Tony Boselli, the Jacksonville Jaguars' first-ever college draft choice, will sign a one-day contract with the team in order to retire as a Jaguar. Boselli, 33, played seven seasons for the Jaguars until leaving Jacksonville after being selected by the Houston Texans in the 2002 expansion draft. His time with the Texans was cut short because of injury.
The Jaguars will honor Boselli at halftime of a regular season home game this season. The date and more details will be determined after the NFL announces the 2006 schedule, which is expected to be in April.
"Tony Boselli was the original Jaguar, and we'll be excited to recognize him and welcome him back to Alltel Stadium this fall," said Jaguars owner Wayne Weaver. "We are proud of Tony's contributions on the field for this organization, and we're proud of his contributions off the field for this community. We welcome the opportunity to have Jaguars fans thank Tony for what he has meant to Jacksonville and the Jaguars."
"I want to thank Mr. Weaver and the whole Jaguars organization for giving me the opportunity to retire as a Jaguar," Boselli said. "The seven years I spent in Jacksonville as a member of the Jaguars team were truly memorable. I also would like to thank all the Jaguars fans who made us feel so welcome when we first arrived in Jacksonville, and now that we have returned."
Boselli, who has returned with his family to the Jacksonville area, was the second player drafted overall in the 1995 college draft following an All-America career at Southern California. He started a then-team-record 90 of the 91 Jaguars games in which he played from 1995-2001 and was named to the Pro Bowl five times.
Widely considered the best offensive tackle in the game, Boselli allowed only 15.5 sacks in seven seasons and was named second team on the NFL All-Decade Team for the 1990s.
One of the team's most popular players during his playing days, Boselli and his wife Angi established the Boselli Foundation in 1995 to assist Jacksonville-area youth.
