Browns’ Thomas only offensive player in ’23 Hall of Fame class
Finally, something in the Cleveland Browns’ expansion era went beautifully well.
Left tackle Joe Thomas became a beloved draft hit, manufactured an epic iron-man stat, and motored to Canton with zero waiting.
Thomas is part of the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s nine-man Class of 2023 revealed Thursday night during the NFL Honors live television program. He is one of five modern-era players voted in. The others are all defensive players: cornerbacks Ronde Barber and Darrelle Revis, linebacker Zach Thomas and defensive end Demarcus Ware.
They are joined by the finalist from the coach-contributor category, Don Coryell, and all three finalists from the senior players category: cornerback Ken Riley, linebacker Chuck Howley and defensive lineman Joe Klecko.
That means the class features seven defensive players, an offensive lineman and one offensive mastermind in Coryell.
The Class of 2023 was elected Jan. 17 by a 49person selection committee of media members.
Thomas’s consecutive snaps streak of 10,363 is a Cleveland legend, displayed on a stadium rail. He provided excellent play and exuberant optimism in a career that spanned 10 full seasons, from 2007-16.
He played into 2017, a season that brought the frustrations of an era to a head, suffering a career-ending injury seven games into an 0-16 campaign.
It was fitting that, in Thomas’ final game, the Browns used two quarterbacks, Deshone Kizer and Cody Kessler.
Prior to that, Thomas blocked for starting signal callers Charlie Frye, Derek Anderson, Brady Quinn, Ken Dorsey, Bruce Gradkowski, Jake Delhomme, Seneca Wallace, Colt Mccoy, Brandon Weeden, Thaddeus Lewis, Jason Campbell, Brian Hoyer, Johnny Manziel, Connor Shaw, Josh Mccown, Austin Davis, and Robert Griffin III.
His protection was better than their quarterback play, but Thomas would never say that. Until the end, he sounded as though he actually believed things could get better at any moment.
Often, he imagined out loud how majestic a playoff game in Cleveland would be.
The closest he came to the postseason was his rookie year, when the Browns won a day game to improve to 10-6 but needed the Colts to beat the Titans in a later game for Cleveland to take a wild-card tie-breaker.
Thomas’ former Wisconsin teammate Jim Sorgi quarterbacked most of the game for the Colts, in place of resting Peyton Manning. Sorgi came up short.
This year’s enshrinement is scheduled for noon Saturday, Aug. 5
Opponents have not been announced for the annual Hall of Fame Game, which will kick off at 8 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 3, at Canton’s Benson Stadium, but Thomas’ election greatly increases the chances the Browns will play in that contest for the first time in 24 years.