CLEVELAND — A fan favorite future Hall of Famer and former two-way star will be honored when the Cleveland Browns face the New York Jets next month.
On Thursday, the team announced that former left tackle Joe Thomas and the late Darrel 'Pete' Brewster will comprise its 2022 Class of Browns Legends. Thomas and Brewster will be honored at halftime of Cleveland's Week 2 matchup vs. the Jets, which will double as the Browns' home opener at FirstEnergy Stadium.
Selected with the No. 3 pick of the 2007 NFL Draft, Thomas quickly established himself as one of the best left tackles in the NFL. In his 11 seasons in Cleveland, the Wisconsin product earned 10 Pro Bowl selections and eight All-Pro honors (six first-team, two second-team) while playing an NFL record 10,363 consecutive snaps before suffering a season-ending triceps injury during the 2017 season.
Since retiring following the 2017 campaign, Thomas has been a constant in Cleveland, regularly attending Browns practices and currently serving as a color commentator on the team's preseason television broadcasts. He is eligible to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2023, and will likely be a first-ballot selection.
“It feels amazing,” Thomas said in a statement. “The pride that I have as a former Cleveland Brown and Browns alumni is unlimited, and now being able to be in the most exclusive club among Browns alumni is incredibly special to me.
Just being able to come back and see the greatest fanbase in football, being in front of them and having a warm reception in spite of the fact that, in the years I played here, weren’t really successful, it feels like there’s a connection that’s deeper than ‘player-fan,’” Thomas said. “It feels like a familial bond. It’s without condition. It’s ‘we love you, period.’”
A two-time Pro Bowl selection, Brewster played both tight end and defensive end during his career in Cleveland, which spanned from 1952-1958. The former second-round pick was one of legendary quarterback Otto Graham's favorite targets and totaled 210 career receptions for 3,758 yards and 21 touchdowns during his career, helping lead the Browns to a pair of NFL championships (1954, 1955).
Brewster passed away in January 2020 at the age of 89.
“Our family is ecstatic that our father has been chosen to receive the incredible honor of being inducted into the Cleveland Browns Legends,” said Debbie Wildeisen, Brewster’s daughter.
“Our hearts are full! We are both humbled and proud that he is being recognized for his contributions to the team that was so instrumental to his professional career and close to his heart.”