Jaguars great Tony Boselli still waiting on Hall of Fame call

The third time was not the charm for former Jacksonville Jaguars tackle Tony Boselli as he once again is still waiting on induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

If not this year, then when will former Jacksonville Jaguars left tackle be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame? It appeared this was the best chance Tony Boselli, the Jaguars first ever draft pick, had to be inducted into the hallowed fraternity.

Once again, it was a weekend without admittance. If not now, then when will No. 71 get the phone call he rightfully deserves? This year was different from others in the past where voting took a decided defensive turn, as Jeff Legwold of ESPN.com wrote Saturday night.

"“Four defensive backs — Ed Reed, Champ Bailey, Ty Law and seniors finalist Johnny Robinson — were among the eight men selected for enshrinement by the Hall’s board of selectors on Saturday at the Georgia World Congress Center,” he said."

It’s hard to make an arguement for any of the members of this year’s class, which also includes Tight end Tony Gonzalez and center Kevin Mawae as well as Broncos owner Pat Bowlen and longtime personnel executive Gil Brandt. But the continuing mystery of why Boselli, who was a member of the “All Decade Team” of the 1990s still remains a question to be answered.

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Despite a career that was cut short due to injuries, you don’t have to look far down a list to see his name listed as one of the greats to play the game in his era. And when you consider how dominant Tony Boselli was against some of the best pass rushers to ever play the game – he ony allowed 15 sacks in his career – the questions continue to grow.

• 5-time Pro Bowl (1996–2000)
• 3-time First-team All-Pro (1997–1999)
• NFL Alumni Offensive Lineman of the Year (1998)

It would appear Boselli is caught in a numbers game where players who have been dominant in their careers are being inducted on the first try.

"“For the second consecutive year, the Hall of Fame class included three players in their first years of eligibility in Bailey, Reed and Gonzalez,” Legwold wrote. “Those three players combined for 35 Pro Bowl selections as well as 14 first-team All-Pro nods. A year ago, Randy Moss, Ray Lewis and Brian Urlacher were named to the Hall of Fame’s class of 2018 in their first years of eligibility.”"

Tony Boselli plays another waiting game as his name will once again be discussed for the Class of 2020. While playing on some of the best Jaguars teams in the history of the franchise, which included two trips to the AFC Title game, small market visability may also come into play in the decision of the voters.

While Terrell Davis, Gale Sayers and Jim Brown dispel that myth, those three players played a position – running back – that gave them more visibility than the offensive line, which does not always get the credit it deserves.

While Mawae was the only offensive lineman selected, Steve Hutchinson and Alan Faneca were also part of list of linemen who were not enshrined.