Can we normalize labeling Offensive Linemen as football players too? Those five guys are the reason why many of your favorite Running Backs were able to run through lanes for big yards on their way to a big game or even a big season as a thousand-yard rusher. They also provide clean pockets for your Quarterback to throw the football from. They deserve their love too! Some of the best Offensive Linemen I’ve seen play is Jonathan Ogden. He was as smooth as they came and no matter how big he was at 6’9, he had some of the best footwork I’ve seen from anyone on the line. Walter Jones was another one. He was a bulldozer on those Seahawk O-Lines. How about Orlando Pace? Without him, Marshall Faulk, nor Kurt Warner have gold jackets in Canton. How about a guy that finally got his love last year in Tony Boselli? What a force he was. In the 2007 NFL Draft, the Cleveland Browns selected Joe Thomas out of Wisconsin with the third overall pick in the draft. What a pick that ended up being. After 11 seasons with the Cleveland Browns, Joe has another team which is also in Ohio. The Pro Football Hall of Fame. He’s in his first year of eligibility!
Joe is one of the greatest Offensive Linemen I’ve had the pleasure of watching. He played with such a mean streak every Sunday. I always saw a physical Left Tackle who was never out of control. In other words, the game just naturally came to him and that’s why he succeeded at the level he did. No matter the level you play football at, a coach will always teach his Offensive Linemen to remain low at all times and play with a consistent center of gravity. Joe was textbook in doing that. He always made sure his center of gravity was low and his footwork was always top notch! At 6’6, Joe glided on the field, and he made it look effortless. In football, the lowest man will always win his battles and because he was always low and squared up, you weren’t going to move him, and it was going to be a long day for you at the office if you were lined up against him. Joe had a strong ability to neutralize a pass rush and I’ve seen him shut down many of the best pass rushers in the game. He made them non-existent and always made sure his Quarterback was always upright on his feet. When it came to run blocking, he was one of the very best in the business. He was physical and downhill. When an Offensive Lineman blocks someone and they fall, those are considered “pancakes” and Joe made his fair share of pancakes throughout his career. If I had a son who was playing on the Offensive Line and I wanted him to learn from someone who played the position, I’m recommending him or anyone to watch tape on number 73. As Cole Johnson said to me the other day, Joe could teach a master class on how to block.
This is a well-deserved honor for one of the best to play his position. In his first ten seasons, Joe was named to the Pro Bowl. I also think of his availability as he never missed a game until his final season in the league which was in 2017. His 10,363 consecutive snaps are the longest streak in NFL history since the league started to count snaps back in 1999. The Browns had a lot of turnover at Quarterback and Head Coach, but the one thing that remained consistent was Joe Thomas. He was the best playing his position and will be in Canton forever.
