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There are various phrases to explain Cleveland Browns legend and Class of 2023 Corridor of Famer Joe Thomas’s profession within the NFL, however there may be one which stands out above the remaining: loyal.
For 11 seasons, Thomas was the Browns’ left sort out, and regardless of the workforce by no means making the playoffs throughout that span from 2007 to 2017, he remained in Cleveland.
Thomas was a six-time first-team All Pro and 10-time Professional Bowl sort out throughout his time with the Browns. So, you’d perceive why groups inquired about Thomas’s companies throughout his profession.
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Joe Thomas of the Cleveland Browns runs onto the sector previous to the sport in opposition to the Cincinnati Bengals at FirstEnergy Stadium on Dec. 14, 2014, in Cleveland. (Jason Miller/Getty Photos)
However loyalty is one thing that Thomas advised Fox Information Digital was instilled in him at a younger age, and it carried over to sports activities.
“I feel it was all the time essential to me,” Thomas mentioned. “It was a worth that my mother and father taught me after I was a child – the significance of loyalty to your loved ones, your group, your religion, your church, your folks. To me, it all the time carried over to sports activities, too, as a result of I grew up within the early ‘90s watching soccer. There actually wasn’t lots of participant motion.”
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“Simply having the ability to cheer for a workforce that had a participant type of his total profession. I like that as a fan, and I feel there’s a nostalgic a part of me that also appreciates that and loves that,” he continued.
Immediately in sports activities, not to mention the NFL, loyalty to franchises hasn’t been the identical. And as Thomas talked about, it is not simply the participant not desirous to be with the franchise. It really works each methods.
Franchise are attempting to maintain prices down whereas gamers are recognizing their value and never succumbing to offers they really feel do not match it.
However Thomas by no means had that mindset when he was in Cleveland, even with all of the shedding. In his rookie yr, they went 10-6, however did not make the playoffs (the Tennessee Titans had the identical file however held the ultimate wild card within the AFC).
Former Cleveland Browns offensive lineman Joe Thomas talks with the NFL Community previous to the sport between the New York Jets and the Cleveland Browns at FirstEnergy Stadium on Sept. 20, 2018, in Cleveland. (Jason Miller/Getty Photos)
From there, Cleveland would attain as excessive as seven wins in Thomas’s remaining seasons, which included an 0-16 marketing campaign in his closing yr when he was solely capable of play seven video games. In actual fact, that was the primary season during which Thomas missed a recreation in his complete profession.
“I feel as a participant it was essential to me to be loyal to Cleveland and the Browns and the group and my teammates,” he mentioned. “It was simple for me to like sticking round despite the fact that we didn’t all the time have probably the most success.”
“I definitely perceive why we’re the place we’re, however that doesn’t imply I don’t lengthy for the times whenever you had one participant that was with a workforce perpetually. As followers, you can simply cheer for him and knew he’d be round. You should buy his jersey and purchase the jersey for a child and knew he was going to be there and never have to purchase a brand new Browns jersey at Christmas.”
You will nonetheless catch some No. 73 jerseys with “Thomas” written on the again at Browns video games immediately. Thomas is a legend in Cleveland, one town will always remember with a jersey that can by no means spoil or grow to be out of date.
And an hour south down Interstate 77 on Aug. 5, Thomas shall be enshrined within the Corridor of Fame, the place his allegiance won’t ever change.
Joe Thomas of the Cleveland Browns is proven throughout a recreation in opposition to the New York Giants on Nov. 27, 2016, at FirstEnergy Stadium in Cleveland. (Nick Cammett/Diamond Photos/Getty Photos)
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“I’m actually simply proud on behalf of all Cleveland Browns nations to have the ability to go into the Corridor of Fame representing that orange and brown uniform,” he mentioned.
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