Boselli Hides His Light Under His Helmet

Tony Boselli, the former USC All-American offensive lineman and now a standout player for the Jacksonville Jaguars, is reticent about his accomplishments.

His wife Angi said that when they were dating she didn’t know he was a famous college football player.

While attending the Walter Camp All-American awards ceremonies, Tony told Angi only that he was at Walter Camp.

“I thought that was some sort of football camp where people went to try and get better and make the team,” she told Vito Stellino of the Baltimore Sun. “I had no idea it was some All-American honor.”

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Trivia time: When did Tennessee make its first appearance in the Rose Bowl?

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Go figure: Bud Geracie in the San Jose Mercury News: “Michael Westbrook apologized to the fans for beating up his teammate--which makes as much sense as him apologizing to a teammate for beating up some fans.”

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Awe-struck: St. Louis Cardinal outfielder Ron Gant on the power of new teammate Mark McGwire: “It makes you speechless. He’s like a cartoon character or a Messiah or something, because he does things humans aren’t supposed to do.”

Easy, Ron, easy.

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Graceful hunk: From San Diego Charger defensive end William Fuller: “A 300-pound offensive tackle used to be a fat guy. Now he’s got feet like a ballet dancer.”

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Predictable: Steve Rosenbloom in the Chicago Tribune before Monday night’s game between the Bears and Green Bay Packers:

“Bryan Cox will get fined for something. He will then sue over it. He will be named MVP (Most Valuable Plaintiff).”

Flawed analogy? Pepper Rodgers, former UCLA football coach, has been hired to try to convince Memphis to support the Oilers even though the NFL team will play in the city for only two years while a stadium is being built in Nashville.

“I look at it this way,” Rodgers said. “If you put me on an island with Cindy Crawford for two years, that’s better than nothing.”

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Looking back: On this day in 1993, Jim Abbott pitched a no-hitter for the New York Yankees, the team’s first in 10 years, in a 4-0 victory over the Cleveland Indians.

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Looking back again: On this day in 1941, the Yankees recorded the earliest pennant-clinching in history when they defeated the Boston Red Sox, 6-3. New York finished 17 games ahead of second-place Boston and defeated Brooklyn in the World Series in five games.

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Trivia answer: In 1940, when the previously unbeaten, untied and unscored-upon Volunteers lost to USC, 14-0, in the Rose Bowl game. Overall, Tennessee is 1-3 in Pasadena.

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And finally: San Diego Padre relief pitcher Trevor Hoffman identifies the National League’s worst bullpen:

“Philadelphia is terrible. They let people hang on the rail above you. They spit on you. And those little packets of catsup and mustard, they squeeze ‘em on you.”