It was a big week for the Wisconsin football program. First, training camp began at UW-Platteville as the team prepares under new Head Coach Luke Fickell for the 2023 season.
Second, which I don’t necessarily love, Oregon and Washington finalized plans to join the Big Ten in 2024 along with former Pac 12 counterparts USC and UCLA.
And third, most importantly, Wisconsin legend Joe Thomas was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Regarded as arguably the best offensive tackle of the generation, and one of the best in Wisconsin Badger history, Thomas played 11 seasons for the cellar-dwelling Cleveland Browns. Despite the team’s record and blocking for more than 20 quarterbacks over the course of his career, Thomas earned First-Team All-Pro honors six times, Second-Team All-Pro honors twice and made 10 Pro Bowls.
Now, he’s immortalized in Canton, Ohio:
Best family photo yet! pic.twitter.com/f2wOiqJR7B
— Joe Thomas (@joethomas73) August 5, 2023
How did they do?!? pic.twitter.com/ve1OPWiBsU
— Joe Thomas (@joethomas73) August 5, 2023
Joe Thomas is a football player. But above all that, he's a family man.
So, when it came time for him to be Presented at the Hall of Fame, he chose his wife, Annie, and their four children. pic.twitter.com/rrHmwVmAGM
— Pro Football Hall of Fame (@ProFootballHOF) August 5, 2023