Tony Boselli
| No. 71 | |
|---|---|
| Position: | Offensive Tackle |
| Career information | |
| College: | Southern California |
| NFL draft: | 1995 / round: 1 / pick: 2 |
| Career history | |
| |
| * Offseason and/or practice squad member only | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| Stats at Pro Football Reference | |
Don Anthony "Tony" Boselli, Jr. (born April 17, 1972 in Modesto, California) is a former American football offensive tackle in the NFL for the Jacksonville Jaguars. He currently works as a sideline reporter for Westwood One Radio and was formerly a color commentator for Fox Sports.
College career
While at University of Southern California (USC), Boselli, at 6'7" and 322 lbs.[1] was a first team All-American and All-Pac 10 choice in 1992, 1993 and 1994 and won the Morris Trophy. He was also a member of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity.[2]
Professional career
Tony Boselli was selected as the second pick of the 1995 NFL Draft, the first ever draft pick of the new Jacksonville Jaguars franchise. As a result of his professional success and local popularity, Jacksonville-area McDonald's restaurants offered the "Boselli Burger" in his honor for a period of time.[3]
Boselli was the first pick in the 2002 NFL Expansion Draft for the new Houston Texans franchise. However, due to frequent injuries, he was placed on injured reserve and retired after the season having never played a single down for the Texans.
Business interests
Boselli plus former teammates Mark Brunell and Bryan Schwartz started the Mattress Firm, a retail bedding store in Jacksonville that expanded to seven locations. By the time Boselli left for Texas in 2002, he had sold his interest in the company.[4]
Boselli and friend and former teammate Mark Brunell own all seven Whataburger locations in the Jacksonville area.[citation needed]
Tony is also a founding partner in IF Marketing with good friends Jeff Novak and Will Furrer. The marketing and advertising firm, with offices in Georgetown, Texas (a suburb of Austin) and Jacksonville, Florida, was originally called Intra Focus marketing & advertising.[5]
Retirement
On October 8, 2006, the Jacksonville Jaguars inducted Tony Boselli as the first player in the Pride of the Jaguars, the teams' own Hall of Fame. He signed a one-day contract with the Jaguars, allowing him to retire as a Jaguar. Boselli was listed on the 2009 Hall of Fame Preliminary Nominees list[6]
Since 2005, Boselli has lived in Ponte Vedra with his wife, Angi and their four children: Andrew, Adam, Ashli, and Alexis. Boselli has lost a significant amount of weight and now participates in triathlons.[7] He also coaches his sons in baseball.
In 2009, there was talk that he would run for mayor of Jacksonville, Florida in 2011 when John Peyton must leave because of term limits.[8] However, he lives in St. Johns County, so running for mayor of Jacksonville would require moving to Duval County.
Broadcast career
He was also one of the hosts of "The Frank Frangie Show" each morning from 7-10 am on Jacksonville's ESPN 1460. However, the station eventually changed to 1010 XL and Tony joined Dan Hicken and Jeff Prosser as a co-host each morning from 6-10 am on Sports Final Radio.
Boselli was interviewed for an episode of NFL's Greatest Games which aired on ESPN2.
NFL on Fox
In 2007, Boselli was hired as a color commentator on regional NFL telecasts for Fox, teaming with Ron Pitts. In his rookie season as a televised commentator, Boselli drew praise as one of the best in the business.[9]
Charity
Tony and his wife, Angi (the former Miss California Teen USA 1987), created the Boselli Foundation during 1995 in Jacksonville to work with at-risk youth and help them to cultivate high self-esteem and to succeed at home, at school and at play. Beginning in 2007, Tony has spent substantial time working on projects with the foundation. He overcame opposition from several entrenched politicians when the Boselli Foundation proposed renovating and reopening a closed community center and has significant support.[8]
Boselli and Mark Brunell helped found an Every Nation church in Jacksonville, Southpoint Community Church, and both are active in Champions for Christ.[7]
External links
- The Boselli Foundation
- Jacksonville Jaguars
- Whataburger
- IF marketing & development
- Champions for Christ
Notes and references
- ^ [1] NFL.com website, Players-Tony Boselli
- ^ Facts and History, Sigma Alpha Epsilon.
- ^ http://www.jacksonville.com/tu-online/stories/081698/jag_1c8danie.html
- ^ Frenrette, Gene: [2] Florida Times-Union, September 28, 2003, "Warrior to minister"
- ^ [3] Florida Times-Union, October 2, 2009, "Briefs: Boselli marketing firm opens Jacksonville site"
- ^ http://www.profootballhof.com/enshrinement/story.jsp?story_id=2913
- ^ a b [4] Bookrags, Tony Boselli
- ^ a b Harding, Abel: [5] Urban Jacksonville, May 18, 2009, "The 2011 St. James Buzz"
- ^ Dr. Z. Archive:[6] Sports Illustrated magazine, February 7, 2008, "TV Commentator Rankings"