Credit: Twitter
Former Cleveland Browns offensive tackle Joe Thomas was involved in a bizarre incident where he was attacked by military dogs as part of a demonstration. The event took place at the Joint Base San Antonio, Randolph, which is a United States military facility located in San Antonio, Texas. The demonstration involved highly trained aggressive dogs useful to find, explosives, narcotics, and personnel.
According to the museum’s website, the demonstration was meant to showcase the skills and abilities of the Navy SEALs and their canine partners. However, things took a turn for the worse when Thomas volunteered to wear a protective suit and act as a decoy for the dogs.
The dogs who are trained to bite and hold, until told to release were made to chase the two NBA Legends who ran ahead of them, in safety suits. Whitney Mercilus who went first, was easily overpowered by the dog, as the animal grabbed him by his hand and pulled him to the ground, thus resulting in his collapse. The power of the dogs can be put into perspective when one realizes that the NFL linebacker weighs approximately 115 kg and was easily overpowered by the dog. The soldiers intervened as soon as he fell to the ground and made sure that no mishap took place.
Joe Thomas on the other hand did slightly better and stood his ground firmly throughout the drill. The dog grabbed him by his hand as well as back, but Thomas did not surrender. The drill ended with everyone having a laugh about it. The event ended with the sportspersons giving out autographed collectibles to the soldiers and posing for pictures. Thomas also expressed his thanks and appreciation for all that these guys do for protecting the country.
Thomas, who retired from the NFL in 2018 after 11 seasons with the Browns is widely regarded as one of the best offensive linemen of all time. He was selected by the Browns with the third overall pick in the 2007 NFL Draft out of Wisconsin. He earned 10 consecutive Pro Bowl selections, six first-team All-Pro honors, and was named to the NFL’s All-Decade Team of the 2010s. He holds the NFL record for most consecutive snaps played with 10,363.
