TAMPA, Fla. -- Lee Roy Selmon, the Hall of Fame defensive end who teamed with his brothers at Oklahoma to create a dominant defensive front that helped lead the Sooners to consecutive national championships, died Sunday -- two days after being hospitalized for a stroke. He was 56.

A statement released on behalf wife Claybra said he died at a Tampa hospital surrounded by family members.

"For all his accomplishments on and off the field, to us Lee Roy was the rock of our family. This has been a sudden and shocking event and we are devastated by this unexpected loss," the statement said.

Selmon was hospitalized Friday, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers confirmed later that he had a stroke.

"No Sooner player cast a longer shadow over its rich tradition than Lee Roy," former Oklahoma coach Barry Switzer said in a statement. "Beyond his many and great accomplishments, I believe the true legacy of Lee Roy Selmon lies within the kind of man he was. Lee Roy possessed a combination of grace, humility, and dignity that is rare. His engaging smile and gentleness left you feeling blessed to be in his presence. Best of all, he was all genuine. One would be blessed to have a father, son, uncle, brother, or friend like Lee Roy Selmon."

In nine seasons with the Buccaneers, Selmon had 78½ sacks and earned six consecutive Pro Bowl selections. He retired after the 1984 season.

"The guy just worked as hard as you could ever work and was just a great guy," said former Tampa Bay teammate Bill Kollar, now the Houston Texans' assistant head coach and defensive line coach.

"Never got mad, was just always great to everybody and it's hard to imagine that you could end up being a better person than Lee Roy was. Really, the guy was just a phenomenal person. ... It's obviously really a sad day. The guy was a great player and even a better person. It's just a shame that this happened to him."

The Glazer family, which owns the team, released a statement mourning him.

"Tampa Bay has lost another giant. This is an incredibly somber day for Buccaneer fans, Sooner fans, and all football fans. Lee Roy's standing as the first Buc in the Hall of Fame surely distinguished him, but his stature off the field as the consummate gentleman put him in another stratosphere," the statement said.