CLEVELAND — Five years after calling it a career, Joe Thomas is heading to Canton.
On Thursday, the former Cleveland Browns left tackle was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, with the official announcement coming during the annual NFL Honors awards show ahead of the upcoming Super Bowl. This marked the 38-year-old Thomas' first year of eligibility, giving him the additional distinction of being a first-ballot selection.
"I don't think any of us, when we were rookies, said in our mind like, 'My goal right now is the Hall of Fame!'" Thomas told reporters in a press conference with his fellow inductees. "You get to the Hall of Fame by having a good day today, and then tomorrow, just trying to get 1% better."
Selected by the Browns out of Wisconsin with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2007 NFL Draft, Thomas established himself as one of the best left tackles in football history during his 11 seasons with the franchise. During his time in Cleveland, Thomas was named to 10 consecutive Pro Bowls (2007-16) and earned six first-team and two second-team All-Pro selections, all while playing an NFL record 10,363 consecutive offensive snaps before a torn triceps ended his 2017 season — and ultimately his career.
While the Browns tallied just one winning season during Thomas' tenure with the team (his rookie year), his elite play while blocking for a laughably long list of quarterbacks served as one of the franchise's few bright spots and constants during his career. His outgoing and everyman personality also made him a fan favorite during both his career and retirement, as the Wisconsin native has maintained a presence both around the team and in the media.
"It's easy, if you're just doing it for yourself, to get in the doldrums, especially if you're losing like we seemed to do a little bit in Cleveland," Thomas said. "But you've got guys around you that you know [are] counting on you, and so then they're the ones, they're the brothers that kind of pull you through some of those dark, tough times."
In being elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Thomas will become the 18th Browns player or coach to be enshrined in Canton. He is the first Cleveland player to be selected to the Hall to suit up for the franchise after its return to the league in 1999 and the most recent active Browns player to do so since Ozzie Newsome, who retired following the 1990 season and was inducted in 1999.
"The journey tells the story of my career, and I wouldn't change anything," Thomas declared. "As a Cleveland Brown — being the first Brown inducted since the team came back — it's really special for me, because that franchise has endured some really tough times, but those fans are so loyal and passionate and they still show up, and it still is their identity."
Browns owners Dee and Jimmy Haslam released the following statement once the news became official:
"We are so proud Joe Thomas will be recognized, appropriately, as a first-ballot Hall of Famer. Joe epitomized the standard of excellence in everything he did for the Cleveland Browns organization and for our community. He was the essence of all you want in a player, as a teammate and representing the Browns organization. His extraordinary accomplishments and endurance playing 10-plus years without missing a single snap is unparalleled. How he went about his work each day was equally inspiring, the model of consistency, resiliency and class.
"Beyond being one of the best in NFL history, he was just as exceptional off the field. Joe and his wife, Annie have made an impact on so many people in Cleveland and have done so in a humble, unassuming way. He is just a tremendous human being. We are so happy that Joe will take his rightful place among our game’s greatest in Canton."
Seven other NFL greats join Thomas in the class of 2023, including:
- DB Rondé Barber - Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Coach Don Coryell - St. Louis Cardinals, San Diego Chargers
- LB Chuck Howley - Chicago Bears, Dallas Cowboys
- DL Joe Klecko - New York Jets, Indianapolis Colts
- CB Darrelle Revis - New York Jets, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, New England Patriots, Kansas City Chiefs
- CB Ken Riley - Cincinnati Bengals
- LB Zach Thomas - Miami Dolphins, Dallas Cowboys
- DE/LB DeMarcus Ware - Dallas Cowboys, Denver Broncos
Enshrinement week in Canton is scheduled for Aug. 3-6, 2023. Information and ticket packages for the event can be found on the Pro Football Hall of Fame's website.