by Mike Sharkey
Staff Writer
Tony Boselli has been the guest speaker at luncheons, dinners and everything else at functions all over the world. Until last week, however, he’d never stood in front of a group of attorneys.
“What do you say to a bunch of lawyers?” Boselli mused. He then joked that he called an attorney-friend in Texas to ask what to talk about. “Right before I called, I decided not to because I didn’t want to get billed for the call.”
The first pick in franchise history by the Jacksonville Jaguars — and the second player taken overall in the 1995 NFL draft — Boselli spent seven seasons with the Jaguars, making the Pro Bowl five times. In 2002, he and defensive tackles Seth Payne and Gary Walker were left unprotected by the team and taken by the Houston Texans in the expansion draft. Thanks to injuries, Boselli never played a down for the Texans and retired. Earlier this year, he became the first player inducted into the Jaguars “Ring of Honor.”
After giving it some thought, Boselli said what he did for a living and what lawyers do have more in common than most think. As an offensive lineman, you play in relative obscurity – until you commit a holding penalty that negates a big play. As an attorney, you work in relative obscurity — until you commit an ethical violation and The Florida Bar comes calling.
“No one remembers the big judgments you win or the deals you save,” said Boselli. “All they remember is the bill. I empathize with you.”
Boselli said he thinks attorneys and offensive linemen hear similar things from clients and coaches, respectively.
“When you get the bill from your attorney you say, ‘Are you kidding me? You billed me that much.’ When you come off the field after committing a penalty, the coach says, ‘Are you kidding me? You held again,’” he said.
He also joked that he came back to Jacksonville with his wife Angi and four kids because he knows the lease between Alltel and the Jaguars expires soon.
“Where else could I put my name on a stadium?” said Boselli, who has lived in Nashville, Houston and Austin, Texas since retiring. He said he was a little bitter about being left unprotected in 2002. “I didn’t realize how much this was home. I came back for a lot of reasons, but this is home.”
These days Boselli is working to help build a Youth Life Center on the Northside. The center will allow kids to get help with schoolwork, stay involved athletically and address character issues.
“The City (of Jacksonville) has been great,” said Boselli. “They gave us the building and we have worked out a lease.”
Other notes from Boselli and the meeting:
• Boselli said he got fined once by Coughlin for not staying at a pregame meal long enough. “There was no appeals process,” he said. “He (Coughlin) was the Supreme Court and the President.”
• Boselli was asked if coaching interested him down the road. “No,” he said, indicating he wanted no part of the 16-hour days pro football coaches are notorious for keeping. “I have four little kids and I want to spend time with them.”
• Jacksonville Bar Association President Kelly Mathis said when he asked Boselli about speaking he told them there would also be several judges in attendance. “I told him this is how you want to meet your judges and not in any other way,” said Mathis.
• Former Jaguar Jeff Lageman introduced Boselli, but Lageman was introduced by Florida Bar President Hank Coxe. Lageman recently asked Coxe — a criminal defense attorney — about donating to a foundation. Coxe misheard Lageman and thought he needed representation. “I thought you said you had stolen some money from a foundation,” said Coxe.
• The following attorneys were approved as new JBA members: Lynn Bailey, Todd Bass, Jennifer Coleman, Simon Courtman, Teena Enneking, James Eubanks, Sara Holladay-Tobias, Philip Lammens, John Merrett, Ashley Myers, Hossein Nezami, Bill Schmidt, Lindsay Tygart, Cameron White and Jo-Anne Yau.