Is This Year Jaguars LT Tony Boselli’s Best Chance Yet to Make the Hall of Fame?
The Pro Football Hall of Fame has eluded Jacksonville Jaguars legend Tony Boselli ever since the first year he was eligible. And in the last three years, Boselli has had his induction into the hall teased as a finalist, but the gold jacket has remained unattainable.
Will 2020 be any different? Boselli, the entire Jaguars organization, and their legion of fans certainly hope so. And there just might be reason enough to believe that it could be.
This year's class will be named during NFL Honors, which will air Saturday at 8 p.m. Earlier in the day, cases for Boselli and the other finalists will be made to the 48-member Pro Football Hall of Fame Selection Committee, which will eventually pick five finalists from the Modern-Era group.
Unlike in past years, Boselli isn't facing a stacked room of fellow finalists — perhaps the primary reason it almost feels as if the Jaguars' first-ever draft pick has more momentum this year than in past seasons.
In 2017, Boselli's first year of eligibility, he had to try to crack into a top-five which included first-ballot Hall of Fame players in defensive end Jason Taylor and running back LaDainian Tomlinson. He also had to compete with a two-time MVP and Super Bowl-winning quarterback in Kurt Warner, making his chances small. Finally, the dagger was when running back Terrell Davis was inducted.
But today, Davis' induction could serve as a reason to finally elect Boselli to Canton. The knock against Boselli has never been about his play, but for his lack of longevity. He played only seven seasons (1995-2001) and 91 regular-season games due to shoulder injuries. Davis, who got his gold jacket and bust in 2017? He played only seven seasons and 78 regular-season games. This is not a point to compare their accomplishments or arguments for the hall, but instead to point out voters have recently inducted players with the same longevity issues as Boselli.
In 2018, Boselli had virtually no shot to begin with due to the sheer strength of the class. Linebackers Ray Lewis and Brian Urlacher and wide receiver Randy Moss were all first-ballot inductees, while safety Brian Dawkins and wide receiver Terrell Owens made it a packed group.
Entering 2019, the hope was Boselli would finally stand a chance due to two potentially open slots in the class. Cornerback Champ Bailey, tight end Tony Gonzalez, and safety Ed Reed were all obvious first-ballot inductees, but who would join them was the question.
But in perhaps the most deflating decision in the previous three years that Boselli was a finalist saw another offensive lineman earn the honor instead in center Kevin Mawae. Cornerback Ty Law took the final spot, and Boselli was once again shut out.
The trend in the Hall of Fame classes Boselli has been blocked from in the same fashion he shut down opposing defensive ends is that first-ballot inductees have filled each class, making it tougher for a player with Boselli's resume to make it in.
But in 2020, there are not nearly as many sure things as there was in 2017, 2018, or 2019. Safety Troy Polamalu and wide receiver Reggie Wayne are each in the first year of eligibility, and Polamalu at this point looks to be the closest one to being a lock for election into the hall.
There are other offensive linemen Boselli will have to compete for a spot in this year's class, each deserving of their own spots in Canton. Guards Steve Hutchinson and Alan Faneca, like Boselli, have been kept out of the Hall of Fame for multiple years — Hutchinson is in his third as a finalist while Faneca is in his fifth.
Luckily for Boselli, he played a more premium position than Hutchinson and Faneca. Boselli was a cornerstone left tackle. There are currently 19 guards in Canton, compared to nearly 30 tackles. This could give Boselli an edge he hadn't found in prior years.
Nobody knows for sure how this year's class will play out. With so much uncertainty, as well as so many deserving players, it is near impossible to attempt to predict who will make it into Canton. But on the surface, it appears as if Boselli's fourth attempt has a better shot than any of his previous three.
