Southwestern Oklahoma State Athletics

Selvidge helped to usher in an unprecedented era of success for Southwestern Oklahoma State University football when he arrived on the Weatherford campus in the fall of 1954. To this day, he continues to be proud of his experiences at, and education from, SWOSU and is a strong supporter of the university and its alumni program.

Selvidge, who hails from Stinnett, Texas, was one of the first players utilized by new coach Joe Bailey Metcalf with revitalizing the Bulldogs’ football roster. After World War II, the SWOSU football program had limited success with just three winning seasons before Selvidge and his classmates arrived.

The Bulldogs quickly turned the fortunes around by going 7-2 in 1954 and winning the conference championship, SWOSU’s first since 1933. Winning seasons followed in 1955 and again in 1956 before culminating in a 1957 campaign that included a second conference crown and a season record of 7-1-1.

Selvidge earned all-conference honors as a senior offensive lineman. He was also selected to the Associated Press Little-All American team. Many of the other players on the 1957 team would later themselves be inducted into the SWOSU Athletics Hall of Fame, including Hayden Battles, John Buck, Cecil Perkins and Coach Metcalf.

Selvidge graduated in 1958 with a bachelor’s degree in social studies and took his first teaching job at Spearman Texas High School where he was an assistant football and track coach. He then took over as head coach at Hollis High School where he was head football and track coach along with assisting basketball. One of his star players was future SWOSU Hall of Famer Gary Abercrombie, who would later go on to quarterback the Bulldogs in the 1960’s.