Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2023: T Joe Thomas

There is a much-publicized story about the 2007 NFL draft in which University of Wisconsin tackle Joe Thomas, one of the top prospects on the board, did not attend the festivities in New York City and opted for a fishing trip with his father.

The Browns Reeled In A Whopper

The rest is history and some impressive history at that. He was the third overall pick by the Cleveland Browns that year. He was selected behind quarterback JaMarcus Russell (Raiders) and wide receiver Calvin Johnson (Lions), respectively. The former didn’t fare so well, while the latter was enshrined in Canton in 2021, meaning he’s now a teammate of Thomas for life.

The 6’6”, 312-pound blocker had quite the run with a franchise that was unsuccessful for most of his career. Granted, the Browns finished 10-6 during his rookie campaign. However, the team lost out on a playoff spot, losing a tiebreaker to the Pittsburgh Steelers for the AFC North title.

They Call It The Streak

Thomas’ rookie campaign was the start of one of the most impressive streaks you could imagine. He would wind up playing a mind-boggling 10,363 consecutive snaps. It ended in 2017 when he suffered a torn triceps in a Week 7 meeting with the Tennessee Titans. He never played again.

“It was always important for me to be out there because I knew the other guys needed it,” said Thomas recently (via Jake Trotter of ESPN.com). “They were playing for their next contract, playing for their jobs. I had already accomplished a lot in my career towards the end, where if I got banged up or we weren’t playing for anything, it probably would’ve been easy to just hang it up and rest and think about next year.”

While the Browns struggled on the field, it was impossible not to notice Thomas’ performance. He enters the Pro Football Hall of Fame with a resume that includes 10 consecutive Pro Bowl invitations (2007-16). He was also named All-Pro six times in a seven-year span from 2009-15.

One-time Browns general manager Phil Savage, who drafted Thomas 16 years ago, made an excellent point (via Trotter). “For him to stay motivated and perform the way he did, it’s just a remarkable achievement. While all the pieces changed around him, he just stayed the same. To have that kind of discipline is just amazing.”