Joe Thomas had Dwight Freeney on his radar long before his NFL playing days.
The former Browns left tackle, then a college student at Wisconsin, had a memory seared in his brain one Sunday as he watched the Colts take on the Ravens. It was matchup between one of the best tackles in the NFL, future Hall of Famer Jonathan Ogden, and a dangerous pass rusher hitting his prime, Dwight Freeney.
"A lot of people consider (Ogden) to be the best left tackle ever," Thomas said, "and Dwight Freeney ate his lunch that day."
Freeney wasn't going anywhere, anytime soon, either. Even Thomas had to experience a couple of those moments when Freeney spun his way to the quarterback.
"He was such a tremendous player, such a tremendous pass rusher. Basically invented the spin move, weaponized the spin move," Thomas said. "People had done it before, but no one had done it like Dwight Freeney."
Freeney called it a career in 2017 after racking up 125.5 sacks over the course of 16 seasons. He hung up his cleats right around the same time Thomas did, making them both Pro Football Hall of Fame eligible in 2023.
Before he potentially shares the stage in Canton with Freeney, Thomas breaks down the pass rusher's prowess in this week's episode of "Joe Thomas' Film Room."
Give it a watch or listen. Episode 8 will air next Tuesday.
