Jacksonville Jaguars: Choosing the team’s Mt. Rushmore

Which former Jacksonville Jaguars greats are a lock to make the team’s Mt. Rushmore of players?

Many stellar players have donned a Jacksonville Jaguars uniform over the course of the team’s 26-year history. As the current squad begins a new era of football for the franchise, looking back at the team’s great players will serve as a reminder to the team’s inception and early success.

The success of those early teams wouldn’t have been the way it was if it weren’t for the high-impact players who made a major difference and put the Jacksonville Jaguars on the NFL radar.

Looking back at all the players who played in Duval County, names like Maurice Jones-Drew, Keenan McCardell, Josh Scobee, and Brad Meester come to mind, but there are only a select number of players — four to be exact — who are cemented into the Jaguars Mt. Rushmore.

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It goes without saying that the players selected for the Jacksonville Jaguars Mt. Rushmore have already by memorialized by the organization in The Pride of the Jaguars.

Tony Boselli

The first player to ever be taken in the NFL Draft by the organization, Tony Boselli played seven seasons for the Jacksonville Jaguars at an extremely high level. Five Pro Bowl appearances and three All-Pro selections showcase the success Boselli displayed during his time with the Jaguars.

Shoulder injuries cut the highly talented left tackle’s career short, but in the seven seasons Boselli played for the Jaguars he turned himself into one of the best tackles in NFL history.

Boselli is also the first member of the organization to be inducted into The Pride of the Jaguars and remains very involved with the Jaguars organization.

While no Jaguars player is in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Boselli is on the cusp on earning his gold jacket after four consecutive finalist nominations. It will only be a matter of time until Boselli hears a knock on his door.

Fred Taylor

The best running back to play for the Jaguars, Fred Taylor amassed 11,271 rushing yards and 62 touchdowns in 11 seasons for the team. Despite having seven 1,000-yard rushing seasons for the Jaguars, Taylor is only a one-time Pro Bowler.

Taylor’s best season for the Jacksonville Jaguars came in 2003, when he rushed for 1,572 yards and six touchdowns, along with 370 receiving yards. Taylor remains the Jaguars’ all-time leading rusher by a wide margin.

Taylor was inducted into The Pride of the Jaguars in 2012 and many have called for the running back to be included in the discussion for a potential Hall of Fame bid.

Mark Brunell

The Jacksonville Jaguars all-time leading passer, Mark Brunell provided consistent quarterback play for the team in his nine seasons with the team. Throwing for 25,698 yards and 144 touchdowns, Brunell finished his time in Duval with a 63-54 record and two AFC Conference Championship appearances.

Since Brunell’s departure, the Jaguars have been plagued at the quarterback position and continue to look for a long-term starter. While Brunell is no Hall of Fame player, his contributions to the Jaguars gave the team and a head start compared to other expansion teams when he was acquired from the Green Bay Packers.

Brunell was inducted into The Pride of the Jaguars in 2013.

Jimmy Smith

When thinking of wide receivers for the Jaguars, none come to mind before Jimmy Smith. In 11 seasons with the Jaguars, Smith caught 862 passes for 12,287 yards and 67 touchdowns.

Smith joined the Jacksonville Jaguars after a quick stint with the Dallas Cowboys and soon became one of the best receivers in all of football. Smith posted seven consecutive 1,000-yard seasons from 1996-2002 and earned five Pro Bowl appearances during that time.

Smith elevated to NFL stardom alongside McCardell in what would become known as Thunder and Lightning, one of the better receiving duos in NFL history.

Smith would be inducted into The Pride of the Jaguars in 2016, with no other receiver in Jaguars’ history coming close to the impact he made on the field.