Joseph Hayden Thomas (born December 4, 1984) is a former American professional football player who played offensive tackle for the Cleveland Browns in the National Football League for 11 seasons (NFL). Also, he played college football at Wisconsin, where he was named unanimous All-American and the top college interior lineman. The Browns selected Thomas with the third overall pick in the 2007 NFL Draft. He was elected to the Pro Bowl in each of his first ten seasons and did not miss a single play in his career until the 2017 season (his final season in the NFL); his 10,363 consecutive snaps played is the NFL’s longest streak since snap counts began in 1999.
Joe Thomas’s Transformation
After eleven seasons with the Cleveland Browns, Thomas, 37, announced his retirement from the NFL in 2018. And, in an interview with Men’s Health, Thomas stated, “I couldn’t wait until I was done playing and could lose weight. And move around and feel better and go shoot hoops with my buddies again.”
Now that he’s in “a lot less pain” thanks to his new diet and “I’m not running into 300-pound grown men anymore. According to GQ, his goal is to regain his high school weight of around 250 pounds. “Also, to deal with the pain, I was constantly on anti-inflammatories and medications. Trying to maintain that weight meant eating a lot of junk. I’m not naturally a big guy, so to get to 300 pounds, I had to consume 6,000 to 7,000 calories per day.”
He credits Katy, a Brown’s dietician, with getting him on the right track. She advised him to track his diet more closely during his final season with the MyPlate app, telling MensHealth that this was a good idea “to learn about nutrients rather than simply filling your plate! complete it!”
Also Read: Nicholas Perry Before and After: Journey Through His Transformation
Joe Thomas Early Years
Thomas was born in the Wisconsin town of Brookfield. Eric and Sally Thomas are his parents. Also, John Tavares coached him as a youth soccer player. He attended Brookfield Central High School and was a member of the Brookfield Central Lancers high school football team. Where he played correct tackle, defensive end, tight end, fullback, placekicker, and punter.
He was a PrepStar All-American, USA Today second-team All-America, offensive guard, and Detroit Free Press All-Midwest team member. And Milwaukee Journal Sentinel first-team all-state defensive lineman. The second-team all-state offensive guard as a junior. And he also received first-team all-state defensive end honours from the Wisconsin Football Coaches Association (WFCA) and Associated Press.
Joe was named WFCA Defensive Player of the Year in 2002. As a senior, he had 85 tackles and 12 sacks. He had 70 tackles and eight sacks as a junior. Also, in 2003, he was ranked as the third best prospect in Wisconsin. Aside from his athletic abilities, Thomas excelled academically. Also, he was a four-year honour roll student and member of the US Army Academic All-America team, as well as a participant in the 2003 US Army All-American Bowl.
Joe’s Football Career
Thomas attended the University of Wisconsin, where he played football for the Wisconsin Badgers from 2003 to 2006. In 2003, he mostly saw action as a blocking tight end as a true freshman. He started all 12 games at left tackle in 2004, contributing to the Badgers’ ground game with Anthony Davis and Matt Bernstein in the backfield.
In 2005, his final season as the Badgers’ head coach, he started all 13 games at left tackle and was named a Pro Football Weekly first-team All-American. Also, he provided blocking for Brian Calhoun, who had a strong year with 1,500 rushing yards and 500 receiving yards. Thomas considered entering the 2006 NFL Draft, where he was projected to be among the top 15 picks. The Badgers were invited to the Capital One Bowl, where they defeated Auburn 24-10.
