CLEVELAND — There have been two constants about the new version of the Cleveland Browns that returned to the National Football League in 1999: mind-numbing dysfunction and Joe Thomas.
While the Browns have had a multitude of front office regimes, head coaches, quarterbacks, and even owners since coming back, they have had only one player that has exemplified greatness.
For 10 seasons, he was the best player at his position in pro football. He was dependable, durable, and represented the best of what this area hopes for in a player wearing a Cleveland Browns uniform.
This Saturday, Joseph Hayden Thomas will take his place in NFL immortality when he is inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton.
How did we get here? What made Joe Thomas a first-ballot Hall of Famer? How was he able to shine amidst a Browns team that had but one winning season during his career in Cleveland?
For me, there are three things that not only made Thomas an all-time great player in Cleveland, but one of the most respected and beloved athletes to come along in this area in my lifetime. Let's look at each of them.
Blue-Collar Joe
More often than not, the most important day of the year for Browns fans in this century has been the day/weekend of the NFL Draft. That was certainly the case in 2007 when the Browns had the No. 3 overall pick. It was a loaded draft, featuring future Hall of Famers Calvin Johnson and Darrelle Revis, plus talented players like Adrian Peterson, Patrick Willis, and Marshawn Lynch. The Browns selected Thomas, the unanimous All-American offensive tackle from Wisconsin.
We know that most first round picks are at the draft site, eager to walk up on stage and get the proverbial hug from the commissioner and cap and jersey of the team that selected him. But not Thomas. He wasn't in New York for the draft. In fact, he was nowhere near New York.
Thomas had decided to spend draft day fishing with his father. That trip ended up getting interrupted by a phone call by then Browns head coach Romeo Crennel.
That moment instantly endeared Thomas to Cleveland. This guy isn't worried about what he's wearing on the red carpet in New York. He's fishing. He's one of us.
The bond between Thomas and Cleveland begun that day and never faded away. Much like the blue-collar Cleveland Cavaliers of the late 1980s and early 1990s that featured Mark Price, Brad Daugherty, and Larry Nance as the "hard-working team in the hard-working town," (much respect to the late Michael Stanley for the hard-working town, hard-working team song lyrics) Thomas was all grit and determination. He played spectacularly in the non-glamorous role of offensive tackle.
From his rookie season through his career-ending torn triceps injury on October 22, 2017, Thomas never missed a snap. Ever. He answered the call on 10,363 consecutive offensive plays, which is an NFL record that I'm not sure will ever be broken. He didn't take a play off. He didn't take a game off. Despite the fact that the Browns were a putrid 48-128 in his career, Thomas never stopped giving his all to help his team.
And it wasn't like he was healthy for all of those snaps; far from it. Thomas battled knee injuries, back soreness, and constant aches. While his coaches would give him "rest days" during the week, Thomas would always find a way to get on the field and perform at a high level come Sunday.
Consistency
During those 10,363 consecutive snaps, Joe Thomas wasn't just good; he was the best at his position in the National Football League. Let's consider the numbers:
- Thomas was selected to 10 Pro Bowls between 2007-16, the only NFL offensive lineman to be voted to 10 consecutive Pro Bowls
- He was a six-time first-team All-Pro (2009-11; 2013-15)
- Two-time second-team All-Pro (2008, 2012)
- Member of the NFL All-Decade Team for the 2010s
- In 6,680 pass blocking attempts, Thomas allowed only 30 sacks during his career
These are great numbers, right? Let's put it into further context. How many different head coaches/offensive schemes did Thomas have during his time in Cleveland?
- Romeo Crennel - 2007-08
- Eric Mangini - 2009-10
- Pat Shurmur - 2011-12
- Rob Chudzinski - 2013 (to be fair, Chud was offensive coordinator in 07-08, so at least Joe knew his system)
- Mike Pettine - 2014-15
- Hue Jackson - 2016-17
That's not a typo. Thomas had six different head coaches when he was in Cleveland. Yet his performance never slipped despite the lack of continuity.
And of course, there are the quarterbacks. Thomas never had any consistency to work with in terms of signal-callers during his Browns career. Look at this list:
- Charlie Frye
- Derek Anderson
- Brady Quinn
- Ken Dorsey
- Bruce Gradkowski
- Jake Delhomme
- Seneca Wallace
- Colt McCoy
- Brandon Weeden
- Thad Lewis
- Jason Campbell
- Brian Hoyer
- Johnny Manziel
- Connor Shaw
- Josh McCown
- Austin Davis
- Robert Griffin III
- Cody Kessler
- Kevin Hogan
- DeShone Kizer
It didn't matter who started under center for the Browns; Joe Thomas always had their back. Which reminds me...
Loyalty
Despite all of those losing seasons as part of a general losing culture, Thomas never complained. He was a model teammate and consistently elected as one of the Browns' captains during his career in Cleveland.
I can't imagine how tough it must have been for Thomas not to speak out about the dysfunction in Berea. Instead, he was the good soldier who provided a role model to the younger members of the team on how to conduct yourself on and off the field. Of course, in the case of players like Manziel, that went in one ear and out the other. But just ask players like Joel Bitonio how important Thomas was in their growth and they'll tell you plenty of stories.
The thing that's always bothered me when I think of Thomas is the fact that he never got to play in an NFL playoff game in his storied career. The Browns narrowly missed the postseason in Thomas' rookie year in 2007, finishing 10-6 and getting eliminated on the final Sunday of the season. Surely, there would be other chances.
We all know the answer.
The only other time the Browns even smelled the playoffs was in 2014, when they started the season 7-4. Of course, they lost the final five games of the year to finish 7-9.
The following year, there was talk that the Browns might trade Thomas to the Denver Broncos prior to the deadline. As much as I would have hated to see Thomas in another uniform, I really wanted Joe to get a shot at a Super Bowl berth (Denver did end up winning it all that year, by the way). After his playing days were over, Thomas would tell a funny story about being recruited to come to Denver by Peyton Manning. But in truth, Thomas really didn't want to leave Cleveland. The Browns and Broncos were unable to come up with a deal.
"I want to be here. I want to finish my career here," Thomas said that week of the deadline. And so he did.
In an era where so many of Cleveland's greatest sports stars have left, or been traded prior to leaving, Joe Thomas stayed home. He wanted to be here. He wanted to be in Cleveland.
When he goes into the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Saturday, Thomas will be representing all of us. He may spend most of his time now in his native Wisconsin, but Thomas is, and will always be, a Clevelander.
And that's worth celebrating.
