Tony Boselli has had been on a whirlwind ride since he found out he was a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s 2022 class in late January.
The latest of his celebratory tour took part as he received the “key to the city” from Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry during a ceremony at Jacksonville city hall Oct. 6.
“Tony has been there since day one,” Curry said. “The team and the city’s first love is Tony Boselli. We wanted to honor him with the key to the city, and I think that also honors our citizens.”
The presentation led up to Boselli being presented his Hall of Fame ring by Jaguars owner Shahid Khan on the field during halftime of the Jaguars’ game against the Houston Texans Oct. 9.
According to Curry, being awarded the “key to the city” is a prestigious honor and one that is not handed out lightly.
“I haven’t done a lot of them, and most of the keys given out in my seven years in office were delivered to the person with only a few being done in person,” Curry said.
He knew that this one deserved to be one of those few that needed to be handed out in person.
“It is an honor that is absolutely earned,” Curry said.
Boselli is the first Jaguar to be awarded the “key to the city.”
Since being inducted, he has had plenty of opportunities to look back on both his football career and his life in general dating back to when he was growing up in Southern California.
“Looking back, as a kid I just wanted to play football,” Boselli said. “I didn’t even know that keys to the city came with that. I’ve had a great life and have been very blessed both on the football field and with a great family.”
As he did in his Hall of Fame acceptance speech, Boselli was quick to thank the continued support he has received from his family throughout the years, and they continue to be at the forefront of his mind with every honor he receives.
Parents are always striving to be role models for their children, and according to Boselli, sharing the past year with his wife and children is what he will remember most.
“The biggest thing about being in the hall of fame is for them to be able to experience it, because they were either not born yet or were super young when I was playing,” Boselli said. “For them to be a part of this portion of my life is probably more important than anything.”
While his induction ceremony in Canton, Ohio in August was more for his family, excepting his hall of fame ring on the field was all about the fans, who were there cheering him on during his playing career.
“I think my favorite part is being able to celebrate with all the fans,” Boselli said.
The Boselli family is rooted in the local community in a variety of ways from being involved in charitable organizations to helping coach youth sports over the years. His wife Angie is currently head cheer coach at Ponte Vedra High School.
“We don’t view ourselves any different, and one of the things people do when a part of a community is to try to give back,” Boselli said.
