Tag: Tony Boselli

How to watch Tony Boselli’s Hall of Fame Enshrinement Ceremony

Here is all the information Jags fans need to watch Tony Boselli’s Hall of Fame Enshrinement Ceremony.

The Jacksonville Jaguars won’t only be playing in the Hall of Fame Game Thursday, but they also will be watching one of their own get inducted into football’s most exclusive club. Of course, that player is former left tackle Tony Boselli.

Boselli, 50, will finally get his opportunity to join the Hall of Fame after seven consecutive years of being a semifinalist. His induction is a historic one as he’s the first player drafted by the Jags to earn a spot in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Boselli was the first-ever draft pick by the Jags in 1995 as the team selected him second overall. He played for them from 1995 to 2001 and was able to earn First-Team All-Pro honors three times and earn Pro Bowl honors five times. Boselli was also named to the 1990s All-Decade Team and is a member of the Jags’ Hall of Fame called the “Pride of the Jags.”

Several fans have traveled to Canton to see Boselli enter the Hall of Fame and watch the Jags in the coming days. However, for those wanting to watch his induction ceremony from home, here is all the information needed to do it.

Event Information

2022 Hall of Fame Enshrinement Ceremony

Streaming

ESPN

Television

ESPN (Part of FuboTV’s package try it free)

Radio

ESPN Radio

How to watch and stream Jags vs. Raiders in 2022 Hall of Fame Game

Here is all the info needed to catch the Hall of Fame Game on Thursday between the Jags and Raiders… And yes we know Lawrence isn’t playing.

The NFL season will start on Thursday as it typically does through the Hall of Fame game in Canton, Ohio. To the surprise of many, the Jacksonville Jaguars received the opportunity to compete in the annual game and will take on the Las Vegas Raiders in the process.

The Jags will be competing in the annual game for the first time since their inaugural season when they took on the Carolina Panthers, another new entrant into the NFL, in 1995. As for the Raiders, it will mark their first time competing in the game.

Both teams will take the field with new head coaches as Doug Pederson was hired by the Jags in February and Josh McDaniels was hired by the Raiders in January. Additionally, the Hall of Fame Game will mark the second time both have taken the field as head coaches, with Pederson previously leading the Philadelphia Eagles and McDaniels previously leading the Denver Broncos.

As for both franchises, these two teams will be coming off two completely different 2021 seasons as the Jags had the worst record in the league (3-14), while the Raiders (10-7) reached the postseason. That said, Thursday’s game especially should give a young team like the Jags a good evaluation period.

Pederson already said that he wants to give his young players a chance to show what they can do, so that could be a sign that many of the starters will be very limited, or won’t play at all. Quarterback Trevor Lawrence and running back Travis Etienne are two players who Pederson has already said will sit on Thursday, so their 2022 preseason debuts will likely happen next week.

With Lawrence out, as well as No. 2 quarterback C.J. Beathard (groin injury),  Jake Luton has been named the starting quarterback for the Jags. Luton, a former sixth-round selection, is entering his third season in the NFL. He was drafted by the Jags in 2020 out of Oregon State, but spent some time with the Seattle Seahawks and Miami Dolphins in 2021 before returning on a reserve/future contract in February.

As for the rest of the team, the players who Jags fans may be the most interested to see are the members of their rookie class. With the team earning the No. 1 overall pick in April’s draft, they selected outside linebacker Travon Walker from Georgia. While he’s set to be a starter, it wouldn’t be surprising if he received some snaps on Thursday alongside other early-round selections like linebacker Chad Muma and center Luke Fortner.

Then when it comes to the Jags’ late-round additions like running back Snoop Conner and cornerbacks Montaric Brown and Gregory Junior, they are even more certain to get some time on the field.

Aside from the action on the field, Jags fans will also be tuning in to watch the first-ever player drafted by the franchise, Tony Boselli, receive his induction into the Hall of Fame. After seven consecutive years of being a semifinalist, he was able to finally earn his rightful spot into the league’s most exclusive group this offseason, and now fans will get to see him make history as the first Jaguar enshrined in Canton.

Here is all the information needed to catch Thursday’s game on NBC:

Event Information

2022 Hall of Fame Game

Streaming

FuboTV (try it free)

Television

NBC and Peacock

Extras

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“Touchdown Jaguars!” will be published weekly, giving Jags Wire readers a new go-to podcast to hear the latest in news, rumors, and more. To stay up to date, subscribe via Apple Podcasts and Spotify, and feel free to rate and comment. 

NFL community reacts to Bruce Smith’s statements about Tony Boselli’s Hall of Fame nomination

Bruce Smith’s comments about Tony Boselli riled up several people on Twitter and we’ve gathered a few tweets on the hot topic.

