The Pro Football Hall of Fame revealed its list of 122 modern-era nominees for the 2022 class, and three notable Jacksonville Jaguars made the cut. Those players were offensive tackle Tony Boselli, running back Fred Taylor, and receiver Jimmy Smith.
Back in January, Boselli made the cut as a finalist for the fifth consecutive time. However, he wasn’t able to make the following cut, which would’ve placed him in the 2021 class. This time around there seems to be a sense of optimism for Boselli, though, as the 2022 group of nominees aren’t as strong as the ones of the past.
Boselli joined the Jags during its inaugural season in 1995 and was the first-ever draft selection for the team (No. 2 overall). He spent six seasons with Jacksonville, but his career was cut short due to shoulder issues.
Despite how his career ended, though, Boselli was a first-team All-Pro during the 1997, 1998, and 1999 seasons. He was also named to the Pro Bowl five times (1996-2000) and was named to the All-Decade Team for the 1990s.
Taylor, on the other hand, was a semifinalist for the last two classes. He was the Jags’ first-round pick of the 1998 draft and is 17th on the NFL’s All-Time rushing list with 11,695 rushing yards (throughout 2,534 carries) to his name. He ended his career with a 4.6 yard per carry average and 66 rushing touchdowns.
Lastly, Smith joined the team as a free agent addition in 1995. He spent 11 seasons with the Jags and finished his career with 862 catches for 12,287 receiving yards and 67 touchdowns. His career receiving figure is good for 24th on the all-time list and first in Jags history.
All three aforementioned players are in the Jags’ version of the Hall of Fame known as the Pride of the Jaguars. However, fans will be hoping to see each player at least take a step from where they were last year in the Pro Football Hall of Fame process but will have to wait until November to see who makes the semifinals.
The full list of 122 players who were nominated for the Pro Football Hall of Fame can be viewed here.