Bruce Smith, a Hall of Fame defensive end, is upset that fans of offensive tackle Tony Boselli are using his performance against him in the playoffs as a reason to vote him into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
The sack leader intimated that Boselli doesn't belong in the Hall of Fame due to the length of his career and the fact that he didn't have to protect the blind side.
Smith said in a statement that the campaign to get Tony Boselli into the Hall of Fame focused too much on his 1996 playoff game against him. I'm flattered to be considered the gold standard by which another player's game can be assessed to determine his qualification into the HOF. HOFers believe that it sets a horrible precedent to negatively zero in on a standing member of the Hall's play in order to confirm the candidacy of a nominee.
The Buffalo Bills were upset by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the wild-card game of the 1996 playoffs. Smith was the NFL's Defensive Player of the Year that year, but he managed just three tackles and two quarterback pressures in the game in Buffalo.
Smith said using that game as an argument for Boselli's inclusion into the Hall of Fame is unfair.
Smith said that the HOF follows a tacit code of conduct that fosters respect and camaraderie. Any Hall of Famer can use his credentials to boast about his dominance over another member, but such behavior is deemed inappropriate because of the tensions within the group. Maintaining harmony and goodwill in the HOF is paramount and it is precisely why player campaigns have historically been presented respectfully and thoughtfully.
"Resorting to underhanded tactics, like targeting a Hoffer and hyping a one game match up to bolster a nominee's merit, undermines the integrity of the Hall's election process." That candidate's worthiness of becoming a member of the HOF is subject to unnecessary scrutiny.
He went to five Pro Bowls, was named first-team All-Pro three times, and was a member of the All-Decade Team, but it was his performance against Smith that earned him national recognition.
"Bruce Smith is one of the most respected people in the world," said Boselli. One of the men I competed against during my career was one of the greatest players to ever play the game. All of the games I played are on tape and can be watched. A shoulder injury ended my career early. I don't have anything else to say about that.
Smith said that the length of Boselli's career, which ended in 2001, means it doesn't match up against some of the game's best left tackles. It's a mark against him that he played with a left-handed quarterback.
Leon Searcy was the one who protected Mark Brunell's blind side in Jacksonville, while Tony was the one who protected the quarterback. During my nineteen years in the NFL, several outstanding LTs, such as Bruce Armstrong, were able to play against me. They could build HOF campaigns to highlight that fact.
Smith introduced Boselli as a member of the Hall of Fame's class of 2022. "Boselli deserves to be in the Hall of Fame," said Munoz when he told a Jacksonville radio station that year. It wasn't long, people keep saying. He was the best when he was playing.
The Pro Football Hall of Fame will induct a group of people on August 6th.
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