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The Pro Football Hall of Fame has announced former Jacksonville Jaguars great Tony Boselli as one of the 26 semifinalists for the second year in a row. And that’s good news for his chances of being enshrined in Canton, Ohio.
Being a regular part of the conversation is a near prerequisite for getting into the Hall of Fame. Of the 26 semifinalists only five — Brian Dawkins, Chris Hinton, Jason Taylor, LaDainian Tomlinson, and Hines Ward — have never been nominated before. Boselli is on his second straight nomination.
And some, like Terrell Davis (11), Roger Craig (9), and Steve Atwater (6) have been waiting a much longer time than Boselli.
But inductions after two or three nominations is the norm.
Boselli is in a tough spot. He’s a great player, but he’s obviously at the top of the second tier of nominations. Alan Faneca and Kevin Mawae are fellow nominees and their personal accolades, Pro Bowl appearances, All-Pro selections, and Super Bowl victories put them at the top. And while Boselli is either on par with or has more Pro Bowl appearances and All-Pro selections than the rest of the linemen nominated — Chris Hinton, Joe Jacoby, and Mike Kenn — when you’re trying to pick 15 finalists out of 26 nominees, three linemen could be a hard sell.
But either way, Boselli is starting to get into the regular conversation, and that’s the only way he’s going to break through one year.