Jacksonville Jaguars fans had a lot to talk about on Tuesday concerning Tony Boselli’s Hall of Fame nomination. The man who announced that he would be in the 2022 class on the NFL Honors Award show, Bruce Smith, questioned the legitimacy of his nomination.

Smith stated that a lot can be put into a player’s success against a Hall of Famer, which insinuated that he believes Boselli’s dominant performance against him in 1996 was a key reason he made it into the Hall of Fame. He also questioned the difficulty of Boselli’s job because he didn’t protect Mar Brunell’s blindside and didn’t have a long career.

Needless to say, this caused a lot of reactions, most of which came from Jags fans and reporters. Here are just a few, as many didn’t agree with the all-time sack leader’s statements:

 

 

Bruce Smith: Some Tony Boselli supporters used ‘underhanded tactics’ to justify HOF nomination

Tony Boselli continues to have those who question his Hall of Fame credibility, including a Hall of Fame player he faced multiple times in Bruce Smith.

Tony Boselli’s path into the Hall of Fame wasn’t easy, and now the person who introduced him into the exclusive fraternity at the NFL Honors show, Bruce Smith, is questioning his nomination. The NFL’s all-time sack leader took to Instagram this week with some arguments against Boselli’s nomination and said that his nomination was largely due to their one-on-one that took place in the 1996 playoffs. 

“A large part of the campaign to promote Tony Boselli into the Hall of Fame seems to hyper focus on a single successful performance he had against me in a 1996 playoff game,” Smith said. “On the one hand, I’m quite flattered to be considered the gold standard by which another player’s game can be measured to determine his qualification into the HOF. But on a more serious level, I and other HOFers believe it sets a horrible precedent to negatively zero in on a standing member of the Hall’s play in order to validate the candidacy of a nominee.”

That game marked the first playoff game in Jags history where they were viewed as underdogs. However, the Jags somehow earned a 30-27 victory, and a big key to the win was Boselli holding his own against Smith.

Smith also referred to the process of looking at a player’s performance against Hall of Famers as “underhanded tactics,” which is something he feels Boselli’s supporters have done.

“The HOF is an exclusive fraternity that follows a tacit code of conduct which fosters respect and brotherhood between its members,” Smith added. “Given the opportunity, any Hall of Famer could use his credentials to boast about his dominance over another member, but such behavior is deemed inappropriate because of the friction and discord it could create within the group. Maintaining harmony and goodwill in the HOF is paramount, and it is precisely why player campaigns have historically been presented respectfully and thoughtfully, allowing the candidate’s stats and complete body of work to speak resoundingly for itself.

“Resorting to underhanded tactics, like targeting a Hoffer and hyping a one game matchup to bolster a nominee’s merit as some of Tony’s supporters have done, undermines the integrity of the Hall’s election process. It also invites otherwise unnecessary commentary and scrutiny around that candidate’s worthiness of becoming a member of the HOF.”

When looking at the entirety of Boselli’s career, it seems his matchup against Smith, which occurred in his second year in the NFL, was just a start to what would be a short, but dominant career. After that matchup, Boselli went to four consecutive Pro Bowls and was a First-Team All-pro three consecutive times.

Simply put, the argument could be made that Boselli’s matchup against Smith earned him national recognition before he took off to new heights, instead of the game that defined him. After all, a player doesn’t earn three consecutive All-Pro nominations off of one performance, but more so due to consistency over time.

With Boselli protecting a left-handed quarterback in Mark Brunell, he wasn’t tasked with protecting the blindside for the Jags. That responsibility fell on Leon Searcy at the right tackle position, which is something Smith called out about Boselli’s career.

“In Jacksonville, Leon Searcy bore the arduous task of protecting Mark Brunell’s blind side, while Tony benefited from protecting the extremely talented, mobile left handed quarterback,” Smith added. “During my nineteen years in the NFL several outstanding LTs, such as Bruce Armstrong, Richmond Webb and Will Wolford, all had stellar games against me. Perhaps they too would be wise to build HOF campaigns highlight that fact.”

While Smith is making cases against Boselli, he’s had his share of support from notables like Hall of Famers Jason Taylor and Willie Roafe, Pro Bowler Michael McCrary, and Atlanta Falcons second-team All-Pro Chuck Smith, to name a few. That said, there are great former players and executives in the league who would disagree with those who feel Boselli doesn’t belong in Canton. 

“Touchdown Jaguars!” will be published weekly, giving Jags Wire readers a new go-to podcast to hear the latest in news, rumors, and more. To stay up to date, subscribe via Apple Podcasts and Spotify, and feel free to rate and comment. 

