CLEVELAND – Joe Thomas got the call from the hall. 

What You Need To Know

  • Browns legend Joe Thomas will be inducted into the 2023 Class of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. 

  • Thomas is the first Brown of the modern era to get into the Hall of Fame.

  • Thomas found out when NFL Legend Walter Jones told him at his Wisconsin home. 
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“I think I’ve seen it like 100 times and I still get emotional," Thomas said of the video of learning he will be inducted in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. "And it was a lot more emotional and overwhelming than I expected. The knock caught me off guard. I wasn’t prepared at all. Instantly, it knocked me off my feet emotionally.” 

Thomas got in during his first year of eligibility. He’s the first Cleveland Brown of the modern era to make it into the Hall of Fame since the team's return to Cleveland in 1999. 

“I felt comfortable with my resume," Thomas said. "Some guys talk about how nerve-wracking it is and things like that. But I felt good about what I had done as an NFL player to be eligible for the Hall of Fame.” 

His resume sold the committee on getting him a gold jacket. The All-American at Wisconsin was drafted by the Browns third overall in the 2007 NFL Draft.  

Thomas was a wrecking ball. He protected the blind side and made it to 10 straight Pro Bowls, making him the only lineman in history to achieve that feat. Thomas, who retired in 2018, already has a presence at the Hall of Fame. 

Rich DeRosiers of the Pro Football Hall of Fame said Thomas earned that honor as the first offensive lineman to reach 10,000 consecutive snaps in the NFL, including a jersey already on display at the Hall of Fame. 

“A record in the NFL that he then extended to 10,363," said DeRosiers. "I think Browns fans have memorized that number, it’s so special.” 

He’ll soon join the 17 other Browns faces etched into history in the gallery. 

DeRosiers said Thomas gives Browns fans something to smile about since he is now one of the biggest names of his era. 

“Team won 12 games a couple of years ago, beat Pittsburgh in the playoffs," DeRosiers said. "Outside of that, there hasn’t been a whole lot to energize fans to really rally around. We think we’re gonna see a lot of brown and orange in Canton, Ohio this summer.” 

Thomas said while he waits for enshrinement weekend, he’ll let the moment sink in where NFL great Walter Jones told him he’s among the game’s greats. 

“My wildest dreams of playing football and getting into the NFL were never this great," Thomas said. "And the fact that my idol told my son who told me the great news made it even better than I could have ever scripted.”