Joe Thomas played with unwavering consistency and a gladiator-type longevity. His 10,363 consecutive snaps were unprecedented. The respect he earned from teammates and peers was absolute. Thomas is every inch a Hall of Famer, writes AkronJackson.
everything he had. He did it with unwavering consistency, a relentless commitment to his craft and teammates, and a gladiator-type longevity that’s the stuff of legends.
defensive end Brian Orakpo with the same kind of block he’d delivered thousands of times before. But this time, Thomas felt something — something he’d oddly expected might be coming. “Everybody was in shock,” Bitonio said. “That’s probably the quietest single moment I remember in that stadium. Just more disbelief than anything.”said. “Super quiet. Joe Thomas on the ground? The guy who never got hurt? Just crazy.“Joe is a great dude, a great leader. Joe knew how to control the environment. The huddle, the meetings, training camp, he had this presence without ever trying to be noticed. And when I say he controlled the environment, I mean also in his play.
Painter instead encountered an unappreciative Thomas, who unleashed a profanity-laced tirade before Painter jogged back to the sideline. In his retirement speech three and a half years later, Thomas singled out Painter. “He really didn’t tell anybody he was gonna retire, but I think that was his last year no matter what now that we look back,” Bitonio said. “All these years later, there were some signs. But he had not told anybody he was going to retire. Not that I know of, anyway.