Browns icon Joe Thomas chooses wife, Annie, their four children as Hall of Fame presenters

CANTON — As Joe Thomas strolled through the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Monday, the Browns legend allowed himself to visualize his four kids — and even future grandchildren — visiting to view his bronze bust.

Recently voted a first-ballot Hall of Fame left tackle, Thomas will be enshrined Aug. 5 in Canton.

“I just took a peek as I was walking this way and saw some of the busts, and [I was] kind of closing my eyes and thinking that my face is going to be over there,” Thomas said during media availability at the Hall of Fame. “I think [about] the moment that maybe I get to bring my kids by and be like, 'Hey, guys, you know who that is? I know he might not look just like me anymore, but that's your dad. Pretty cool, huh?'

“I know it'll be a 50% lukewarm response, but, to me, that'll be really special. Kids are kids, so they're not going to give a s***. But thinking that in that moment, that someday hopefully they'll have kids and they'll be able to bring their kids back, and whether I'm around or not, they can say, 'Hey, this is your grandpa.' That's one that really sinks in for me.”

Sharing the Hall of Fame experience with family is extremely important to Thomas, so it's fitting he revealed Monday his wife, Annie, and their four children — Logan, 10, Camryn, 8, Jack, 6, and Reese, 4 — will serve as his presenters during the enshrinement this summer.

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Thomas explained he initially thought about asking close friend and former Browns center Alex Mack to be his presenter, but then his agent, Peter Schaffer, pointed out presenters can appear in a video and stand on stage with inductees instead of giving a live speech.

“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 said. “It became pretty obvious that I wanted my wife and my kids to be my presenter.

“I told them the other night as we were watching the congratulations videos that the Browns put out there, [and the three oldest kids] were just in tears. They were so excited. They were crying. My son, [Jack], 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 deliver the Hall of Fame news]. 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.”

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Annie Thomas told the Beacon Journal she also broke down emotionally when her husband asked her and their children to be his presenters.

“I had the distinct pleasure of an honor to watch him play snap one through snap 10,363,” she said. “Our kids always joke because they would come to the games with me, and they would say, 'Mom, you held your breath the entire time.' I know that I held my breath for 10,363 snaps.

“But to be able to not only be there with him, but to be the one to present him and to speak words about this amazing man that he is, also an amazing father, amazing husband, football player, it's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. We will hopefully do it justice. But the kids are so excited because they're so proud, and they were all so little when he played. Our youngest wasn't even born yet. So to have them become a part of this Hall of Fame family as well, it's such an honor.”

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Nate Ulrich can be reached at nulrich@thebeaconjournal.com.

On Twitter: @ByNateUlrich.

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Who will present Joe Thomas for Pro Football Hall of Fame Enshrinement