[ad_1]
JOE THOMAS NEVER won a Super Bowl. He never appeared in a playoff game, either.
But he also never took a play off. And he never came off the field — no matter what — until a torn triceps tendon prompted retirement.
Over 11 seasons at left tackle for the Cleveland Browns — from his rookie debut to his final game in 2017 — Thomas played 10,363 consecutive snaps, believed to be an NFL record.
“It was always important for me to be out there because I knew the other guys needed it. … They were playing for their next contract, playing for their jobs,” Thomas said. “I’d already accomplished a lot in my career towards the end, where if I got banged up or we weren’t playing for anything, it probably would’ve been easy to just hang it up and rest and think about next year.
“But their future was more important. And I knew our offense, our line specifically, was best when I was out there. That’s why I have a lot of pride in [that record]. It was always important for me to be there for them, to be reliable and consistent and always strive for perfection.”
As a tackle, Thomas was nearly perfect. Despite playing for six different head coaches, blocking for 20 different starting quarterbacks and experiencing only one winning season, Thomas was a six-time All-Pro selection and went to 10 Pro Bowls.
“For him to stay motivated and perform the way he did, it’s just a remarkable achievement,” said former Browns general manager Phil Savage, who drafted Thomas with the third pick in 2007. “While all the pieces changed around him, he just stayed the same. To have that kind of discipline is just amazing.”
Ahead of his Aug. 5 enshrinement into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in…
[ad_2]
