Class of 2018 Finalist Spotlight: Tony Boselli

Former Jacksonville Jaguars lineman Tony Boselli was recently announced as finalist for the second time. If elected, he would become only the 23rd tackle and the 45th linemen Enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The last tackle inducted was Orlando Pace in 2016.

There are currently 310 Hall of Famers. Since 2012, there have been nine linemen Enshrined.

Boselli was selected by the expansion Jacksonville Jaguars as the second player overall in 1995 NFL Draft. The Southern California product quickly became the face of the franchise.

A superb pass protector with quick feet, long arms and fine balance, Boselli sat out his rookie training camp with a knee injury and did not see action until Week 4 of the 1995 season. The 6-7, 324-pound tackle started each of the remaining 12 games that season and allowed only one sack to earn All-Rookie honors.

Boselli was regarded as the elite left tackle in the NFL during his seven-year career and persevered through numerous injuries.

He was the leader of a Jaguars team that reached the AFC championship game in just the franchise’s second season. That year marked the first of four straight playoff appearances as Jacksonville posted regular season records of 9-7, 11-5, 11-5 and 14-2 from 1996-99.

Boselli was tabbed as the team’s Most Valuable Player in 1998 after helping the Jaguars to the team’s first division title.  

In 2001, Boselli started three games before suffering a severe shoulder injury which landed him on the injured reserve list for the rest of the season. The following year Boselli was selected by the Houston Texans with the first pick in that franchise’s expansion draft but he never returned to the field.

Voted to five straight Pro Bowls (1997-2001), Boselli was named First-Team All-Pro three consecutive seasons (1997-99).

He was selected to the NFL’s All-Decade Team of the 1990s despite only playing half of the decade.

After his playing career ended, Boselli teamed up with teammates for different business opportunities. He invested in Mattress Firm bedding stores, Whataburger and founded IF Marketing.

The former Jaguars lineman also became a color commentator for NFL telecasts on FOX, a game analyst and sideline reporter for Westwood One, a radio play by play for the Jaguars and cohosted a radio show called Sports Final Radio.

Boselli also created the Boselli Foundation, which provides youth with limited financial resources a holistic, comprehensive, after-school learning environment. 

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