The life of an NFL Offensive Lineman isn’t an easy one. If you do your job well, you are pretty much invisible, taking all the punishment so that your teammates can get all the glory. It’s all about sacrifice for the greater good of the team. And then, there’s the curious case of Joe Thomas, who had one of the most prolific careers in NFL history, despite playing on some horrible Cleveland Browns teams. Thomas played over 10,000 consecutive snaps throughout his 11-year career, none of which came in the playoffs. In fact, the only time Thomas was on a winning team was in his rookie season. But he remained loyal to Cleveland, and will finally get his glory this weekend as he’s enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

So today, ESPN Browns reporter Jake Trotter brings you Thomas’ story, and explains how he found joy in the least expected place.
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