The other bios are on the link

Pro Football Hall of Fame to enshrine nine in Class of 2023 | Pro Football Hall of Fame Official Site
https://www.profootballhof.com/news...-fame-to-enshrine-nine-in-class-of-2023/

CANTON, OHIO – Nine of the “Greatest of the Game” have been elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Class of 2023. The Hall’s 49-person Selection Committee met virtually Jan. 17 to conduct the annual vote.

The new class of Enshrinees was announced during “NFL Honors,” a two-hour primetime awards special that aired nationally Thursday night on NFL Network, NBC and Peacock. The newest members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame are cornerback/safety RONDÉ BARBER,(Opens in a new window) coach DON CORYELL,(Opens in a new window) linebacker CHUCK HOWLEY,(Opens in a new window) defensive end/defensive tackle/nose tackle JOE KLECKO,(Opens in a new window) cornerback DARRELLE REVIS,(Opens in a new window) cornerback KEN RILEY,(Opens in a new window) offensive tackle JOE THOMAS,(Opens in a new window) linebacker ZACH THOMAS(Opens in a new window) and linebacker/defensive end DEMARCUS WARE.(Opens in a new window)

Barber, Howley, Klecko, Revis, Joe Thomas, Zach Thomas and Ware learned of their election when a Hall of Famer knocked on their door. Those encounters can be seen Saturday, when NFL Network airs a one-hour special, beginning at 8 p.m. ET. The families of Coryell and Riley received the news in a phone call that included Hall of Fame President Jim Porter and a Hall of Famer.

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HOF Finalist: 1 | Year of eligibility: 1
Position: Offensive Tackle
Height: 6-6 | Weight: 312
NFL Career: 2007-2017 Cleveland Browns
Seasons: 11 | Games: 167
College: Wisconsin
Drafted: 1st Round (3rd Overall), 2007
Born: Dec. 4, 1984, in Brookfield, Wisc.
Outland Trophy winner as the nation’s top interior lineman and a consensus All-American following his senior season at Wisconsin … Selected third overall in the 2007 NFL Draft by the Cleveland Browns … Started at left tackle all 16 games for the Browns his rookie season, finishing second in AP Offensive Rookie of the Year voting to Minnesota’s Adrian Peterson … Known for his agility, strength and durability, he played an NFL record 10,363 consecutive snaps – a streak that ended Oct. 22, 2017, after suffering a triceps tear against the Tennessee Titans … Allowed only 30 sacks in his remarkable career, despite facing several Hall of Fame sack specialists and many team’s top pass rushers … Was the first offensive lineman in NFL history to be named to the Pro Bowl in each of his first 10 seasons … First-team All-Pro honors six seasons (2009-2011, 2013-15) and second-team All-Pro twice (2008, 2012) … Named to the NFL’s All-Decade Team of the 2010s … Well-known for his involvement in the community, he was selected as the Cleveland Browns’ Walter Payton Man of the Year three times (2010, 2012, 2016).

No player more deserving - Congrats to the Cleveland Browns Joe Thomas!

Congratulations to Joe Thomas, simply the best LT in the NFL during his 11 years as the Browns starting LT...

Much earned and deserved!

On the field off the field a great guy.
He went fishing with his dad on draft day!
Who doesnt love that guy and what he did for the Browns thru some very tuff times.
He came in day one and did his job and never complained.
One of the best

Joe is the epitome of what you want to see in a player, teammate and human being. Never seemed to let his greatness go to his head. Both then and now. It was a privilege getting to watch him play. A true master of his craft. Nobody was more deserving of this honor. In some of the darkest days of my time being a Browns fan, Joe was a shining light in a sea of darkness. Congrats Joe!

That won't load, this worked...

Edit: It worked for a minute, never mind lol.

Yep one of my all time favorites since 1999.

Yeah, sorry about that. I tried two links. Neither is working. It was just a short video of Joe thanking the city of Cleveland and Browns fans.

So, should we hail Joe Thomas then?

Hail, yes!

I don't have anything nice to say b/c Clay Matthews Jr. 57 is way more deserving to be in and therefore it's still an injustice imo.
There hasn't been a single Cleveland Brown more deserving, or as deserving to be in the HOF as Clay Matthews since he retired, not even close.

Congratulations to Joe Thomas.

Well, you said something nice anyway.

Yes. Huge congrats to Joe T. Hopefully he'll throw a bone to Clay during his induction speech.

Don't worry Throw... it will happen... eventually.

About three, maybe four years in, we knew this guy had first-ballot HOFer written all over him.

Congrats to #73, our own Joe Thomas, Browns fans love you, one of the all-time great Browns, one of the best players to ever don an NFL uniform. Only the best of the best don’t have to wait.

Nobody deserves it more than Joe.. Congrats

Amen.... congrats to an amazing athlete and amazing man! Glad he was a brown... sad we couldn't win more games for him...

Celebrate JT. That’s what this is about.
.

What a great representative for the Cleveland Browns.

Joe has been nothing but pure class.

