Position | Wide Receiver

Born | White Plains, New York

Date-of-Birth | December 5, 1957

Height | 6’3″ Weight | 210 lbs

College | Syracuse

NFL Career | 16 seasons Teams | Washington 1980-1993, New York Jets 1994, Philadelphia Eagles 1995

Career Highlights

• 3-Time Super Bowl Champion (XVII, XXII, XXVI)
• First-round pick (18th overall) of the Washington Redskins in the 1980 NFL Draft
• Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee (2008)
• College Football Hall of Fame inductee (2012)
• First player in NFL history to top 100 receptions in a season (106 in 1984)
• Became the NFL’s all-time leading receiver in 1992; finished with 940 career catches
• NFL 1980s All-Decade Team
• Washington Commanders Ring of Fame
• Washington Commanders No. 81 retired (November 2, 2025)
• Washington’s 90 Greatest

Awards

• 3x Pro Bowl (1984, 1985, 1986)
• First-team All-Pro (1984)
• Second-team All-Pro (1985)
• PFWA All-Rookie Team (1980)
• First-team All-American at Syracuse (1979)

---

Art Monk Let His Play Do the Talking

Art Monk didn’t talk much. He didn’t need to — 940 career catches said everything.

Born December 5, 1957, in White Plains, New York, Monk grew up quiet and driven, qualities that would come to define one of the greatest wide receivers in NFL history. At 6’3″ and 210 pounds, he had the size scouts loved and, as it turned out, the hands and work ethic to match.

A Steal Out of Syracuse

Monk starred at Syracuse from 1976 to 1979, earning First Team All-American honors as a senior. Washington receivers coach Charley Taylor had gone to scout a different player entirely. “I watched him all that day,” Taylor told the Washington Times, “and then I talked to him for a while.” That scouting trip changed the direction of Washington’s offense for over a decade — the Redskins made Monk their first-round pick, 18th overall, in the 1980 NFL Draft.

He wasted no time. Monk set a Redskins rookie record with 58 receptions and earned a unanimous All-Rookie selection.

Building a Dynasty in Burgundy and Gold

Monk’s breakout came in 1984, when he caught a then-NFL-record 106 passes for 1,372 yards, earning team MVP honors and his first Pro Bowl trip. He followed that with back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons, becoming the first Redskins receiver to do it three years running.

Head coach Joe Gibbs called him the total package: “He’s big, he’s strong, he’s intelligent, he has everything,” Gibbs said via the Hall of Fame.

Alongside Gary Clark and Ricky Sanders — together known as “The Posse” — Monk anchored a passing attack that helped Washington to three Super Bowl titles (XVII, XXII, and XXVI). In Super Bowl XXVI alone, he caught seven passes for 113 yards in the win over Buffalo.

Records, and Then More Records

On October 12, 1992, Monk passed Steve Largent to become the NFL’s all-time leading receiver, catching his 820th career pass on Monday Night Football against Denver. He finished his career with 940 receptions — a mark Jerry Rice broke in 1995 — and set the NFL record for most consecutive games with a catch, at 183.

Despite all of it, Monk stayed almost entirely out of the spotlight. He rarely gave interviews and let his production carry the conversation, a trait teammates and coaches alike came to respect.

The Long Wait for Canton

Monk didn’t reach the Pro Football Hall of Fame until 2008 — 13 years after his final NFL season — inducted alongside fellow Redskins great Darrell Green. He received the longest standing ovation in Hall of Fame history at the time, lasting over four minutes.

In 2025, Washington retired his No. 81, making him just the sixth player in franchise history to receive the honor. True to form, Monk downplayed the moment. “I’m really just kind of shocked,” he said, per CBS Sports, before crediting his teammates for the achievement.

Life After Football

Monk has largely kept a low profile since retiring, focused on family and community work. He co-founded the Good Samaritan Foundation alongside former Redskins teammates Charles Mann, Earnest Byner, and Tim Johnson, an organization supporting D.C.-area youth through mentoring and scholarship assistance. He has also remained connected to Syracuse, serving on the university’s board of trustees.

Family has always come first. In his 2008 Hall of Fame induction speech, Monk thanked his wife of 26 years, Desiree, and their three children, James, Danielle, and Monica — “blessed to have my wife Desiree,” he said, via Commanders.com.

Nearly three decades after his final catch, Art Monk’s name still headlines any conversation about Washington’s Hall of Famers — a legacy built, fittingly, without much fanfare at all.

Career Statistics

G = Games played, Rec = Receptions, Yds = Receiving yards, Y/R = Yards per reception, Lng = Longest reception, TD = Receiving touchdowns. Stats via Pro Football Reference.

Art Monk Site Note

The article cites the time that Art Monk was not in the Hall of Fame. We put up a separate forum in the boards to handle talk and suggestions for how we could all help get Monk into the Hall and what a travesty it was that he wasn’t there.

There were Canton boycotts, talks, petiitions, stats breakdowns. I even created a Flash slideshow (IYKYK). You name it, it existed on site. Mostly with people being of like mind, and wanting to see Monk in the HOF. It was a bit more fun than arguing with people on X.

Personal Anecdote

In 2003, I attended a fantastic event called the Ken Harvey Fan Classic. I got to meet, speak to and interview many all-time greats. At one point in the festivities, Art Monk came to the event co-ordinator (Hi Melanie!) looking for a hat on a scorching day.

I pulled out a site merch, fresh-off-the-press TheHogs.net visor. It was the dawn of the Spurrier era after all. Short-lived as it was.

It might sound silly, but for me, it was such a tremendous thing. I never fan boy out, but that may have been the closest I’ve come. Art Monk on stage wearing a TheHogs.net visor. What a day.

I’ve got photo evidence to back up the claim.