BEREA, Ohio -- With just the right mix of self-deprecating humor and sincere feelings, Joe Thomas said with emotion Monday that the time had come for him to say goodbye to his NFL playing career.
"Goodbye not because I'm retiring, but because I'm merely changing jobs," Thomas told Browns fans as he wiped away a tear. "From being your left tackle to being the No. 1 fan of the Cleveland Browns."
Thomas spoke to a full house of Browns employees, coaches and front office officials. Owner Jimmy Haslam joined Thomas' wife, Annie, in the front row with the couple's three children, and employees wore T-shirts that read "No Ordinary Joe.