Joe Thomas « All Pro Sports & Entertainment Inc.

Joe Thomas – Cleveland Browns, Offensive Lineman

Height: 6’6”
Weight: 312 lbs.
College: Wisconsin
Hometown: Brookfield, WI

Three time Pro Bowl Selection
Selected by the Browns with the 3rd overall pick in the 2006 NFL Draft
Awarded the Outland Trophy in 2006
Won the Jim Parker Award in 2006
Three time Pro Bowl Selection (07’, 08’, 09’)
First-team All-Pro (09’)
Second-team All-Pro (08’)

Joe Thomas was born in Brookfield, WI. He attended Central High School where he played right tackle, defensive end, tight end, fullback, placekicker, and punter. He was listed among the Top 20 offensive tackles nationally, a PrepStar All-American, Second-team All-American offensive guard according to USA Today, member of Detroit Free Press All-Midwest team, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel first-team All-State defensive lineman and Second-team All-State offensive guard as a junior, and also received First-team All-State honors at DE from the Wisconsin Football Coaches Association (WFCA) and Associated Press. Thomas also ran track and field, setting the school record in shot-put and discus. Despite being dynamic on the field, he excelled academically as well and was on the honor roll for all four years of high school.

As a true freshman at Wisconsin in the fall of 2003, he mostly saw action as a blocking tight end. In 2004, he started all 12 games at left tackle, helping the Badgers’ ground game with Anthony Davis and Matt Bernstein in the backfield. In 2005, Barry Alvarez’s final season, he started all 13 games at left tackle and was named a First-team All-American by Pro Football Weekly. He blocked for Brian Calhoun, who had an impressive year, racking up 1,500 rushing yards and 500 receiving yards. Thomas considered declaring for the 2006 NFL Draft, where he was projected among the top 15 picks (and projected as the second offensive lineman behind Virginia prospect D’Brickashaw Ferguson). The Badgers were invited to the Capital One Bowl against Auburn, where they prevailed 24-10. Unfortunately, Thomas tore his ACL playing defensive end because of injuries to other players at the position. The Badgers finished that season 10-3 with a #15 national ranking. Soon after the game, Thomas announced that he would be returning to Wisconsin for his final year.

His senior season in 2006 began with high expectations. He was named a preseason All-American, and was on the watch lists for several postseason awards, including the Outland Trophy and the Lombardi Award. As the offensive captain, he started all 13 games and blocked for P. J. Hill, Jr., who racked up over 1,500 yards on the ground.

Following the regular season, Thomas won the Outland Trophy as the nation’s top interior lineman (includes both offense and defense). The Associated Press awarded him placement on its First-team All-American at tackle, along with Michigan’s Jake Long. Thomas was a consensus 2006 All-American selection. Thomas and the Badgers were again invited to the Capital One Bowl, this time against Arkansas. The Badgers prevailed 17-14 and finished the season 12-1, a school record for wins in a single season. Thomas also excelled at shot-put for the Badgers’ track and field team and also was a business major.

The Cleveland Browns drafted Thomas in the first round of the 2007 NFL Draft to fill a dire need on the team’s offensive line. The Thomas pick ended much speculation that the Browns would choose other players including former Notre Dame QB Brady Quinn with the 3rd overall pick in the draft, whom they traded up to get later with the 22nd pick of the first round of the 2007 NFL Draft. Instead of attending the 2007 draft festivities in New York, Thomas chose to continue a family tradition and go fishing on Lake Michigan with his father and Joe Panos. He found out he was drafted by the Cleveland Browns by cell phone.

Thomas signed a 6-year contract worth $43 million, $23 million guaranteed. Thomas won the starting left tackle job, with previous Browns left tackle Kevin Shaffer moving to right tackle. He made his NFL debut versus the Pittsburgh Steelers in week 1 and played every offensive snap for the Browns in 2007. Thomas quickly became one of the top-performing members of the ‘07 draft class and was named the NFL’s Rookie of the Month for November. Thomas was selected to the 2008 Pro Bowl, replacing Jason Peters of the Buffalo Bills. Thomas was selected to the 2007, 2008, and 2009 Pro Bowls and in 2007 he became the first Browns left tackle selected to the Pro Bowl since Doug Dieken in 1980. Thomas came in second in the voting for NFL Rookie of the Year. He was the only other person to receive votes other than the eventual winner, Adrian Peterson.

Thomas is an avid outdoorsman. Along with Cleveland Plain Dealer outdoors writer D’Arcy Egan, Thomas hosts the television program Outdoors Ohio on Sports Time Ohio.