Hall of Famer Joe Thomas on skipping the NFL Draft to fish, raising Wagyu and transforming his health

In Cleveland, Joe Thomas became the rare franchise star whose greatness was measured less by noise than by the standard he brought every Sunday.

Thomas gave Browns fans an early glimpse of that character on draft day. While the league gathered its top prospects in New York, he spent the 2007 NFL Draft fishing with his father on Lake Michigan, then took the Browns’ call and became the No. 3 overall pick.

Now retired, leaner and fully invested in life beyond the NFL, the 2023 first-ballot...