Tony Boselli

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Tony Boselli
No. 71
Position:Offensive tackle
Personal information
Born: (1972-04-17) April 17, 1972 (age 49)
Modesto, California
Height:6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)
Weight:322 lb (146 kg)
Career information
High school:Fairview
(Boulder, Colorado)
College:USC
NFL Draft:1995 / Round: 1 / Pick: 2
Career history
  • Jacksonville Jaguars (1995–2001)
  • Houston Texans (2002)
Career highlights and awards
  • 5× Pro Bowl (1996–2000)
  • 3× First-team All-Pro (1997–1999)
  • NFL Alumni Offensive Lineman of the Year (1998)
  • NFL 1990s All-Decade Team
  • 3× First-team All-American (1992–1994)
  • 3× First-team All-Pac-10 (1992–1994)
  • Morris Trophy (1994)
  • Pride of the Jaguars
Career NFL statistics
Games played:91
Games started:90
Fumbles recovered:5
Player stats at NFL.com · PFR

Don Bosco Anthony Boselli Jr. (born April 17, 1972) is a former American football offensive tackle who played in the National Football League (NFL) for seven seasons with Jacksonville Jaguars. He played college football at USC, where he was recognized as an All-American. Boselli was the first player drafted by the Jaguars, who selected him second overall in the 1995 NFL Draft.

During his tenure in Jacksonville, Boselli established himself as one of the franchise's most successful and popular players. He received five Pro Bowl selections and three first-team All-Pro honors while appearing in two AFC Championship Games. In 2002, he was the first selection in the Houston Texans' expansion draft, but retired without playing for them due to injuries. Boselli was inducted to the College Football Hall of Fame in 2014. His accomplishments with Jacksonville also led to him becoming the first inductee of the Jaguars' Hall of Fame, which he was named to in 2006.

Early years[]

Boselli was born in Modesto, California. He attended Fairview High School in Boulder, Colorado, and was a member of the Fairview Knights high school football team.[citation needed]

College career[]

Boselli accepted an athletic scholarship to attend the University of Southern California, where he played for the Trojans from 1991 to 1994.[1] He was a first-team All-Pac-10 selection and a first-team All-American in 1992, 1993 and 1994. In 1994, he also won the Morris Trophy. While he was an undergraduate, he was initiated as a member of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity. Boselli was named to the College Football Hall of Fame in 2014.[2]

Professional career[]

Boselli was selected as the second pick of the 1995 NFL Draft, the first-ever draft pick of the new Jacksonville Jaguars franchise. As a result of his professional success and local popularity, Jacksonville-area McDonald's restaurants offered the "Boselli Burger" in his honor for a period of time.[3]

He was selected by the Houston Texans in the 2002 expansion draft. He spent the entire season on injured reserve and retired following the conclusion of the season.

As a sign of his success in Jacksonville, on October 8, 2006, he was the first player inducted into the Pride of the Jaguars (the team's Hall of Fame) and signed a symbolic one-day contract allowing him to retire officially as a Jaguar. Boselli has been listed on the Pro Football Hall of Fame Preliminary Nominees list every year since 2009.[4] NFL Films has named Boselli the 6th greatest player not inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Life after football[]

Boselli participated in numerous business ventures during and after his professional football career. Along with former teammates Mark Brunell and Bryan Schwartz, he invested in seven Mattress Firm bedding stores in Jacksonville. By the time Boselli left for Texas in 2002, he had sold his interest in the company.[5] Boselli and Brunell own all Whataburger franchise locations in the Jacksonville area.[6] He also works as the offensive line coach at the Episcopal School of Jacksonville, on the same coaching staff as Brunell.[citation needed]

Boselli is also a founding partner in IF Marketing with friends and former teammates Jeff Novak and Will Furrer. The marketing and advertising firm, with offices in Georgetown, Texas and Jacksonville, Florida, was originally called Intra Focus marketing & advertising.[7]

Personal life[]

Since 2005, Boselli has lived in Ponte Vedra with his wife, Angi and their five children. Boselli has lost a significant amount of weight and now participates in triathlons.[citation needed]

His son Andrew Boselli received an athletic scholarship to attend Florida State University, and plays for Florida State Seminoles football team.

On March 29, 2020, Boselli was hospitalized due to contracting COVID-19.[8]

Sports broadcasting[]

In 2007, Boselli was hired as a color commentator on regional NFL telecasts for Fox, teaming with Ron Pitts. In his rookie season as a televised commentator, Boselli drew praise as one of the best in the business.[9] From 2009-2012, he worked as a game analyst and sideline reporter for Westwood One's coverage of the NFL. Beginning in 2013, he joined the Jacksonville Jaguars radio play by play team.

Boselli was a former co-host on 1010 XL with Dan Hicken and Jeff Prosser each morning from 6-10 am on Sports Final Radio.

Boselli was interviewed for an episode of NFL's Greatest Games which aired on ESPN2.

Charity[]

Boselli and his wife, created the Boselli Foundation during 1995 in Jacksonville to work with at-risk youth and help them to cultivate high self-esteem and to succeed at home, at school and at play. Beginning in 2007, he has spent substantial time working on projects with the foundation. He overcame opposition from local politicians when the Boselli Foundation proposed renovating and reopening a closed community center.[6]

References[]

  1. ^ "Tony Boselli". Nfl.com. April 17, 1972. Retrieved September 17, 2010.
  2. ^ National Football Foundation (May 22, 2014). "NFF Proudly Announces Impressive 2014 College Football Hall of Fame Class". FootballFoundation.org. Retrieved May 22, 2014.
  3. ^ Times, The (August 16, 1998). "Jaguars: Advertising war games have definitely begun 08/16/98". Jacksonville.com. Archived from the original on May 20, 2017. Retrieved September 17, 2010.
  4. ^ "Enshrinement » Class of 2009 Preliminary Nominees - alphabetical". Profootballhof.com. October 28, 2008. Archived from the original on January 14, 2009. Retrieved September 17, 2010.
  5. ^ Times-Union sports writer. "Warrior to minister". Jacksonville.com. Retrieved September 17, 2010.
  6. ^ Jump up to: a b "Brunell, Boselli and burgers". Jacksonville.bizjournals.com. April 17, 2009. Retrieved September 17, 2010.
  7. ^ "Briefs: Boselli marketing firm opens Jacksonville site". jacksonville.com. October 2, 2009. Retrieved September 17, 2010.
  8. ^ Botte, Peter (April 10, 2020). "Coronavirus devastated the Boselli football family". New York Post. Retrieved April 25, 2020.
  9. ^ "SI.com - Writers - Dr. Z: TV commentator rankings - Thursday February 7, 2008 10:17PM". Sportsillustrated.cnn.com. February 7, 2008. Retrieved September 17, 2010.

External links[]

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