Former Wisconsin OL Joe Thomas named a College Football Hall of Fame class of 2019 inductee

Congrats are in order for former Wisconsin offensive lineman Joe Thomas, as the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame named him, 12 other former players and two coaches to its class of 2019 inductees.

Thomas played at Wisconsin from 2003-06 and stared 39 games. He claimed the Outland Trophy in 2006 as the nation’s outstanding interior lineman, the first ever at UW to achieve that award. In the same season, he also earned unanimous consensus All-America honors—the seventh Badger at the time in program history to do so in joining Dave Schreiner, Alan Ameche, Dan Lanphear, Tom Burke, Ron Dayne and Chris McIntosh. In that season before becoming the No. 3 overall pick by the Cleveland Browns in the 2007 NFL Draft, he also was named a team captain and claimed co-MVP honors.

He finished his career as a two-time first-team All-American and two-time consensus first-team All-Big Ten selection.

As UWBadgers.com’s Mike Lucas noted, he is only the 11th player in school history to achieve this accolade. He joins fellow Badgers Schreiner (1955), Pat O’Dea (1962), Robert Butler (1972), Elroy Hirsch (1974), Ameche (1975), Marty Below (1988), Pat Harder (1993), Pat Richter (1996), Dayne (2013) and Tim Krumrie (2016).

Here is the full list of players, according to the NFF and College Hall of Fame release:

PLAYERS:

TERRELL BUCKLEY – DB, Florida State (1989-91)

RICKEY DIXON – DB, Oklahoma (1984-87)

LONDON FLETCHER – LB, John Carroll [OH] (1995-97)

JACOB GREEN – DL, Texas A&M (1977-79)

TORRY HOLT – WR, North Carolina State (1995-98)

RAGHIB ISMAIL – KR/WR, Notre Dame (1988-90)

DARREN McFADDEN – RB, Arkansas (2005-07)

JAKE PLUMMER – QB, Arizona State (1993-96)

TROY POLAMALU – DB, Southern California (1999-2002)

JOE THOMAS – OL, Wisconsin (2003-06)

LORENZO WHITE – RB, Michigan State (1984-87)

PATRICK WILLIS – LB, Mississippi (2003-06)

VINCE YOUNG – QB, Texas (2003-05)

COACHES:

DENNIS ERICKSON – 179-96-1 (65.0%); Idaho (1982-85, 2006), Wyoming (1986), Washington State (1987-88), Miami [FL] (1989-94), Oregon State (1999-2002), Arizona State (2007-11)

JOE TAYLOR – 233-96-4 (70.6%); Howard (1983), Virginia Union (1984-91), Hampton (1992-2007), Florida A&M (2008-12)