The Browns will celebrate the career of legendary offensive tackle Joe Thomas during halftime of their Week 4 game against the Baltimore Ravens at Cleveland Browns Stadium. Thomas will receive the Ring of Excellence from the Hall of Fame and be enshrined in the Browns Ring of Honor.
The Pro Football Hall of Fame has three symbolic representations of elite status for its members: The Hall of Fame Gold Jacket created by Haggar, the Bronzed Bust and the Hall of Fame Ring of Excellence.
Thomas received his Gold Jacket and Gold Bust during the enshrinement ceremony on Aug. 5. He will now receive his Ring of Excellence on Sunday.
The Hall of Fame Ring of Excellence is a stunning piece of jewelry made of 14K gold and with a total diamond weight of 1.75 carats. Additionally, there is a special engraving that appears on the inside of the ring, specific to each individual who is enshrined. On Thomas' ring it will say 369, which is his Enshrinee number.
The six-time Pro Bowler was inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame on Aug. 5 as part of the Class of 2023. Thomas had previously been chosen for the NFL's All-Decade Team of the 2010s, and his remarkable record of 10,363 consecutive snaps — believed to be the longest streak of any NFL player — earned him a place on the Browns Ring of Honor at FirstEnergy Stadium in 2018.
"That number 10,363 is special to me — and not just because it's an NFL record, but because it shows that I was here for my brothers 10,363 times in a row," Thomas said during his HOF speech on Aug. 5. "Loyalty, consistency, something bigger than yourself, showing up for someone else."
Thomas, the first player from the Browns who played in the 21st century to be inducted into the Hall of Fame, secured his football legacy as one of the all-time greats when he added the gold jacket to his wardrobe.
Another Browns legend Mac Speedie – who will be represented by his son-in-law Rod Walker – will also receive a Ring of Excellence. In 2022 the Pro Football Hall of Fame revised the policy on presentation of the Ring of Excellence Enshrinees elected posthumously. They can now be accepted by a surviving spouse, adult child or parent. Speedie was a member of the Class of 2020.
The Ravens will face off against the Browns at 1 p.m. ET on Sunday. The game will be broadcast on CBS for fans in both markets.
