CANTON, Ohio — Upon being selected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame's 2023 class last month, Joe Thomas was initially unsure who would serve as his presenter at the August ceremony.
We now know that Thomas' induction will be a family affair.
Speaking to reporters at the Hall of Fame on Monday, Thomas revealed that his wife, Annie, and their four children will present him as he's enshrined in Canton later this year. Thomas said he initially considered asking former Cleveland Browns teammate Alex Mack to serve as his presenter, before settling on Annie and their four children.
“I thought about it and I said, 'You know, as much as I love Alex, who's been an even bigger part of my career and my life from even before I got into the NFL through my time in the NFL, who was that rock that I always came home to?'” Thomas told reporters. “And it became pretty obvious that I wanted my wife and my kids to be my presenter."
Thomas said he informed his family of his decision to have them serve as his presenter as they watched a congratulatory video compiled by the Browns.
“They were so excited," he said. "They were crying. My son was bouncing up down on the bed, just like he did when Walter Jones was standing at the door in 10 below zero weather [to inform him that he made the Hall of Fame]. It just reaffirmed it in that moment that those are the people that I definitely want to be the ones that are on stage with me when the cape comes off the bust as my presenter."
In addition to Thomas' Aug. 5 induction, his former team, the Browns, will face the New York Jets in the annual Pro Football Hall of Fame Game at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium on Thursday, Aug. 3. The 2023 Pro Football Hall of Fame class is comprised of the following nine inductees:
- Offensive tackle Joe Thomas
- Linebacker Zach Thomas
- Linebacker DeMarcus Ware
- Cornerback Darrelle Revis
- Cornerback Rondé Barber
- Coach Don Coryell
- Linebacker Chuck Howley
- Defensive lineman Joe Klecko
- Cornerback Ken Riley