72 Days Until the College Football Season Kicks Off
Day by day by day by day by day by day by day.
Yup, we’re still going and the countdown WILL NOT STOP. Today for day 72 we get to highlight a dominant offensive lineman that made his bones at the University of Wisconsin.
Joe Thomas is 100% on the offensive line Mount Rushmore along with the previous guy on the countdown, John Hannah. Thomas was a four star recruit out of high school and held offers from Notre Dame, Nebraska, Colorado, and Wisconsin. He ultimately decided to play in state for Barry Alvarez and the Wisconsin Badgers.
In his freshman year Thomas saw some but not a lot of play time. He was used primarily as a tight end, every lineman’s dream, in run scenarios. His sophomore season was when he got his first real shot when he started twelve games at left tackle.
2005 was when Thomas really broke out. In Barry Alvarez’s final season Thomas started all thirteen games at left tackle and was named an All American. Unfortunately in the Badgers last game of the season in the Capital One Bowl against Auburn he tore his ACL. What really sucks about the injury is that he was playing defensive end because the Badgers were so thin at the position.
Following the season, Thomas contemplated going into the 2006 NFL Draft but when the injury hit, he decided to stay in Madison for his senior season. His senior year was by far his most impressive as he was named All American, First Team BIG Ten, and won the Outland Trophy.
The aspect of Thomas’s career that is most fascinating is that he paved the way for two backs that went for over fifteen hundred rushing yards, Brian Calhoun in 2005 and P.J Hill Jr. in 2006. Thomas also excelled on the Badgers track team as he qualified for the 2004 and 2005 NCAA Regionals in both shot put and discuss.
Tomorrow for day 71, we get to look at a guy who followed in the footsteps of Anthony Muñoz at USC.