Amazing career done the way it should be done. In a time when players move around from team to team. He stayed.

Congratulations Joe Thomas.

This makes sense since the Jets have 2 players being inducted and that Cleveland is so close to Canton and I don't think the Browns really have another player who is going to be inducted any time soon.

Phil Dawson?

Maybe?

I didn't even think of Phil. He was great, but I am not sure if others who follow the NFL thought as highly of him as us Browns fans do. Also, there probably aren't a lot of FG kickers in the HOF, or am I mistaken about that?

Groza?

But he did other things besides kick though.

Yeah, Groza is in the HOF. I am pretty sure Jan Stenrud [spelling?] is. George Blanda, but he was a qb, too. Maybe Fred Cox? Pretty sure Morton Anderson is.

You know, we have had some good kickers. Just not recently. In addition to Groza and Phil, we had Stover for awhile. Matt Bahr. Don Cockroft.

I called that months ago somewhere on this board. I won’t bother trying to find it because I’m busy, but I did predict that the Browns will play in the 2023 HoF game because Joe will be inducted.

I believe you, bro. You don't lie about things.

Phil is eligible next year isn't he?? Not sure he's a first ballot HOFer... but should make the HOF eventually....

Here's an article that rated the top 45 kickers of all time (interesting even if you don't agree with it).

https://www.stadiumtalk.com/s/best-nfl-kickers-ca4094d9e4004a63

Cleveland Browns Kickers on the list with rank:

1. Lou Groza (21 years with the Browns)
16. Matt Stover (1991-1995)
30, Don Cockroft (1968-1980)
35. Phil Dawson (1999-2012)

Only four NFL kickers have ever entered the Hall of Fame, and only two of them played just the kicker position during their careers.

The most famous NFL kicker ever may be Morten Andersen, a Danish-born kicker who played in the league for 25 seasons. He played the majority of his career with the New Orleans Saints. He made multiple Pro Bowl appearances and All-Pro indications during his career and retired in 2007. He's 61 years old as of now.

Jan Stenerud is the oldest kicker ever who's a member of the hall. He was originally drafted to play in the AFL with the Kansas City Chiefs, where he became a superstar, and kept the same level when the AFL and the NFL merged. Stenerud is also a rare case of a player who's into the hall of fame of two different franchises. Along with the Chiefs, the Green Bay Packers also recognized his services.

George Blanda, who played in the league for 26 seasons and died in 2010, started his career as a quarterback and a kicker. The fact that he played in special teams made his NFL career even longer. Blanda won championships and was an All-Star in the AFL as well.

Ending this list is Lou Groza. He was such a dominant kicker that the best college kicker every year receives the Lou Groza Award (an award named after him). However, he also played in a lot of different positions - from tackle to center to defensive lineman. Groza is a legend having played 21 years in the league all with the Browns. He is a 4-time NFL champion.

Of all the active kickers, only Justin Tucker has a good enough resume to be inducted into the Hall of Fame. The Ravens' superstar could retire today and still be selected, such has been his dominance. https://www.sportskeeda.com/nfl/how-many-kickers-nfl-hall-fame

All Time NFL Scoring Leaders Hoping for the HOF call:
1 Adam Vinatieri 2,673
2 Morten Andersen 2,544 HOF
3 Gary Anderson 2,434
4 Jason Hanson 2,150
5 John Carney 2,062
6 Matt Stover 2,004
7 George Blanda 2,002 HOF
8 Jason Elam 1,983
9 John Kasay 1,970
10 ROBBIE GOULD 1,961
11 MASON CROSBY 1,918
12 Sebastian Janikowski 1,913
13 Stephen Gostkowski 1,875
14 Phil Dawson 1,847
15 Matt Bryant 1,758
16 Norm Johnson 1,736
17 David Akers 1,721
18 Nick Lowery 1,711
19 Jan Stenerud 1,699 HOF
20 Ryan Longwell 1,687
*Active players are in CAPS.

35. Dawson would appear to be a longshot though Dawson appears on the shortlist in every major category in league history — field goals (eighth), 50-plus-yarders (fifth) and field-goal percentage (26th). And he did much on the shores of Lake Erie.

So, why doesn’t he rank higher on this one? We place a lot of importance on the postseason, and through no fault of his own, he had too few chances when it counted most. Career statistics: 441/526 (.838)/518-531 (.976) Two-time NFL All-Pro (2007, 2012), Pro Bowl (2012)

30. Another deserving Brown that's a longshot, Cockroft had the unenviable task to replace Browns legend Lou Groza — and he did a pretty fair job of it, too. While the best of the two-way kickers was a competent punter, placekicks were his forte.

His 1972 season was extraordinarily good — first in 3-point percentage (.815) and fourth in yards per punt (43.2). He was the league leader in field goal success rate three times in a span of five seasons. Career statistics: 216-328 (.659)/432-457 (.945). PFW Golden Toe Award (1972). Cockroft has the same problem as Dawson, through no fault of his own, he had too few chances when it counted most.

