Tony Boselli named semifinalist for 2017 Pro Football Hall of Fame induction

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.