Mark Brunell will be the presenter for Tony Boselli during Hall of Fame induction

Boselli protected Brunell from 1995-2001 and their bond has lasted well past their time in the NFL.

This preseason is going to be a big one for the Jacksonville Jaguars organization as they will be finally sending a player into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Tony Boselli. Jags fans were informed of the news three weeks ago during the NFL Honors show on Feb. 10 after Boselli’s patient wait came to an end.

Now, with his trip to Canton already set up, Boselli also announced who he’s chosen to be his presenter for the induction ceremony, and it’s a former teammate of his who Jags fans are well aware of. That former player’s name is Mark Brunell, the quarterback Boselli protected from 1995-2001.

Boselli broke the news that his long time friend would be the presenter on 1010XL sports radio Monday morning on “The Drill” with Dan Hicken and Jeff Prosser.

Brunell, 51, is now entering his second season as the Detroit Lions’ quarterbacks coach under Dan Campbell. Before joining them, he also coached on the high school level and served as the head coach for Episcopal School of Jacksonville for eight seasons.

However, before becoming a coach, Brunell was a quarterback in the NFL for 17 seasons. Nine of them were with the Jaguar, and seven of those nine seasons involved Boselli protecting Brunell after the former Southern California Trojan was the Jags’ first-ever draft pick in the 1995 NFL Draft.

While with the Jags, Brunell started in 117 games and completed 60.4% of his passes (2,184-of-3,616) for 25,698 yards and 144 touchdowns. He also started in 117 games while acquiring a 63-54 record in Duval.

As for Boselli, he earned three All-Pro selections (1997-99) and five Pro Bowl (1996-2000) selections while with the Jags. That was good enough to get him in the Jags version of the Hall of Fame entitled the “Pride of the Jaguars” in 2006, but the NFL finally gave him the respect he deserves this offseason, and he’ll now be immortalized in the football community.

There was already a great deal of excitement surrounding the Jags between Boselli’s induction into the Hall of Fame and the Jags naming Doug Pederson its head coach. However, the news of Brunel adds to it as well as the news that recently broke about the Jags participating in the Hall of Fame Game.

Tony Boselli vouches for Fred Taylor to be Jags’ next Hall-of-Famer

“I think Fred Taylor is probably one of the most under appreciated running backs in his era,” Boselli said.

Tony Boselli finally got the knock on the door that he’s been waiting for to be told he’s headed to Canton, and he will now become the first Jacksonville Jaguar enshrined in the Pro Football Hall-of-Fame. The best part about the experience is that his good friend and current Hall-of-Famer Anthony Muñoz was the one to tell him, after long admiring his game.

Heading forward, it appears the NFL will follow this trend of letting current Hall-of-Famers make the announcement to the members of the latest classes. That means Boselli could have the opportunity to induct another Jaguar, which is a moment that would obviously be huge for the Jags’ first-ever draft pick.

In a recent episode of The Rich Eisen Show, Boselli was asked who exactly he would like to have the privilege of breaking the news to, and unsurprisingly, he went with a man he blocked for in Fred Taylor.

“You know, I’m going to bring up a guy who was a semi-finalist this year, he has yet to be a finalist in Fred Taylor,” said Boselli. “I think Fred Taylor is probably one of the most under appreciated running backs in his era. He has over 12,000 yards and he averaged 4.6 yards a carry. He gets knocked because he didn’t make All-Pro and there isn’t a big number of Pro Bowls [for him], but if you go ask anyone who played with him or anyone who played against him, there is not a more dangerous back. His stats back it up.

“Sometimes in small markets don’t get recognized. I mean, if a guy like that would’ve played in Dallas or New York in the big market with the numbers he put up and the way he played [he’d be in], he was a superstar. I saw it first hand and got to block for him. He’s a guy I think needs to get recognized and it would be pretty cool if I get to do that.”

It does indeed look like Taylor, who was Boselli’s former teammate for many years, has the best chance of any Jaguar to get in and the next hurdle will be to enter the finalist round. He has been named a semifinalist for three straight seasons, so his time to at least take the next step could come as soon as next year.

Taylor’s 11,695 career rushing yards total is currently good for 17th on the NFL’s all-time rushers list. The next three rushers who are respectively in front of him in Thurman Thomas (12,074), Franco Harris (12,120), and Marcus Allen (12,243), all are in the Hall-of-Fame, which may could be a good sign for Taylor.

