Les Snead Remembers What Jaguars Were When Tony Boselli Played

Thirty years ago this spring, Les Snead and Tony Boselli became Jaguars employees. The first draft choice in franchise history, Boselli got paid a little more.

Snead, a Jaguars scouting assistant in 1995, reconnected with Boselli in February to discuss James Gladstone, Snead’s 34-year-old director of scouting strategy and soon-to-be Jaguars general manager.

“It was definitely full circle,” Snead told John Oesher on the O-Zone Podcast last week. “I know he had been around doing his radio thing and things like that, but he’s always been the core of the Jags. … It's a pretty cool story for him. First draft pick ever. Ever. Earns a yellow jacket. And then to be an integral piece of running of the Jags moving forward.”

The only Pro Football Hall of Famer in franchise history, Boselli himself experienced a full-circle moment when Shad Khan made him executive vice president of football operations. For context, only four current Jaguars employees have worked for the team since Jacksonville chose Boselli second overall in the 1995 NFL Draft.

Boselli played seven years for the Jaguars (1995-2001) and retired after a year with the Texans (2002), then explored a few business ventures along with a career in broadcasting. But his heart never left Jacksonville. Snead said his love for the franchise clearly came through.

“And the cool thing is, when I was talking to Tony about James, you could just feel his passion,” Snead said. “It really just was, ‘I want what's best for the Jags.’ I'm sure he doesn't have to do this. I mean, maybe this is better than doing a day job or something like that, but you could just tell there's this part of him that, ‘You know what? I just want the Jags to get back to being a little bit who they were when they started, that a lot of people probably don't even remember.’”

Who they were when Boselli started was one of the NFL’s best teams, despite the expansion-team obstacles. Before the Broncos won consecutive Super Bowls (1997-98) with six eventual Hall of Famers, Boselli, head coach Tom Coughlin and the Jaguars went into Mile High Stadium and beat Denver in the 1996 divisional playoffs. From 1996-99, Jacksonville was 9-7, 11-5, 11-5 and 14-2, advancing to the AFC Championship Game on two occasions.

Snead was along for the ride, finishing his Jacksonville tenure as a pro scout in 1997.

“Tony started there in 1995 and he's been there for 30 years,” Snead said. “So, there is so much nuance that's compounded over time that's just running probably subliminal in head, right? So, I think it's very important to think about it. It's very important, especially if, if the motives are right.”