4 days ago
Why Tony Boselli took Jacksonville Jaguars EVP job: 'How can I help us be the best?'
Note: Ryan O'Halloran has returned to The Florida Times-Union as their new sports columnist. He covered the Jaguars for the paper from 2012-18 before moving on to The Denver Post (Broncos beat writer, 2018-22) and The Buffalo News (NFL columnist, 2022-25).
Tony Boselli is many things. College football legend. Pro Football Hall of Fame left tackle. Accomplished broadcaster and businessman. And now the Jacksonville Jaguars' executive vice president of football operations.
But he is not an interior decorator.
Twin big-screen TVs dominate the front wall. The interior and exterior side walls are all glass with views of the hallway and practice fields, respectively. The back wall has a cabinet with four helmets resting on top. A giant family photo from his 2022 Hall of Fame induction weekend is on the wall above the cabinet. That means it is the first thing he sees every morning.
'I don't even know how to hang a picture,' No. 71 deadpanned early Wednesday morning, pointing to a framed Times-Union sports front page of the day after he was the franchise's first-ever draft pick in 1995.
Now the best part … or at least the most amusing part.
Picture frames are upright on two cabinets, but don't have any pictures. There is a picture of Tom Coughlin screaming on the sideline that is leaning against a frame.
HOW MUCH? Jaguars valued at more than $5.5 billion, a 17 percent increase over 2024
'One of these days, probably before the season I hope, I'll get my wife (Angi) in here (to fill the frames),' Boselli said.
Tony is too busy helping rebuild the Jaguars to worry about things like building his office look.
Boselli's office was a natural place for me to visit upon arriving back in Jacksonville to work for The Times-Union. He is the most decorated player in Jaguars history who answered the call-to-serve from owner Shad Khan in January to bring equal parts stability and synergy to an organization in desperate need of both.
Khan hiring Boselli a smart move
The first best decision Khan made upon closing on the Jaguars' purchase in January 2012 was hiring Mark Lamping as president to oversee the business side. Bringing Boselli into the fold to lead the football side could eventually rank as a close second. What a sounding board Boselli can be for new general manager James Gladstone and coach Liam Coen and what a connector he can be for the entire building, a person comfortable meeting with every department head on the payroll.
And what a job Boselli, Gladstone and Coen have undertaken. There have been only three stretches of success during in The Shad Era — 2017 (lost in AFC championship game), 2022 (lost in divisional round) and 2023 (started 8-3 only to finish 9-8). That's it. Khan is on his second executive vice president of football operations (Coughlin was the first), fourth full-time general manager and sixth full-time coach.
Boselli has on-the-job training
Until January, Boselli observed everything with two toes in the knowledge pool. Did the games on radio. Attended training camp practices. Talked regularly with Khan. Remained close with several other members of the organization. He heard about things going on in the loop, but didn't live in the loop.
Boselli does now, though — his office was previously occupied by general manager Trent Baalke; Gladstone preferred to be closer to the Jaguars' personnel department down the hall.
Initially after coach Doug Pederson was fired, Khan enlisted Boselli to assist a search that included Baalke. You know how things went from there. Chaos. From my perch in Buffalo covering the playoffs, it was tough to ascertain Khan's plan, which made it impossible to rationalize.
Sixteen days into the search, Baalke was bounced after Coen decided to remain Tampa Bay's offensive coordinator. Baalke out of the way, Coen re-considered and was hired on Jan. 24, followed by Boselli on Feb. 3 and Gladstone on Feb. 21.
In the eyes of Jaguars fans, Khan ended at the right spot even if it wasn't in a straight line.
Boselli's goal when he started?
'That I would be able to add value to everybody in the building on the team and business sides — how can I help us be the best? What role can I play?' he said.
Boselli was quick to point out he is learning about his role every single day — he knows what he doesn't know. And he acknowledges having so many people in their jobs for the first time — him, Gladstone, Coen and several assistant coaches — will equal mistakes, but the goal is to not let those mistakes be repeated.
Boselli raves about Gladstone's leadership, said Coen could coach any position on the field and expresses full confidence in quarterback Trevor Lawrence. Issues remain, of course, like they usually do in the preseason, but Boselli is optimistic about the return-to-health of projected starting defensive tackles Arik Armstead and Maason Smith.
Being a player taught Boselli to keep one foot in front of the other in preparing for the season, but the executive is already anticipating the adrenaline of his drive to the stadium for the opener.
'I'm jacked for the season,' he said. 'I can't wait. I enjoy practice. I enjoy watching our guys getting better.'
O'Halloran can be reached at rohalloran@
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Jacksonville Jaguars Tony Boselli excited for start of NFL season
