No Fame or Love for Art Monk
Redskins Legend Art Monk Again Snubbed by Pro Football Hall of Fame
Art Monk caught almost three times as many passes as Lynn Swann, and almost 200 more than Michael Irvin. Why isn't he in the Pro Football Hall of Fame?
I’ve nothing against Roger Wehrli, Gene Hickerson, Charlie Sanders, Bruce Matthews, Thurman Thomas or Michael Irvin. They all merit induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame- however late. Detroit Lion Sanders was the prototype for today's NFL tight ends, and at 6'4", 230, he had the best hands of any football player I saw play during my youth. Maybe ever. Hickerson was an All-Pro guard who opened holes for the likes of Jim Brown and Leroy Kelly when guards were faceless hulks. Their induction, however, underscores the repetitive omission of a player at least in their class- Art Monk.
Like Irvin, Monk was one of the premier wide receivers of his day, one who played in multiple Super Bowls. Both were big physical receivers. But unlike Irvin, Monk went about his work quietly. At 6′3″, 210, he was a solid blocker, a great pattern runner, and a key target on third and long. Moreover, his numbers merit enshrinement. In the pre-Chris Carter/Jerry Rice 90 reception-a-year era, (when 45 catches in a 14 game season signified stardom), he hauled in 58 passes as a rookie in 1980 and 56 more for 894 yards in ‘81. The following year was shortened by strike. Monk went on to snare 47, 106, 91 and 73 footballs over the next four seasons. Not too shabby on a team with other offensive threats the likes of John Riggins, Joe Washington, Gary Clark, Ricky Sanders and George Rogers, to name a few.
Monk played with all manner of QB’s- Theissman, Schroeder, Rypien, Williams. He totaled 1,372 receiving yards in 1984, 1,226 in ‘85, 1,068 in ‘86, 1186 in 1989, and 1,048 and eight TD’s in Rice-era 1991- his 12th campaign. He even caught 46 passes for the 1994 Jets at age 37. He was a team leader, and one of few who spanned the entire (first) Joe Gibbs regime.
Consider Monk’s playoff heroics. Two touchdowns in a 51-7 rout of Eric Dickerson and Jackie Slater's 1983 Rams in a game I saw in person at RFK Stadium. 10 grabs for 122 yards in a loss to the ‘84 Bears, with their defensive backfield including Gary Fencik and Doug Plank. 8 for 126 vs. the ‘86 rival Giants. 10 for 163 and a score on the 1990 49′ers secondary that featured Pro Bowlers Hicks, Wright, Williamson and Lott.
In all, Art Monk was a good citizen, a community treasure, a beloved teammate who caught a then-NFL record 940 passes. Why is this three-time Pro Bowler not too shy of 1,000 receptions perennially passed over for Canton? Lynn Swann is in, with a mere 336 catches, and an equal number of Pro Bowls. Irvin, with 750 receptions, and less TD’s than Monk, was a shoo-in. Yet although it is the Hall of “Fame”, and Monk drew no attention to himself, there was a time when Washington garnered as much football publicity and unit nicknames as the Steelers and Cowboys. "The Hogs". "The Fun Bunch". Riggins answered to "The Diesel". Dexter Manley was a character too. It is not as if Monk labored in complete anonymity.
If there is a silver lining, it is that Monk is still young, and thus, like his seniors Wehrli, Hickerson and Sanders, he'll earn his due. To this writer, he already has.
BCB