Of course, a strong case could also be made for former receiver and teammate of both aforementioned Jags, Jimmy Smith, to get in the Hall-of-Fame, too. With 12,785 receiving yards to his name, he’s currently 25th on the all-time list. Despite such accolades, he has yet to make the semifinalists round of the Hall-of-Fame ballot, but more fans, players, and analysts have come out to vouch for him over the last few years.

Podcast: Grading Jags’ coaching hires, discussing Boselli HOF selection, and DJ Chark

Jags Wire has a new go-to podcast in the @TDJaguarsPod. We got all the details of how you can listen to episode one, which covered Tony Boselli, the Jags’ coaching staff, and more.

It’s been a busy week for the Jacksonville Jaguars between naming Doug Pederson their new coach on Feb. 3 and several other events that took place afterward. Of course, the work didn’t stop there as Pederson had to put together a staff, but was able to do so in an impressive manner.

Then, off the field, it was announced that the organization will have its first Hall-of-Famer. Of course, that will be Jags former left tackle and current radio analyst Tony Boselli, who finally kicked the door down to become immortal in the football community after six appearances as a finalist.

Of course, between the major news breaking for fans of the current Jags and those who were fans in the past (or both), it’s been an exciting time to talk about the Jaguars, which is refreshing when considering all that transpired prior. And depending on how the next few months go between the draft and free agency, the arrow could start to point up as the team at least have a quarterback and a coach who understands the position as well as most.

That said, Jags Wire podcaster Phil Smith and I had plenty to talk about in the debut of the “Touchdown Jaguars!” podcast.

We started things off by discussing how well-deserved and huge Boselli’s Hall-of-Fame selection is for him and the organization and graded the hires Pederson made to his staff and what certain coaches bring to the table. Lastly, we looked ahead to free agency to discuss what the Jags should do about pending free agent DJ Chark Jr., who could be a huge weapon for Trevor Lawrence if retained.

To listen to the full episode, hit play below:

 

“Touchdown Jaguars!” will have more episodes weekly heading forward, giving Jags Wire readers a new go-to podcast, which will discuss the latest in news, rumors, and more. To stay up to date, subscribe via Apple Podcasts and Spotify, and also feel free to rate and comment. 

Poll: Who will be the Jaguars’ next Hall of Famer?

With Tony Boselli heading to Canton, who will be the second member in Jaguars’ history to make the HOF?

After a wait that was much longer than it should have been, the Jacksonville Jaguars have finally put a player in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Former star left tackle Tony Boselli, who was the team’s first-ever draft pick back in 1995, was selected as a part of the 2022 class before the Super Bowl last week.

It was certainly well deserved for Boselli, who saw his career shortened by injuries but was nonetheless the class of the league when healthy, earning three First-Team All-Pro honors. He had been a finalist the previous five years, and the sixth time was the charm.

With Boselli’s gold jacket incoming, the question now becomes who will become the next Jaguar to join him? The most obvious answer would be another multi-year nominee who missed the finalists’ cut this season: running back Fred Taylor.

A former top-10 pick, Taylor spent 11 years as the feature back in Jacksonville from 1998-08. His career accolades are, admittedly, a bit lacking. He only boasts a Pro Bowl appearance and a Second-Team All-Pro selection, both of which came during his penultimate season with the Jaguars in 2007.

He finished his career with 11,695 yards (for an average of 4.6 yards per carry) with 66 touchdowns (in addition to eight through the air). That yardage total ranks 17th of all time, and Taylor seems to be near the HOF border, as the player above him — Thurman Thomas — is in the Hall. Steven Jackson, who ranks directly below him, is not.

Granted, there are several players with worse career numbers in the Hall, as well.

It seems like Taylor will end up in Canton at some point, it’s more just a question of when. And while he is likely to be the next Jaguar to join Boselli, he’s not the only potential candidate.

Receiver Jimmy Smith is another popular choice, and though he has not gotten the Hall of Fame hype, his argument is of similar strength to Taylor’s. Smith actually has the more impressive accolade list with Second-Team All-Pro selections in 1998 and 1999, in addition to five consecutive Pro Bowl appearances from 1997-01.

His 12,287 yards ranks 25th all-time, and he has 67 career touchdowns as well (which is tied for 55th in NFL history). Like Taylor, he has been eligible for a while and is yet to be a finalist. It may take some time, but Smith could find his way to Canton eventually, too.

Then, there’s a potential dark-horse candidate in former head coach (and later, Executive Vice President) Tom Coughlin. His tenure as the franchise’s inaugural head coach was impressive, as he won double-digit games three-straight years from 1997-99 and made four playoff appearances — two of which led to AFC Championship Games.

