Joe Thomas Misses The Locker Room, But Retirement Is OK

Joe Thomas owns the Joe DiMaggio 56-game hit streak of pro football, a mark so improbably high that it may never be broken — 10,363 consecutive snaps played. The future Hall of Famer locked down the Browns’ blind side like Fort Knox for 11 seasons, before transitioning from All-Pro to media raconteur and podcaster in retirement.

The NFL Network pre- and post-game analyst shares the most important lessons he’s learned from a life in football.

In my first game, Charlie Frye was our starter. And, in the second quarter, he got benched. Derek Anderson replaced him and they traded Frye the next day.  

I realized, “Wow, this is a cutthroat business.” It’s not fun and games anymore.  

You either do your job or they’ll get rid of you as soon as they can. This is a results-oriented business.  

On a losing team, you’re faced with that reality very quickly. If you’re on a winner, I don’t think you see the business side of the game so fast.  

Cleveland fans are the most passionate and loyal professional fan base. They live, breathe and die Cleveland Browns football.  

Any other fan base would tune us out and pay attention to something else until the team got good. But that’s not how people in Cleveland are wired.  

I feel lucky that my first couple coaches were Bill Belichick and Bill Parcells disciples. Those guys preach, “Do your job.” Focus on what you can control.  

As an offensive lineman, you’re not the guy with the ball in his hands. You give your teammates a chance to win.  

It’s almost militaristic. Don’t even look at the scoreboard. Just do your job on every single play. It took a while to get into that mindset, but it brings out the best in you.  

The biggest factor in my snap streak was the fear of letting my teammates down. It motivated me, both on Sundays and during the week, to take care of my body. I always wanted to be someone they could count on.  

Playing the game of football is the greatest way to make a living. I miss the locker room and the guys.  

But it’s pretty great to take a walk with my kids, stand around at their basketball practices, and not have debilitating knee and back pain.  

The game of football perfectly represents the game of life. If you’re willing to sacrifice for something that’s greater than yourself, the payoff will be bigger than you could ever imagine.