay tapped Oxley as head athletic trainer for the fledgling Bucs. She grew up at One Buc Place, going to work with her dad when school was out because her mother, Janet, couldn’t easily bring a child to her job. Elizabeth jumped on the trampoline in the training room, played in the equipment room and won every Girl Scout cookie-selling contest. She also saw how her father treated others — and how they responded to him.  

“He made everyone feel important. He was humble and kind and funny,” she says. “He was so loved by everyone, especially people who worked for him.”

Oxley’s expertise proved instrumental in creating today’s NFL Scouting Combine, a skills showcase for potential draftees. He helped spearhead the first combine, organized by the Bucs in 1982, to ensure it included an assessment of players’ physical health and prior injuries. That evaluation remains an essential element of the combine today. 

One of few NFL trainers at the time with a physical therapy degree, Oxley attended Northwestern University, completing a bachelor’s in physiology at The Ohio State University. After earning a master’s in physical therapy from Baylor University, he became a physical therapy professor and head athletic trainer at what is now California State University at Long Beach, married the former Janet Blackmun and went on to Northwestern as a professor and head trainer.

Following his time with the Bucs, Oxley co-founded Austin and Oxley Physical Therapy in Tampa. It eventually merged with the former HealthSouth.

He later recalled when HealthSouth transitioned to computers, with therapists taking histories using keyboards rather than pen and paper. 

“At the end of the day, they would take their notes into my dad and give him a briefing,” Elizabeth says. “And my dad would say to the therapist, ‘OK, I agree with all of that. Good job. Now tell me, what color were their eyes?’

“His point was, ‘I know that you're writing things down on a computer, but you still have to look at the person, talk to them, get to know them.’’’

It's that heart-to-heart connection Elizabeth hopes her father’s scholarship fund will foster.

“This scholarship is a win-win for everyone,” she says. “It honors my father forever, and it will help educate compassionate, skilled future physical therapists.” 

To contribute to the Thomas Oxley Memorial Scholarship in Physical Therapy, use the link below.