Throughout an 11-year career with the Browns, Joe Thomas carved a resume few offensive tackles in the history of the sport have ever been able to produce: 10 Pro Bowls, 6 first-team All-Pro selections and 10,363 consecutive snaps played, believed to be the longest snap streak in NFL history. His durability will never be forgotten, and neither should his incredible success at keeping his opponent away from the quarterback. Across his 6,680 pass-block snaps, Thomas allowed only 30 sacks across his career, according to Pro Football Focus. That meant an opposing edge rusher had a just .004 percent chance of sacking the quarterback in a one-on-one battle against him.
Thomas was not only an ironman for Cleveland but a constant source of pride during a turbulent period in the franchise's history. The Browns built just one winning season in his career — a 10-6 record his rookie season — yet he continued to battle for Cleveland and build one of the greatest careers in football history. He blocked for 20 different starting quarterbacks, which is tied with Kevin Grogan (who played 14 seasons with five different teams) for the most by any NFL offensive lineman. Despite the tough times, Thomas' desire to play for the Browns and represent Cleveland never wavered, and his magnificent career led him toward becoming just the seventh offensive tackle in NFL history to be named a first-ballot Hall of Famer.