However, if he makes it into the Hall, it won’t be because of his Jaguars tenure, but rather his second NFL head coaching stint with the New York Giants, where he won two Super Bowls. Regardless, it’d be hard not to count Coughlin as a Jaguar in Canton given his significance during the team’s formative years.

Who do you think will be the next Jaguars player or coach to don the gold jacket? Let us know in the poll below.

[polldaddy poll=11047783]

Watch: Anthony Muñoz informs Tony Boselli that he’s going to the Hall-of-Fame

Tony Boselli will finally be enshrined in Canton and his good friend Anthony Muñoz was the one to break the news to him.

Ahead of the 2022 NFL season, Jacksonville Jaguars legend Tony Boselli will finally be enshrined in the Pro Football Hall-of-Fame after making it to the finalist stage six times. His induction will be significant to his former team’s history as he is the first Jaguars player to achieve such a feat. 

Earlier this year, Boselli was informed that he’s headed to Canton — and the person who broke the news to him was his good friend and fellow Hall-of-Famer Anthony Muñoz. After keeping the distinction under wraps for a while, this weekend during the Super Bowl, NFL Network shared the moment that Boselli first learned he’d achieved football immortality.

“You know what, this is the sixth year [of being a finalist] and you get the phone call saying you’re not in and you’re like ‘OK, well maybe next year,’ and everyone else is crying and I’m going ‘Who is supposed to be sad here?,'” Boselli said to NFL Network.

“I’ll be honest with you, I wouldn’t trade this process and how this worked. There’s no one else I’d rather knock on the door than the guy I looked up to and who I think is the greatest to ever play the game at the position I played. We went to school together and I remember when people used to compare me to him and I’m like ‘Well, that’s nice but I think he’s better than I am.'”

Reflecting on the process to get in the Hall-of-Fame, Boselli added that he did have one regret: the fact that it didn’t happen a year earlier so his father, the late Tony Boselli Sr., could be a part of the process.

“My only regret, you know, my dad passed away last year,” Boselli said. “So I was really hoping last year would have been the year so he could’ve been a part of it, but I know he’s in heaven watching down smiling right now. That would be my only regret, and other than that, I wouldn’t change anything.”

Before his passing, Tony Sr., who had melanoma that had spread to his liver, lungs, and brain, and Boselli’s wife, Angie, planned a way to get his thoughts to his son for his future Hall-of-Fame induction. Angie was able to get Tony Sr. to record a video message where he expressed how proud he was as a father. 

“I would like to share with him how proud I am of what he’s accomplished throughout his years in football, throughout his years of being a man,” Boselli Sr. said to the camera. “He is truly a great man.”

After a long wait, Jaguars fans, analysts, and players have echoed those sentiments, celebrating and recognizing Boselli’s contributions to the team and the league at large.

With Boselli’s induction, the door to the Hall of Fame has finally been opened for Jacksonville’s young franchise — and while Boselli is the first in the team’s nearly 30-year history, hopefully others will follow.

Tony Boselli thanks Jags fans for support during journey to Pro Football Hall-of-Fame

“I’m happy to represent you. Represent Jacksonville, the Jaguars, and all of Duval,” Boselli said as he thanked the Jags fanbase for their support.

The Jacksonville Jaguars finally were able to get a player in the Pro Football Hall-of-Fame this week as former offensive tackle Tony Boselli was named to the 2022 class. His selection took a lot of patience after he was named a finalist the last six seasons, but it all paid off in the end, and now he will be getting a gold jacket relatively soon.

Of course, the wait was a long one for Jags fans who had been voicing their opinions on the matter every February, too, which was something Boselli couldn’t help but be thankful for and notice. That’s why he felt the need to take the time out and thank the fanbase Friday, in addition to letting them know that 2022 would be a great year.

“Hey Jags fans, I just wanted to say thank you,” Boselli said. “Yesterday was a big moment and a big day. I’m going to the Pro Football Hall-of-Fame. Heading to Canton, and I just want to tell you thank you.

[…] I’m glad that you all were a part of it. I’m happy to represent you. Represent Jacksonville, the Jaguars, and all of Duval. We have great fans and 2022 is going to be a great year. Let’s go Jags!”

Boselli was the Jags’ first-ever draft pick in the 1995 NFL Draft and was selected second overall out of the University of Southern California. And while injuries cut his career short, he was able to earn All-Pro honors three times (1997-99), and Pro Bowl honors five times (1996-2000).

Boselli spoke with the media on Friday about the process of being enshrined. He said that he’s going to be fitted for his jacket and ring on Saturday. He also added that he has an idea of who will present him for his induction, but hasn’t had that conversation with the person yet.

Of course, when more becomes available on Boselli’s induction we’ll be sure to provide updates throughout the coming months.