Joe Thomas: the best damn thing to happen with the Browns in the last twenty five years. What a horrible franchise that he got saddled with, though. We couldn't even get him to a single playoff game, and that is utterly pathetic

I got a wee bit misty eyed when I first saw the news that it was official. Time to start thinking about tickets to the Hall of Fame ceremony and the game.

Well done Joe. We all knew you were a HOF for years … well deserved

Oh, and I would bet we’re in the HOF game now too

I think I read that joe is the seventh offensive tackle elected to the hof on the first ballot. Bowel li and Munoz were two of them. That puts Joe in there with the truly elites.

all of this

Interesting side story to the draft day thing. Heard Joe himself say it, just a couple of weeks ago. "Joe, how many fish did you and your dad catch on draft day?" "Well, just 2. We would've caught a lot more, but I got a call that I'd been drafted, and Lerner was sending his private plane to pick me up. We had to quit fishing so I could get to the airport. Pissed me off."

Best of the best! Congrats, Joe Thomas! Worthy AND deserving. All-class during The Hard Times we saw. Joe's #1 in our hearts.

Just Simply the Best +1

Love Joe Thomas... dude deserved to be in the playoffs more... deserved to win the Super Bowl....

He's by far my favorite autorgraph that I own....

When will Joe Thomas speak during the Pro Football Hall of Fame enshrinement ceremony?

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Former Browns left tackle Joe Thomas will be the closing act at the 2023 Pro Football Hall of Fame enshrinement ceremony this year. He will be the final speaker at the event held 60 miles south of where he played most of his 10,363 consecutive snaps.

The Hall of Fame announced on Monday the order of speakers for the ceremony, which will take place at noon on August 5 at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton. Thomas will be the ninth speaker.

The order of enshrinement is:

Zach Thomas
Ken Riley
DeMarcus Ware
Joe Klecko
Chuck Howley
Darrelle Revis
Don Coryell
Ronde Barber
Joe Thomas

Chris Berman will serve as the master of ceremonies. In addition to tribute videos for Coryell and Riley, Mindy Coryell Lewis, daughter of Don, and Ken Riley II, son of Ken, will provide remarks on behalf of their respective loved ones who are being enshrined posthumously. Howley’s son, Scott Howley, will represent his father on stage and deliver remarks after Chuck’s bust in unveiled.

Enshrinees have once again been prompted to keep their remarks to 10 minutes.

Enshrinment Week will kick into full swing beginning with the Hall of Fame Game between the Jets and Browns on Thursday, August 3 at 8 p.m. Friday will feature the Enshrinees’ Gold Jacket Dinner at 5 p.m. at the Canton Memorial Civic Center and Cultural Center.

Saturday morning will start with the Grand Parade at 8 a.m. through Downtown Canton followed by the enshrinement at noon and a concert by the Zac Brown Band at 8 p.m.

https://www.cleveland.com/browns/20...8qm8_6ef7vUgx6cwPmRtZw46GD_8OhK4cOfYZJsc

im also excited to hear Revis, especially since he's been on Twitter arguing lately lol

The 1 thing about Joe Thomas that I remember
Was a Thursday Night game James Harrison
Knocked the stuffings out of Colt McCoy and the
Hof LT let Harrison get away with it.
As great as Thomas was, he was not much in
The leadership category nor did he stand and defend
His team mates when teams Like the Steelers bullied
The Browns.

I'm reeeaally not surprised that's "the one thing" you remember.

Welp, he's in the HOF now regardless, try not to lose sleepover it.

He is a HoF talent. I just don't think he was much of a leader
In a time when this needed a leader

When we drafted Joe. I was not happy. I wanted Calvin Johnson or Adrian Peterson.

I knew Joe was good. My buddy was a draft expert and he said this guy Joe Thomas is a great player.

Then when Joe decided to not attend the Draft and go fishing. My thoughts were "I am with this guy."

I like that he went fishing with his dad.

What a Pro. Joe is everything you want in a player. He remains loyal to Cleveland and to the Browns.

I am very happy for him. Great career.

in my lifetime, he's in my top 5 players (how rare is that for an OL)

I'd say: Metcalf, Chubb, Thomas, Cribbs would be my Mt Rushmore of favorite players

I pimped drafting Joe Thomas as hard or harder than anyone on the board at the time. For me drafting him was a no brainer. Now don't get me wrong. I've pimped some players who didn't turn out so well is the past too. Often times it's hard to predict a players transition to the NFL. That's why there's so many first round draft busts even among NFL GM's whose profession it is to select them.

I used to buy a lot of Browns merch but was never big on player jerseys. The only player jersey I've purchased since the browns returned in 99 has been Joe Thomas. I wore it proudly Saturday as I watched him being inducted into the HOF and watched his induction speech. He embodies every aspect of what I think a Browns player should be. Someone you can support without reservations, without compromise and without having to rationalize. He is what a legend of this team is supposed to be.

Well deserved! Congratulations!

Excellent post, pit.