Tony Boselli

1996 AFC – New England Patriots 20, Jacksonville Jaguars 6

Boselli started at left tackle.

1999 AFC – Tennessee Titans 33, Jacksonville Jaguars 14

Boselli did not play in this game.

All-League Teams

All-Pro: 1997 (AP, PFWA, SN)  ·  1998 (AP, PFWA, SN)  ·  1999 (AP, PFWA, SN)

All-AFC: 1997 (PW)  ·  1998 (PW)  ·  1999 (PW)

All-AFC Second Team: 1996 (UPI)

Pro Bowls

(5) – 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000*, 2001*

_{* Did not play}

Team Records

Jaguars records held by Boselli

(Records through the 2001 season, Boselli’s final season with Jacksonville)

• [1st] Most Seasons – 7
• [Tied for 3rd] Most Starts, Career – 90

Awards and Honors

• 1995 All-Rookie Team (PFWA, PW)
• 1998 Jacksonville Jaguars Most Valuable Player
• 1990s All-Decade Team

Year-by-Year Team Records

(Division Finish in Parentheses)

Qualified for Postseason in Bold

^#Injured Reserve

Full Name: Don Anthony Boselli, Jr.

Birthdate: April 17, 1972

Birthplace: Modesto, California

High School: Fairview (Boulder, CO)

Pro Career: Seven seasons, 91 games

Drafted: 1st round (2nd player overall) in 1995 by Jacksonville Jaguars

Announcer: Presenting Tony Boselli for enshrinement into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Mark Brunell.

(Cheers and applause.)

TONY BOSELLI: Well, this is amazing. Thank you, Mark. What a great friend. I can't imagine being in better company as a member of the Class of 2022. Offense, defense, coaching and even officiating, my class has it all.

To the families of Cliff Branch and Sam Mills; to Art McNally, who is at home; Richard Seymour; Bryant Young; Jacksonville's own, my Duval brother, LeRoy Butler: I'm honored to call you guys family.

There's nothing more important. There's nothing more powerful than the support and love of my family in all its forms throughout my 50 years. It’s why I'm here today as the first Jacksonville Jaguar to be welcomed – (Cheers and applause) – as a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. It's a profound honor, and I thank the Hall for the privilege, and I thank you for allowing me to be your teammate.

I was born on April 17, 1972, Don Bosco Anthony Boselli Jr., the first child born to Big Tony – that makes me Little Tony, my dad was about 6 foot tall – and Candy Boselli.

From there, our family would grow and evolve. I become big brother to Jennifer, Michael – I know you're watching, brother – Liz and Lauren. Growing up, my siblings taught me a valuable lesson: It wasn't all about me.

Our childhood was joyous, despite our parents divorcing before we were teens; but as far as Mom and Dad were concerned, divorce was never meant to divide. Both would find new and beautiful people in their lives. My dad would marry Carla, and my mom would marry Fred, resulting in an extended and harmonious family that at all times included my Uncle Bud and Aunt Betty.

My Uncle Bud was my dad's older brother by 22 years, which is why I really saw Bud and Betty more as grandparents. And they did grandparent things.

I wish my Uncle Bud were alive so I could hug him and give him thanks for the role he served in my life.

Without the influence of family during my early years, my life of football isn't happening. No way am I standing in front of you at this moment.

But as a kid, when you are showered with love by everyone around you, anything was possible. So I set the bar high. Real high. Maybe too high. I wanted to be a quarterback in the NFL. Growing up in Colorado, I dreamed of playing for the Denver Broncos at old Mile High Stadium.

But really my first goal was to suit up for Sam Pagano at Fairview High School, where my cousins, who were my role models, played.

The problem was the first thing Coach Pagano did my sophomore year, literally, in stretch, before we practiced, he ended my dreams of being a quarterback. I was destined to be an offensive lineman, but not before a short stint as a tight end on the sophomore team and water boy for the varsity. And I was a damn good water boy.

Coach Pagano would shift me to the offensive line for my junior and senior seasons. Quarterback to tight end, and a short stint at water boy, to the offensive line. Not the most glamorous path.

But all credit to you, Coach. It was the right path. It was the path to the University of Southern California, where my football career would take flight and Fight On, and my life would take shape.

My first offensive line coach there was John Matsko. He would teach me how to pass block. He was tough minded. He demanded a level of play.

But he also taught me something else. He instilled in me the honor of playing offensive line at USC, in the mold of Hall of Famers Ron Yary, Ron Mix, Anthony Muñoz, and Bruce Matthews.

I was honored to call you guys fellow Trojans, and I'm humbled now to call you guys teammates on the greatest offensive line on the greatest team ever assembled.

John Robinson would become my head coach for my final two seasons at USC, and he brought with him Mike Barry, his offensive line coach. Coach Robinson and Coach Barry would do something that I'm forever grateful for: They coached me hard. I mean really hard. Like miserably hard.

They pulled something out of me that I had no idea even existed. It was tough, it was miserable at times, but you know what? Like all the people that God has put in my life, I would not have become the player or the man I am without them.

My career had indeed taken flight at USC. Much more important, however, my life would take shape, thanks to meeting Angi Aylor – my wife, best friend, counselor, supporter and the world's greatest mom for 27 plus years.

