CLEVELAND — It was unfortunate that it (fittingly) occurred during a blowout Browns loss, but nothing could wipe the smile from Joe Thomas' face.
Less than three months after his enshrinement into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, the legendary left tackle took his rightful place among other Browns legends Sunday as his name and No. 73 were emblazoned into the team's Ring of Honor. It was a moment we all knew was coming, even before he received his bust in Canton.
"Be on time, pay attention, and work hard," Thomas said as he also received his "Ring of Excellence" from Hall of Fame President Jim Porter. "I wasn't the first person to say it, but it's definitely something that you can take with you in any walk of life, whether your playing on the gridiron on Sundays or you're helping me with the kiddos babysitting on Mondays."
A 10-time Pro Bowler and eight-time All-Pro, Thomas was one of the few bright spots of a stretch that saw the Browns post just one winning season across an 11-year career. Despite the lack of team success, those around the league knew his true greatness, and it's why he was elected to the Hall of Fame on the first ballot earlier this year.
"The greatest honor of my career was not the Pro Bowls or the All-Pros or even the Hall of Fame," Thomas told the crowd of more than 60,000. "For me, it was to be able to spend my Sundays playing a kid's game for 11 years in front of the most loyal and passionate fans in all of sports. That was my single greatest honor."
Prior to today's ceremony, Thomas' incredible record streak of 10,363 consecutive offensive snaps was already memorialized on its own in the stadium. His name now becomes the 19th in the Ring of Honor, joining the likes of:
- Jim Brown
- Paul Brown
- Joe DeLamielleure
- Len Ford
- Frank Gatski
- Otto Graham
- Lou Groza
- Gene Hickerson
- Leroy Kelly
- Dante Lavelli
- Mike McCormack
- Bobby Mitchell
- Marion Motley
- Ozzie Newsome
- Paul Warfield
- Bill Willis
- Clay Matthews Jr. (only enshrinee not in the Pro Football Hall of Fame)
- Mac Speedie
"When I look up and I see my name and my number in that upper deck, I see the names and the faces of every single person who's walked and barked their way through the gates of Municipal Stadium and now Cleveland Browns Stadium proudly wearing that Orange and Brown," Thomas said.
Sadly, the Browns couldn't play up to Thomas' level, losing the Baltimore Ravens 28-3.
