It was a cloudy morning in Florida when Art Monk got a knock at his door.
Monk was not expecting visitors, never mind some of his former teammates like Gary Clark, Ricky Sanders and Doug Williams standing on his patio. They were joined by Washington Commanders Managing Partner Josh Harris, Team President Mark Clouse and several family members, all wearing t-shirts with his old jersey number and ear-to-ear smiles on their faces. They were there to tell him that no Washington player would wear No. 81 ever again.
All Monk could muster was, "What the...?"
Monk, the team's all-time leading receiver, has been a living embodiment of the franchise's greatest era. His 16-year career, 14 of which were in Washington, was filled with Super Bowl victories, Pro Bowls and All-Pro selections. He was listed as one of Washington's greatest players and inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame as well as the team's Ring of Fame after a historic career.
Now, Monk is among the select few players to have their jerseys retired by the franchise, with the honor coming on Nov. 2 during the team's Week 9 game vs. Seattle on Sunday Night Football.
Monk was not expecting visitors, never mind some of his former teammates like Gary Clark, Ricky Sanders and Doug Williams standing on his patio. They were joined by Washington Commanders Managing Partner Josh Harris, Team President Mark Clouse and several family members, all wearing t-shirts with his old jersey number and ear-to-ear smiles on their faces. They were there to tell him that no Washington player would wear No. 81 ever again.
All Monk could muster was, "What the...?"
Monk, the team's all-time leading receiver, has been a living embodiment of the franchise's greatest era. His 16-year career, 14 of which were in Washington, was filled with Super Bowl victories, Pro Bowls and All-Pro selections. He was listed as one of Washington's greatest players and inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame as well as the team's Ring of Fame after a historic career.
Now, Monk is among the select few players to have their jerseys retired by the franchise, with the honor coming on Nov. 2 during the team's Week 9 game vs. Seattle on Sunday Night Football.
