Jaguars legend Tony Boselli gets key to city of Jacksonville

An old adage says it’s better late than ever and this is certainly true for former Jacksonville Jaguars left tackle Tony Boselli, who got inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame earlier this year. In order to recognize the achievement, Leny Curry, the mayor of Jacksonville presented the former All-Pro with the key to the city.

“It was an honor to present Tony Boselli with a key to the city this morning”; Curry said. “As I said in my speech, the Jaguars’ first love was #71. That still holds true today. His commitment to this community & our football legacy has never wavered! Excited for what is next! #DUUUVAL”.

This is no small feat, how many people, let alone football players do you know that have a key to the city? The fact that the Jaguars haven’t had many stars in recent years makes Boselli’s accomplishments stand out even more.

Boselli was the Jaguars’ first pick in franchise history and quickly established himself as a mainstay of their offensive line. The former USC Trojan appeared in 91 games with 90 starts. He made the Pro Bowl for five consecutive years from 1996 to 2000 and earned three First-Team All-Pro selections. Unfortunately, a shoulder injury forced him to hang up the cleats prematurely.

The Jaguars will honor Tony Boselli at halftime in Week 5

While several players equally worthy of enshrinement made the cut before Boselli, you could argue that his induction took more time than it should have. Then again, that no longer matters because he’s finally in and nobody can change that.

Boselli’s enshrinement was back in August but the Jags haven’t recognized the achievement yet, at least not publicly. That will change in Week 5 though, as they will honor him during halftime.

Of course, the recognition will be even more meaningful if the Jaguars beat the Houston Texans. They’re entering the game as a 7-point favorite while the Texans haven’t managed to win a game this season.

The Hall of Fame still needs to induct former wide receiver Jimmy Smith and running back Fred Taylor. But for the time being, the Jaguars will celebrate that Boselli is in.