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Jaguars Legends Fred Taylor and Tony Boselli Named Hall of Fame Semifinalists

Arguably the two best players to ever suit up for the Jaguars have been named modern-era semifinalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

For the second year in a row, the Jacksonville Jaguars have two of their most storied and legendary players land on the Pro Football Hall of Fame's list of modern-era semifinalists. 

The Hall of Fame announced the 25 semifinalists on Tuesday, with former Jaguars running back Fred Taylor (1998-2008) and offensive tackle Tony Boselli (1995-2001) among the group, which has four first-year eligible players.

This is the second time Taylor has been named a semifinalist, with the first coming last season. It is the sixth consecutive year Boselli has been a semifinalist, while he has been a finalist for the last four years.

Boselli was the Jaguars' first-ever draft selection, being picked by the team in the 1995 NFL Draft out of the University of Southern California. He had a dominant run with the Jaguars before shoulder injuries cut his career short, making five-consecutive Pro Bowls from 1996-2000 and being named an All-Pro at left tackle in three-consecutive seasons from 1997-’99. Boselli was also made a part of the NFL’s “All-’90s Team” by the league’s writers.

Boselli has continually been named a finalist but has been kept out of the hall each year, in large part due to his short NFL career. But even with his limited time at the top, he is still regarded by some of the top linemen in NFL history as one of the best to ever play offensive tackle. 

"He should be in Canton," Hall of Fame tackle Anthony Munoz said last year.

"You know, intensity wise, technically, I mean. And people keep pointing to the career, it wasn't long. No, but he was the best when he played."

Taylor, a 13-year pro, spent the majority of his career with the Jaguars before playing out his final seasons with the New England Patriots. He was the epitome of consistency during his career, recording 13,632 total yards and 70 touchdowns, with the vast majority of those coming with Jacksonville. He is the all-time leading rusher in franchise history with 11,271 yards, more than 3,000 more than the back behind him.

The list of semifinalists will be shortened to 15 modern-era finalists in January. Canton's class of 2021 will be announced during the week leading up to Super Bowl LV.