CLEVELAND — When suffered a season-ending injury last month, Browns coach Hue Jackson descried the veteran as the heart and soul of a young team searching for its first win.
"He is Cleveland Browns football,” Jackson said. “He’s a guy that keeps us all going and moving forward.”
It’s probably no surprise, then, that Thomas was nominated for the NFL’s Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award on Tuesday despite his absence on the field.
Created in 2014 in honor of the late founding owner of the Pittsburgh Steelers and Pro Football Hall of Famer Art Rooney Sr., the award recognizes players around the league who exemplify outstanding sportsmanship on the field.