Joe Thomas cut a giant figure during his NFL career – but his now barely recognisable after sleighing over 50 pounds since retirement.
The offensive tackle, 37, spent 11 seasons with the Cleveland Browns before hanging up the shoulder pads in 2018, firmly establishing himself as an elite performer. He was recently elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in recognition of a career in which he was a Pro Bowler 10 times, a First Team All Pro player six times, and and NFL 2010s Team of the Decade selection.
In his heyday, the star weighed a massive 300 pounds, the equivalent of over 21 stone. The Wisconsin College graduate attributed that to consuming 6-7000 calories a day, a diet he has now altered dramatically.
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(Image: @joethomas73/Instagram)
In fact, retirement came as a relief in terms of his health: “I couldn’t wait until I was done playing and could lose weight and move around and feel better and go shoot hoops with my buddies again,” he told Men’s Health. And due to a suggestion from a Browns dietician, Thomas now uses the MyPlate app to monitor intake.
After quitting, the weight shed easily as he cut “back my calories to eat like a normal human,” before more specific routines had to come in. “But after that, I had to eat smarter. As I tracked my meals, I started to understand my ideal ratio of protein, carbs, and fats.”
Exercise plays it part too, and notably, the regime these days doesn’t involve throwing huge dumbbells around the gym. Now, it’s swimming, cycling, and yoga that contribute to a meaner, if not necessarily, leaner, all-round look.
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Thomas now works as a pundit on the NFL Network, and has spent the week building up to Super Bowl LVII between the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs. But despite showing off his new frame, he has also previously admitted that his diet doesn’t quite entail 24/7 dedication.
“If it’s somebody’s birthday or we’re having dessert as a family, I still have room for that,” he admitted to GQ. “On the weekends, I’ll eat whatever. I’ll drink beer with buddies, eat pizza or pasta. I think it’s a good mental reset. It helps you make the healthy lifestyle something you can do in perpetuity.”
Not that his old weight didn’t any harm to his durability mind you. Thomas holds the record for the most consecutive snaps in the NFL, a staggering 10,363. He also didn’t miss a game through injury until his final season.
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