NFL Players Association elects Cleveland Browns' J.C. Tretter as president

March 10 (UPI) -- The board of player representatives elected Cleveland Browns offensive lineman J.C. Tretter as the new president of the NFL Players Association, the union announced Tuesday.

Tretter, who has a degree in industrial labor relations from Cornell, beat out New York Giants defensive back Michael Thomas and Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker Sam Acho for the position, according to ESPN and NFL Media.

The election of Tretter required a majority vote by all board members in the room, which he attained on the first vote.

Multiple NFL players backed Tretter because of his diplomatic approach to the ongoing discussions between team owners and players on a new collective bargaining agreement, according to ESPN. Before his election, Tretter attempted to help educate fellow players on several key issues of the proposed CBA.

Players: We are preparing to vote on a CBA that most of us will play under for the rest of our careers. Before you decide whether you're for or against it, please get informed. Read up on it, talk to your player director/rep, send me questions, etc. Get as much info as you can. https://t.co/ivO7phEFdf— JC Tretter (@JCTretter) March 4, 2020

The Green Bay Packers selected Tretter in the fourth round of the 2013 NFL Draft. Tretter, entering his eighth season in the league, signed with the Browns in March 2017 and has served as the team's starting center for the last three seasons.

Tretter was named an alternate player representative for the Browns in 2018. He succeeds sitting president Eric Winston, who wasn't up for re-election after not playing last season. Winston was the NFLPA president since March 2014.