I’ve had the privilege of watching many great offensive linemen over the years. Walter Jones was one of them. He was a physical specimen that won every single battle because he was more gifted physically than anyone trying to get by him. There’s no way I can forget Orlando Pace. He’s one of the forgotten pieces of that “Greatest Show on Turf”. I remember when I interviewed former defensive end, Andre Carter, back in 2015, I asked him who was the toughest offensive tackle he lined up against. Without any hesitation, he said Jonathan Ogden. In the 90s, there was an offensive lineman named Tony Boselli. After years of waiting and waiting, he’s finally received word that he’s going to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
For two or more seasons during his playing days, Tony was the best offensive lineman in the league and it wasn’t close. I feel he was just as good as both Orlando Pace and Jonathan Ogden who both played left tackle such as Tony. At 6’7, he was such an imposing player with the power to bully anyone attempting to rip past him. Tony didn’t just block guys. He physically dominated and punished defensive ends. He played with that edge, that nasty mindset that always gave him the upper hand over anyone who lined up against him. As a defensive end when you played against those Jacksonville teams, you would have to bring your A-game because it wouldn’t be easy going against number 71. When it came to pass blocking, he was consistent in how he positioned himself to make sure his quarterback’s blind side was always protected. Tony had those long arms which he used to his advantage. Once he had his hands locked in on you, it was over. That’s how powerful he was in the trenches. In run blocking and pass protection, nobody did it quite like this man.
This is well deserved. Tony played on some good Jacksonville Jaguars teams back in the 1990s with Mark Brunell, Jimmy Smith, Keenan McCardell, and Fred Taylor. If you ask me, Tony was just as vital to that football team as the other players I just listed. Without him, the quarterback can’t throw from the pocket and Fred doesn’t have those running lanes to power through. Even Bruce Smith has said this was one of his biggest challenges whenever the Bills and Jaguars played. With his induction to Canton, Tony becomes the first Jaguar to be inducted into the Hall of Fame.
