Zuehlke

Central High School in Brookfield Wisconsin must be proud of their own Joe Thomas. The 6'8 313lb LT is the best OL in the country, HANDS DOWN. He is also arguably the most athletic as well. He played DT for the Badgers last year when they got in a pinch.

Thomas is projected to be among the top three overall selections in the 2007 National Football League Draft by ESPNs Mel Kiper Jr. , Scouts Inc. and us here at the War Room. Thomas was named to 2006 Playboy All-America team, the 2006 preseason first-team All-American and the nations No. 1 offensive tackle according to The War Room. A second-team preseason All-American according to Lindys and Street & Smiths, Thomas was selected to 2006 preseason watch lists for the Outland Trophy and Lombardi Award and was assigned the only one-on-one block on UWs offensive line 90 percent of the time the past two seasons.

In 2005, Thomas was first-team All-American according to Pro Football Weekly and was second-team All-American by Walter Camp, SI.com and Rivals.com. A consensus first-team All-Big Ten, Thomas was a Lombardi Award semifinalist. The ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District 5 honoree, Thomas was an Academic All-Big Ten choice, where he started all 13 games at left tackle and was named UWs co-offensive player of the week vs. Bowling Green and Penn State. Thomas earned third varsity letter and injured right knee while filling in on depleted defensive line in Capital One Bowl game vs. Auburn.

Thomas earned second varsity letter in 2004 when started all 12 regular season games at left tackle. He was a consensus honorable mention All-Big Ten pick and named Academic All-Big Ten and first-team academic all-district. Thomas set UW indoor record in shot put with throw of 62-0 feet, set in 2005 and was a 2005 NCAA indoor and outdoor qualifier in shot put.

Thomas in 2003 earned first varsity letter and played much of season as a blocking TE (wearing No. 82). Thomas was the first true freshman OL to see action during the Barry Alvarez era, and started at DE vs. Auburn in Music City Bowl and assisted on seven tackles.

Thomas was rated as the No. 4 offensive tackle in the nation according to Tom Lemming and among top 20 offensive tackles nationally, top 25 players in the Midwest and No. 3 player in Wisconsin according to Rivals.com. A PrepStar All-American and second-team All-America offensive tackle according to USA Today. Thomas was also a member of Detroit Free Press All-Midwest team , and was a Milwaukee Journal Sentinel first-team all-state defensive lineman and second-team all-state offensive tackle as a senior. Thomas was also first-team all-state honors at DE from Wisconsin Football Coaches Association and Associated Press. The WFCA 2002 Defensive Player of the Year with fellow Badger Justin Ostrowski, had 85 tackles and 12 QB sacks as a senior and 70 tackles and eight sacks as a junior. The three-time all-conference selection and four-year letter winner in football, track and basketball, captained football and basketball teams his senior year and finished fifth in nationals in shot put as a junior. Thomas was all-conference, all-area and all-state selection in shot put and discus four-year honor roll student. He was also on the U.S. Army Academic All-America team, and was coached in football by Rick Synold at Brookfield Central High.

The business major (real estate and urban land economics) makes his parents Eric and Sally very proud and embodies everything college sports is about.

Joe Thomas is the highest rated OL I have since Orlando Pace (who went #1 overall). He has all the tools to be an all-pro for years to come and his play reminds ME of HOFer (and Chaffey High School/USC alum) Anthony Munoz.