(Cheers and applause.)

I want to thank Angi's parents, Ed and Nancy, and her siblings, Steve, Amy and Jeff, for all your support and for not messing her up.

Angi, you've been central in my life, in the journey I've taken as a football player, as a husband and as a father. You have been with me since the beginning, encouraged me to take and to follow the right path.

And to keep me on the right path, she actually married me. Angi was at my side when the expansion Jacksonville Jaguars selected me second overall in the 1995 NFL Draft.

(Cheers and applause.)

But really the greatest thing football has done for me is setting the stage for you, Angi, to be my wife. God gave me the opportunity to play the game I love. But outside Jesus dying for me, you're the greatest gift I've ever received.

I thank you, and I love you.

(Cheers and applause.)

Angi and I are blessed, incredibly, to call Jacksonville our home. It's where four of our five children were born and every one of them has been raised. It's a beautiful city where the Bosellis have made lifelong friends, several of you here today. E.M., I'm glad you made it.

I'm indebted to our first owners, Wayne and Delores Weaver. Thank you for bringing the NFL to Jacksonville and making me a Jaguar.

(Applause.)

And I'm grateful for our current owners, Shad and Ann Khan, Tony Khan, Shanna Khan and team President Mark Lamping. You have treated us as though we've been a part of your lives forever, just like family. And there's nothing more precious than family.

To my Jaguars family, it all starts with Tom Coughlin, (cheers and applause) who, by the way, belongs on this stage really soon, because there's not too many better coaches than him.

(Cheers and applause.)

Tom, you were a pain to play for at times, though. You were hard, you had high standards, a bunch of silly rules I never agreed with. You were difficult to play for. But you know what? I always respected you. You made us winners.

And I'm more grateful for you, Coach, with every passing year. And, Tom, you and your family will always mean the world to Angi and I. Thank you, Coach.

(Cheers and applause.)

Mike Maser was my first offensive line coach. He's not here with us any longer, but, boy, he was great. And he took a kid out of USC who thought he was pretty good and pushed me to be even better.

I wish you were here to celebrate with me, Coach.

And I had amazing teammates. I was so fortunate to play with so many great Jaguars like Fred Taylor, who made me look good all the time.

(Cheers and applause.)

And Jimmy Smith, who not too many people could cover. And I hope one day both of them will have a chance to be in Canton.

I treasure the moments I shared with my brothers on the offensive line: Ben Coleman, who had my back at left guard; Leon Searcy set the standard on the right side; and one of my best friends, Jeff Novak, who, by the way, is the only guy I ever backed up in the NFL, but most of the time he was busy making jokes and making me laugh.

It's not an overstatement to all my Jaguar teammates, coaches and staff, you were all instrumental in my path to Canton. Guys like Dan Edwards, Mike Perkins, Jerry Palmieri, Mike Ryan, Drew Hampton, Tucker Petre and so many more.

You were all central to my personal success and emblematic of why our teams in Jacksonville reflected the very best values of our game.

Your background, ethnicity and beliefs and talents may differ, but when you report to work in the locker room, you're one. And in Jacksonville, our locker room, and throughout our organization, we were one.

Just a few minutes ago a guy presented me, and he defines the concept of family for me as well. Him and I will always be one. He's my best friend, and that's Mark Brunell.

You know, it was my job, I thought it was just to protect him as a quarterback, but it became evident really, really early that I was also protecting a great man of character.

Mark, I am honored that you presented me here today, and I thank you for your friendship.

And I thank you, God, for all Your gifts. It took a lot of hard work to get here. But I didn't make myself this size and athletic. It was You. I didn't ask for the people who You put in my life. You put the amazing people in my life.

So to my friends, teammates, coaches and staff, and even the local media, I guess, with a special appreciation to a couple guys who covered me – Sam Kouvaris, Pete Prisco, John Oehser, Gene Frenette, Dan Hicken and Jeff Prosser – you guys beared the torch throughout my eligibility. And a couple guys I call games with every Sunday, Frank Frangie and Jeff Lageman, thank you, guys.

I thank God for football. I thank God for the people of Jacksonville. I have to get this in just one time. Duuuuuuuuuuuuuuuval!

AUDIENCE: Duuuuuuuuuuuuuuuval!

TONY BOSELLI: But above all, I thank God for family: Mom, Fred, Carla, Jennifer, Michael, Lauren, Liz, Uncle Bud and Aunt Betty, and all my cousins, Angi, my five amazing kids – Andrew, Adam, Ashli, Lexi, Ansli.

But there's actually one more I want to talk about.

I was born Don Bosco Anthony Boselli Jr. The best part of my name, though, is Jr.

To my dad, Tony Boselli Sr., whose brave fight with cancer was decided on May 31, 2021, and whose impact on my childhood and career can never be adequately expressed, thank you, Dad. Thank you for everything.

I'm happy you're in the comfort of God. I know you're here, but, man, I wish you were here with me.

I miss you, I love you, and on this, one of the greatest days of my life, I honor your memory and thank you for the greatest gift of all, and that's family.

Thank you.

(Cheers and applause.)