Call it anything you want, but what's most important to remember about the Jaguars' new "Pride of the Jaguars" is that it's a special place. This is for only the very best players.
Tony Boselli will become the "Pride's" first inductee this fall, as he should. He belongs in this version of the Cowboys' "Ring of Honor" because Boselli is the most accomplished player at his position in Jaguars history.
Though his career was probably too short to make it into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Boselli was the dominant tackle in the game for the majority of his career and he's a symbol of everything that was good about the team's expansion years. He is, simply put, "Mr. Jaguar."
Put him in.
Jimmy Smith may become the "Pride's" next inductee. He is certain to be inducted because he is the most productive player in Jaguars history.
Smith led the Jaguars in yards receiving for each of the last 10 years. That's a phenomenal achievement. He may not have been the best wide receiver in the league, but the combination of production and longevity make him the Jaguars' best candidate to make it into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Put him in the "Pride," too, but that's where we have to take pause. Don't just start filling up the walls of Alltel Stadium with names of players you liked.
Mark Brunell? Yeah, because of the heroics he produced. He's the symbol of that magical playoff run in 1996. What if, however, Byron Leftwich goes on to re-write the Jaguars' record book? Does every quarterback in Jaguars history make it into the "Pride?"
Tony Brackens? He was a big-play player, but what do you do with Marcus Stroud and John Henderson and Rashean Mathis? There's only so much room on Alltel's walls.
Discipline is the most important prerequisite in creating these places of fame. If you put too many people in, it ceases to become a special place. Halls of Fame and rings of honor must be exclusive places. They must be reserved for only the best of the best.
What that means is that somewhere along the line somebody will have to be denied entrance. It has to be that way. Please remember that.
