Browns left tackle Joe Thomas had his case for induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame bolstered Tuesday.
Thomas became the eighth player in NFL history to begin a career with nine Pro Bowls in his first nine seasons. The other seven -- Jim Brown, Merlin Olsen, Mel Renfro, Barry Sanders, Lawrence Taylor, Franco Harris and Derrick Thomas -- are in the hall of fame.
Thomas also tied the franchise record for Pro Bowl nods, joining Brown and Lou Groza.
“Jim Brown and Lou Groza are two of the greatest Browns of all time, and the list of players who have been selected to the Pro Bowl their first nine seasons is a who’s who of NFL history,” Thomas said in a news release.