JACKSONVLLE – Tony Boselli has a new role with the Jaguars.
It's a key role, with the person who perhaps most represents the franchise's history now helping oversee and lead its future.
Boselli, the Jaguars' first draft selection and first Pro Football Hall of Fame selection – and first Pride of the Jaguars enshrine – was named Executive Vice President of Football Operations by Owner Shad Khan on Monday.
"I just feel this is the moment, and this is the right moment," Boselli said. "I'm super-grateful to Shad and his family that they're allowing me to do this. It really is a privilege.
"I just think it's the right time."
Khan announced the move in a statement.
"Few people have better relationships throughout the NFL, know the game, and understand the value of strong team identity and culture as well as Tony Boselli," Khan said. "Tony has a wealth of football acumen that we respect and need, and his counsel will be tremendously valuable to me and our football leadership team during this current rebirth and for many seasons to come."
Boselli will report to Khan – as will new Head Coach Liam Coen and the team's general manager. The Jaguars hired Coen as head coach on January 24. Khan said last week he expects to have a general manager in place by the end of February.
Coen, Boselli and the next general manager will "form a football leadership unit that will collaborate and align on all major football decisions, develop long-term strategy for sustained on-field success and provide counsel to the team owner," according to a release.
"My job is not to be out front; my job is to help Liam Coen, his staff and the new GM to have success," Boselli said. "That's all I want to do. That's all I care about. It's focused on Liam. I'm going to make sure Liam and that staff he has and the players he brings in have the ultimate success."
Boselli said Coen and he see football similarly.
"The culture is going to be set by Liam," Boselli said. "Why I'm so excited that he's the next head coach of this team and that Shad made that choice is Liam sees the game how I do, that it's about controlling the line of scrimmage. It's about toughness, both physically and mentally. It's about doing things the right way. It's about having energy.
"I was so excited we hired him and even more excited when Shad gave me a chance to be a part of it. This is what I want to be a part of."
Boselli added, "Liam's going to be the voice. Not Tony Boselli. He and his coaches are going to set the culture. We are all there to support that and help establish that. We're going to be a tough team, both physically and mentally. We are going to control the line of scrimmage. These are all things Liam believes in and talks about. There's going to be clear communication. We're going to be aligned. We're going to be in this together.
"When Liam talks about that, I get jazzed. That's what I believe: 'Let's go. Let me help you go achieve this. I'm in.'''
Boselli also in his new role will be responsible for player engagement, football technology, football travel and logistics, equipment, sports performance, team security and football communications. He also will serve as liaison between football operations and the business side of the Jaguars to "ensure a unified and successful organization as a whole."
Tony Boselli: A Breakdown of Experience
Boselli, 52, most recently served as president/chief growth officer for all.health, a venture-backed digital health care company headquartered in San Francisco. He previously served as vice president of transformation growth for prominent healthcare company Optum, where he led multi-billion-dollar outsourcing deals.
Boselli in 2013 founded Healthy Schools, which administers free in-school vaccinations, immunizations and physicals to students in Florida and Texas. He sold Healthy Schools in 2016 to CareDox, serving there as partner and president until joining Optum.
Boselli has been under contract with the Jaguars over many years, serving as a game-day radio analyst and frequent contributor to Jaguars.com – in addition to representing the team as an NFL Legends ambassador and throughout the community.
Boselli has also served as the lead analyst for Thursday Night Football on Westwood One and worked as an NFL game analyst and sideline reporter for Westwood One.
Boselli, a Jaguars left tackle from 1995-2001, is a member of the 2022 Pro Football Hall of Fame class. He was the No. 2 overall selection the 1995 NFL Draft – the Jaguars' first draft – and made five Pro Bowls with three Associated Press All-Pro selections in seven Jaguars seasons.
"My job has always been in this game to help other people go score and have success; I'm approaching this job the same way," Boselli said. "That's always been my job in football: Go block, clear the way, protect people and let them go score."
Boselli while discussing his new role discussed one of his first Jaguars memories, when then-Jaguars Head Coach Tom Coughlin introduced Boselli to the media the night of the '95 draft.
"Tom Coughlin at the first press conference said I was the cornerstone of the franchise," Boselli said. "I looked around and said, 'What in the heck is he talking about?' But I took it as a responsibility – not really knowing what that meant or what he meant – that I wanted to be my best and try to make this place the best. Then I fell in love with it.
"All I ever wanted to do was be a part of this organization and do whatever I could to help the organization be the best it could and go win a championship. I've been part of the organization, but this is a chance to really get in, add value and help it win a championship.
"Right now, there's nothing else I want to do. That's all I want to do."
