Football is officially back. Not the college variety, unfortunately. But last night was the annual NFL Hall Of Fame game. The Browns beat the Jets 21-16 as the NFL’s 2023 Hall Of Fame class was officially announced.
Among those names is Wisconsin legend Joe Thomas. The Brookfield, Wisconsin native earned his induction only six years after playing his final NFL season in 2017.
The 10-time Pro Bowler, six-time First Team All-Pro and two-time Second Team All-Pro offensive tackle has a fascinating path from Brookfield, to Madison, and to Cleveland where despite the team losing every season, he was inarguably the NFL’s best tackle of the generation.
The Wisconsin Football Twitter account, or ‘X’ I guess, put out a great video yesterday telling that story:
If the road to football greatness ends in Canton, Ohio, where does it begin and how do you get there?
In the case of @joethomas73, it's with selfless dedication to his teammates and a relentless pursuit of excellence.
Can't wait to celebrate our "Extraordinary Joe" on Saturday! pic.twitter.com/RROIzQAAS2
— Wisconsin Football (@BadgerFootball) August 3, 2023
Thomas and the rest of the Class of 2023 will be officially enshrined in Canton, Ohio later this week.