Boselli carries memories of late father into Hall of Fame

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Tony Boselli has a video to watch, a bona fide tear-jerker that’s sure to turn one of the toughest offensive tackles in NFL history into an emotional wreck.

It’s a congratulatory message from his father, recorded 11 days before Don Anthony Boselli Sr. died following a 10-month bout with cancer.

Tony’s friends and family played it for him during a party celebrating his induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in early February. The 6-foot-7 Colorado native and former USC star nicknamed “Big Bo” couldn’t bear to even peek at the big screen.

The first pick in Jacksonville Jaguars history and the franchise’s first Hall of Fame selection buried his face in his hands, losing control as an ultra-proud father gushed about his uber-successful son.

“I get emotional just thinking about it,” Boselli said recently. “I still haven’t got up the strength to go back and watch it all.”

He plans to, though. Boselli hopes to muster the nerve to hit play before next Saturday’s Hall of Fame enshrinement in Canton, Ohio. It will be nearly a six-month wait to watch the entire nine-minute clip, a relatively brief delay considering it took Boselli six years to gain entrance into the NFL’s most esteemed club.

His dad was there for every minute and milestone — except the final and most fulfilling one.

“I know he would have been just over the moon,” Boselli said. “And so, selfishly for me really more than anything, him not being here is hard. But I know that he was proud of me. It doesn’t take away the fact that he was there every step of the way during my journey.

“But there’ll be a small little void in Canton without him being there, but I know he’s there in spirit. I believe he’s looking down from heaven smiling...