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Thomas handles heavy lifting
Offensive tackle stepped into a starting role as a rookie and made his presence felt.
Tuesday, August 05, 2008
BEREA — Once the guys over at Alside Supply finished painting the forklift in their warehouse orange, brown and white, they wanted to give it a name.
That was easy: Joe Thomas.
"It's a muscle machine," said Lou Bacho, who refurbished the forklift with a couple of co-workers. "It pushes heavy stuff around all day long. Just like Joe."
Of the many accolades Thomas received following the left tackle's sensational first season in the NFL — he was only the fourth rookie lineman to make the Pro Bowl — having a forklift named in his honor may have been the most appropriate praise. Like many Cleveland fans, Thomas is blue collar, a carry-your-lunch-pail-to-work kind of player.
Long before his standout season, during which he allowed one disputed sack in 16 games, Thomas had made a huge impression on the Browns by the way he conducted himself on draft day in 2007. Instead of joining the other top college stars in New York for a weekend of frivolity, Thomas went fishing in Wisconsin with his father.
But that's Thomas: unassuming, loyal and humble.
"Coming in as a rookie, I wanted to have a Hall of Fame career," Thomas said. "That's the goal. You want to be the best of the best. If you don't, you're not working hard enough."
Thomas' impact on Cleveland's offensive line was enormous last season. He stepped in and played it as if he were a 10-year veteran. Not once did Thomas appear overwhelmed by the responsibility of protecting quarterback Derek Anderson's blindside or blocking for Jamal Lewis.
"Joe's amazing," Anderson said. "We put him on their best defensive player every game, and he gave up one sack. As a rookie, that doesn't happen a lot. "
Thomas was fortunate to join the Browns when he did. Cleveland's offensive line had been a disaster for years, but the addition of veteran center Hank Fraley in 2006 and free agent guard Eric Steinbach before last season helped solidify the Browns up front, turning a glaring weaknesses into a growing strength.
