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CANTON, Ohio. – George Selvie was at a professional low after the Tampa Bay Buccaneers released him in May.
The defensive end had signed with the Bucs one month earlier and was hopeful he would stick around for a while in his home state. After it didn’t work out, he wondered if his career might be over after only three seasons.
“You try not to think about it, but in the back of your mind, you’re like, ‘Man, people are in (organized team activities), people are about to start camp,’ ” said Selvie, 26. “I’m sitting at home (in Pensacola, Fla.) still working out, playing with my son. But I finally got that call and when I got that call, I was ready.”
“That call” was from the Dallas Cowboys, who signed the 6-foot-4, 270-pound Selvie on July 24 after injuries depleted their defensive line. He practiced that same day after leaving Pensacola on a 6 a.m. flight.
“I got there and it was, ‘OK, nice to meet you. We are going to need you at practice at 4 o’clock,’ ” Selvie said. “I’m like, ‘uh, all right.’ But I’m just grateful. I thank God every day for my opportunity.”
End Tyrone Crawford, who was expected to back up both DeMarcus Ware and Anthony Spencer, is out for the season after tearing his left Achilles tendon on the first day of training camp practice. Spencer could miss the rest of the preseason after undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his left knee.
In their absence, Selvie received plenty of playing time in Sunday’s 24-20 preseason-opening win over the Miami Dolphins. And he made the most of it, recording four tackles, two sacks, two tackles for loss and three quarterback hits.
The head-turning performance, coupled with the injuries, puts him in contention for a spot on the 53-man roster.
“It’s a producing league,” Selvie said. “If you produce, that’s the way you stay in.”
Said coach Jason Garrett, “He did a nice job from the first practice he had with us. You can tell he has played a lot in this league. He is a good football player, a hungry football player. He works hard in practice.
“…It didn’t surprise us that he would (play well against Miami) based on how he’s been practicing.”
A seventh-round pick by the St. Louis Rams in 2010, Selvie has logged 36 games for three teams over four seasons. He played in all 16 games as a rookie, finishing with 21 tackles and 1.5 sacks, but the Rams waived him in September 2011. Next up were short stints with the Carolina Panthers and the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Now he’s hoping he can jump start his career and fulfill the promise that came with finishing as South Florida’s all-time sacks leader with 29.
“Through the last three years, I’ve been through some stuff,” said Selvie, the Big East Defensive Player of the Year in 2007. “So just going out here and having a good game, starting off right (feels good). We’ve got four more (preseason) games left, still got training camp left. I’ve got to build off that. I can’t stay settled. I’ve got to go for greatness, and that’s what I’m going to try to do.”
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The defensive end had signed with the Bucs one month earlier and was hopeful he would stick around for a while in his home state. After it didn’t work out, he wondered if his career might be over after only three seasons.
“You try not to think about it, but in the back of your mind, you’re like, ‘Man, people are in (organized team activities), people are about to start camp,’ ” said Selvie, 26. “I’m sitting at home (in Pensacola, Fla.) still working out, playing with my son. But I finally got that call and when I got that call, I was ready.”
“That call” was from the Dallas Cowboys, who signed the 6-foot-4, 270-pound Selvie on July 24 after injuries depleted their defensive line. He practiced that same day after leaving Pensacola on a 6 a.m. flight.
“I got there and it was, ‘OK, nice to meet you. We are going to need you at practice at 4 o’clock,’ ” Selvie said. “I’m like, ‘uh, all right.’ But I’m just grateful. I thank God every day for my opportunity.”
End Tyrone Crawford, who was expected to back up both DeMarcus Ware and Anthony Spencer, is out for the season after tearing his left Achilles tendon on the first day of training camp practice. Spencer could miss the rest of the preseason after undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his left knee.
In their absence, Selvie received plenty of playing time in Sunday’s 24-20 preseason-opening win over the Miami Dolphins. And he made the most of it, recording four tackles, two sacks, two tackles for loss and three quarterback hits.
The head-turning performance, coupled with the injuries, puts him in contention for a spot on the 53-man roster.
“It’s a producing league,” Selvie said. “If you produce, that’s the way you stay in.”
Said coach Jason Garrett, “He did a nice job from the first practice he had with us. You can tell he has played a lot in this league. He is a good football player, a hungry football player. He works hard in practice.
“…It didn’t surprise us that he would (play well against Miami) based on how he’s been practicing.”
A seventh-round pick by the St. Louis Rams in 2010, Selvie has logged 36 games for three teams over four seasons. He played in all 16 games as a rookie, finishing with 21 tackles and 1.5 sacks, but the Rams waived him in September 2011. Next up were short stints with the Carolina Panthers and the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Now he’s hoping he can jump start his career and fulfill the promise that came with finishing as South Florida’s all-time sacks leader with 29.
“Through the last three years, I’ve been through some stuff,” said Selvie, the Big East Defensive Player of the Year in 2007. “So just going out here and having a good game, starting off right (feels good). We’ve got four more (preseason) games left, still got training camp left. I’ve got to build off that. I can’t stay settled. I’ve got to go for greatness, and that’s what I’m going to try to do.”
Continue reading...