Former Badgers OT Joe Thomas elected into Pro Football Hall of Fame

By: Sam Dehring

Posted: Feb 9, 2023 9:40 PM CST

CANTON, Ohio. (CBS 58) -- Former Badgers offensive lineman Joe Thomas has been elected into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

He was the number three overall pick in the 2007 draft.

Thomas went on to set an NFL record by playing 10,363 snaps, while earning 10 consecutive Pro Bowl appearances.

During his time with the Badgers, Thomas started at left tackle from 2004-2006. He earned First Team All-American his final two seasons at Wisconsin.

The Brookfield native spent 11 seasons with the Cleveland Browns.

He was named to the NFL's 2010s All-Decade Team, the first Badger to ever win that award.

Thomas will be inducted into the Hall of Fame in early August.

He will be the seventh offensive tackle to become a first-ballot hall of famer since Walter Jones was inducted in 2014 from Seattle.