CANTON, Ohio — Joe Thomas can be called a lot of things — left tackle, All-American, Pro Bowler, son, husband, and father, just to name a few.
He can now finally call himself a "Hall of Famer," but if you ask him, he's most proud to forever call himself a "Cleveland Brown."
The team's iconic stalwart on the offensive line officially received his bronze bust Saturday at Canton's Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium. Thousands of fans showed up to honor both Thomas as well as the eight other enshrinees for the class of 2023, though with the ceremonies just an hour south of Cleveland, it was Thomas who consistently received the loudest cheers all afternoon.
"It's the greatest honor of my career to be able to accept this lifetime award on behalf of all of Browns nation," Thomas said as the crowd barked its approval. "Cleveland, you could always count on me. Thank you so much for allowing me to count on you."
The No. 3 overall pick in 2007, Thomas endeared himself to the Dawg Pound almost immediately when he skipped the NFL draft entirely to go fishing with his dad. When he finally did take the field that September, he quite literally never left, playing what is believed to be an NFL record 10,363 consecutive snaps from the first drive of his rookie season until a torn triceps ended his career in 2017.
"I was there for my brothers 10,363 times in a row," Thomas said of his "Iron Man" streak. "I'm fiercely proud to have spent my entire career in Cleveland with you guys."
And it wasn't as if he was some placeholder, either. On the contrary, Thomas was an eight-time All-Pro who became one of only five players in league history (and the only offensive lineman) to make the Pro Bowl in each of their first 10 seasons. Unfortunately, as great as he was, the Browns were the polar opposite.
After narrowly missing the playoffs with a 10-6 campaign in 2007, Cleveland never even cracked the .500 mark during the rest of Thomas' tenure, going a miserable 48-128 during that 11-year span. Because of this, Thomas never got to experience a playoff game, instead playing for six different head coaches and blocking for 20 different starting quarterbacks.
Yet despite it all, Thomas has remained steadfastly loyal and supportive to the only professional organization he ever knew. He even took some time this weekend to poke fun at his bad luck.
"I've blocked for more starting quarterbacks than any other player in NFL history," he joked. "What an honor!"
Thomas' mother and father were both in attendance, and his wife Annie presented him for enshrinement along with their four children. He was the last of the nine inductees to be honored.
"I think every word that he would love to be described as, I would use for him," Annie said in her pre-prepared video about her husband. "He's touched a lot of people's lives with just being a good friend, and I'm very honored that I get to call him mine."
Thomas is now the 18th member of the Browns to become a Hall of Famer, and was joined on stage Saturday by fellow living legends Paul Warfield and Joe DeLamielleure. As the first player to be inducted since the franchise's return in 1999, it was a particularly emotional moment not just for Thomas, but for the Cleveland fans.
"In Cleveland, even if we were losing, you guys were there on Sundays," Thomas told those in attendance. "You guys are the heartbeat of the Cleveland Browns, and it was truly my honor to be able to represent you on & off the field for 11 years.
"God bless the Cleveland Browns, God bless America, and God bless football, the greatest game of all."
Along with Thomas, the eight other enshrinees were:
- DB Rondé Barber
- CB Darrelle Revis
- LB Zach Thomas
- DE/LB DeMarcus Ware
- Head coach Don Coryell
- LB Chuck Howley
- DL Joe Klecko
- CB Ken Riley
Check out highlights and photos from today's ceremony below!
PHOTOS | 2023 Pro Football Hall of Fame induction ceremony
3:45 p.m.: The ceremony concludes with the induction of Joe Thomas, who now officially becomes the 18th Cleveland Brown in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
3:06 p.m.: Rondé Barber is our penultimate enshrinee, being presented by his twin brother and fellow NFLer Tiki. Barber was a five-time All-Pro and part of a stacked Tampa Bay Buccaneers defense that won a Super Bowl.
2:45 p.m.: Mindy Coryell Lewis inducts her late father, former St. Louis Cardinals and San Diego Chargers head coach Don Coryell. His famed "Air Coryell" offense earned him 114 wins and revolutionized the NFL passing game, and fittingly, his Hall of Fame quarterback Dan Fouts was there to present him.
2:28 p.m.: Darrelle Revis, one of the best shutdown corners in recent memory, is presented by his mother, Diana Askew. Though the four-time All-Pro spent most of his career with the New York Jets, he was also a Pro Bowler for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and New England Patriots, winning a Super Bowl with the latter.
2:02 p.m.: Chuck Howley, who could not attend the ceremony, is presented by his former Dallas Cowboys teammate Bob Lilly and inducted by his son, Scott. Howley was a five-time All-Pro and Super Bowl champion, and the only Super Bowl MVP ever to play for the losing team.
1:35 p.m.: After decades of waiting, New York Jets great Joe Klecko is now a Hall of Famer, being presented by his former "New York Sack Exchange" mate Marty Lyons. Klecko was the PFWA's NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 1981, and was named to the Pro Bowl at three different defensive line positions.
1:18 p.m.: Dallas Cowboys owner and Hall of Famer Jerry Jones presents DeMarcus Ware, who tallied 138 1/2 sacks during his career and won a Super Bowl with the Denver Broncos.
12:48 p.m.: Next up is the late Ken Riley, who was presented by his widow Barbara and formally inducted by his son, Ken II. Riley spent his entire 15-year career with the Cincinnati Bengals, and his 65 interceptions are still tied for fifth all-time.
12:30 p.m.: First among the inductees is Miami Dolphins legend Zach Thomas, who was presented by fellow Hall of Famer Jimmy Johnson. The seven-time All-Pro finished his career with 1,734 tackles.
11:55 a.m.: Joe Thomas takes the stage as the ceremony gets underway. Browns legend Joe DeLamielleure is among the former enshrinees also in attendance this afternoon.