KEY BISCAYNE, Fla. -- Cleveland Browns center JC Tretter was elected NFL Players Association president by the Board of Representatives on Tuesday afternoon during union meetings.

Tretter beat out New York Giants defensive back Michael Thomas and Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker Sam Acho for the president role. He won by a majority of the board members in the room on the first vote, a source told ESPN.

Many players supported Tretter because during a period where people were drawing a line in the sand on key issues of the proposed CBA, he sought to inform and educate players about the important points.

Tretter, 29, has a degree in industrial labor relations from Cornell. He's entering his eighth NFL season and he's been the Browns' starting center for the past three seasons. He was voted an alternate player rep for the Browns in 2018.

Tretter compiled a detailed list of potential drawbacks to the proposed CBA last week to balance the list of highlights that the NFLPA sent out. He was very diplomatic in his approach, and his goal of keeping players informed and educated took priority over his own opinion of the 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

Thomas -- who voted "no" on the proposed CBA -- might've earn the vote after Russell Okung dropped out to endorse him. Richard Sherman endorsed him as well. But the vote went to Tretter, who has been balanced in his approach to the CBA.

Falcons center Alex Mack was voted as the NFLPA's treasurer.

Tretter replaces Eric Winston, who has been the NFLPA president since March 2014. Winston wasn't eligible for another term because he didn't play in the NFL in 2019.

Players have until Saturday at 11:59 p.m. ET to put in their "yes" or "no" vote on the proposed CBA, which includes a 17-game schedule starting in 2021 at the earliest. The proposed CBA passes if it receives a simple majority (50 percent plus one vote) of the people who submit a ballot via DocuSign.