JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Pro Football Hall of Fame left tackle Tony Boselli, the first draft pick in the history of the Jacksonville Jaguars, has been hired as the franchise’s executive vice president of football operations.
Jaguars owner Shad Khan announced the move Monday, saying Boselli, first-time head coach Liam Coen and Jacksonville’s next general manager will form “the football leadership unit.” Each of them will report to Khan.
“I’ve had a bunch of different roles in this organization, everything from a player to an ambassador to helping on season tickets to doing radio,” Boselli said during a Zoom with media. ”You name it, I’ve done everything. But this is really the job I’ve dreamed about.”
Boselli, who advised Khan during the team’s recent coaching search and sat in during in-person interviews that led to Coen’s hiring, will be in charge of player engagement, football technology, football travel and logistics, equipment, sports performance, team security and football communications. Boselli also will serve as the liaison between football operations and the team’s business side to ensure “a unified and successful organization.”
It’s similar to a role Hall of Fame coach Tom Coughlin held with the Jaguars between 2017 and 2019. One difference: Boselli has no illusions of running the entire franchise.
“My job is not to pick players, my job is not to coach and surely my job is not to go play,” Boselli said. “My job is to support (the coach and the GM), and that’s what I’ll do.”
Boselli was a five-time Pro Bowl selection in seven seasons in Jacksonville. His relatively short career was the main reason he needed six tries as a finalist to get a bronze bust as part of the 2022 Hall of Fame class.
His playing days were cut short because of a botched shoulder surgery, an injury that never allowed him to get on the field after Houston made him the top pick in the 2002 expansion draft. Nonetheless, Boselli has the distinction of being the first pick in the history of two franchises.
During his Jacksonville tenure, he was perhaps the best left tackle in the league. He allowed 15½ sacks in 91 games and was a three-time All-Pro (1997-99). He took his game to another level against the NFL’s top competition, stifling stars such as Reggie White, John Randle, Bruce Smith and Jason Taylor along the way.
He was a leader in the locker room and in the community, and he has remained an integral part of the organization for two-plus decades since his last game.
“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 in a statement. “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.”
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