July 16, 2025 • 22 mins
Hall of Fame Wide Receiver Art Monk speaks to the media after the announcement of retiring his jersey #81.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hey, Art, It's John Kinin from ESPN. I'm just curious
what was your initial reaction when they told you what
was happening? What did that What was what was your
feeling like inside?
Speaker 2 (00:11):
Well, just a little surprised, not really expected, and but
you know, just kind of shocked, excited, and all those
kind of feeling at the same time. So I really
didn't know how to react because it's just kind of
took me off guard a little bit.
Speaker 1 (00:32):
First of all, congratulations, But secondly, then, now that you've
had a day to process this, what does this mean
to you?
Speaker 2 (00:40):
Well, you know, I I I played the game because
I loved it, and I worked hard during the off
season to really prepare myself to make sure it was
at my best during the season. And I guess you
know it when you when you work hard and you
do all the right things, or at least try to,
(01:03):
I guess there's a reward at the end, there's a payoff.
And so I guess all my hard work and all
of that wasn't wasn't in vain?
Speaker 1 (01:15):
Hey, al right, be Mitch just wanted to say congratulations.
Speaker 2 (01:17):
Brother, Hey, what's up man? Thank you, thank you, You're
you're a part of it. Man, Come on, I got you,
but you did you said you you led the way. Brother,
Thank you all right, man, Arthur.
Speaker 3 (01:31):
I was there back in two thousand and eight, August
second for the longest standing ovation ever in Hall of
Fame history. And along the lines of what it means
to you, This is not only about what you did
on the field, but what you meant to the Washington
fan base. So when you think about that, how does
that strike you?
Speaker 2 (01:53):
Well, it's gosh, it's it's humbling. You know. I came
to Washington not knowing anyone, wasn't even familiar with the town.
I'm from New York. And and as I you know,
got to play in DC and meet people and get
(02:16):
to know them, it became home. It became my place.
I didn't go back to New York anymore that I
stayed there. Some people went back to there, you know,
to where they were from during the off season and
then came back during the season. But I lived there.
I stayed there, and so d C. Virginia, Northern Virginia,
(02:40):
and and that, you know, Maryland was part of that too.
That was my home, and I got to know the people,
and I felt comfortable there and They made me feel comfortable,
and that, you know, made me want to play even
more when I got, you know, laced up to go
out on the field.
Speaker 3 (03:01):
I know you didn't play for this honor, but twenty
eight went in last year and now no one's gonna
wear eighty one? Is that odd to you?
Speaker 2 (03:09):
Or is it? What is that? I don't know even
how to think about it. It's it's yeah, it's kind
of weird. I've never had anything like this done. Yeah,
I mean, it's just it's an honor, absolutely, and I
(03:34):
see it that way, and I appreciate it, and I
guess I'll get used to it. Congratulations, man, thanks thanks
so much.
Speaker 4 (03:45):
Hey Art, congratulations. Oh yeah, JP Finley would be Mitchell Finley,
I suppose. I'm just curious if you have a single
greatest memory. I mean, you accomplished so much, but in
your time in Washington, is there one thing that stands out?
Speaker 2 (04:05):
Well? I think all the big moments like the Super Bowls,
those those type of things, but I think probably the
biggest thing for me is coming in as a rookie
and being drafted by the Redskins. Coming in as a
rookie where it was in it was a very mature team.
(04:29):
It was a veteran team. There is very few rookies,
if I remember, we even made the squad, but they
were all older players, you know, six seven, eight, nine
years and that year I was a little hesitant, not hesitant,
a little nervous going in and playing in that environment.
(04:52):
But I quickly realized those guys, man, they they made
us it was they made it fun and playing the
game was serious. Yeah, they took the game seriously, but
they also made it fun. And they welcomed me in
and they helped me. You know, I've had concerns or problems,
was something there. They were right there for me to
(05:14):
to help me in any in any way, guys on
the field, off the field, And I don't know, that
year was probably even even with the Super Bowl years,
I think that that year probably is the one that
I remember and identified with the most. Thanks congrats again, yeah,
(05:38):
thank you.
Speaker 5 (05:41):
With Washington posts, you mentioned the surprise, Andre, But what
did it mean to you to hear and see some
of your former teammates there and Gary Clark and Ricky
Sanders and Doug Williams.
Speaker 2 (05:54):
Well, it was a little surprised they got me. And
but yeah, even though I was the one, I guess
being acknowledged. It was good to see their faces there.
I just felt like home. It was you know, when
(06:15):
when I was playing during the season, you know, it's
one thing to stand on the sideline when you're called
into the game and you and you get in that
huddle and you see those faces that you're familiar with,
you feel, I don't even know how to explain it,
but you just feel it's just a comfortable place to be.
(06:39):
And so you know, getting there and seeing all those
faces there that we're part of this this I could relax.
I just yeah, I don't know, just it was just
a great feeling to see their faces.
Speaker 5 (06:58):
Do you have any expectations what it might be like
on the you know, during the game when they they
put your number up.
Speaker 2 (07:05):
There, I don't know. I what I remember and going
into well I didn't play in the new stadium was RFK,
but coming out onto that field and hearing the roar
of the fans that was so loud, it was deafening,
(07:29):
and but it just made you feel good. It made
you knew you were a home. You knew you had
everyone behind you and standing with you ensuring for you
to do well, and and then when you did well,
there was it was an immediate another roar again of
excitement and appreciation. And you know that's that's I guess
(07:55):
that's just what I remember the most about being in
that state. You Yeah, hey, Eric, congrats.
Speaker 6 (08:05):
You had a bunch of the players come down and
folks around the team come down. Have have you heard
from anybody else around the league or from outside of
the group that was physically there that you know you
hadn't heard from her while or was surprising exciting for
you to hear congratulations from uh?
Speaker 2 (08:22):
Uh yeah, Charlie. Charlie Brown, who was a former teammate
of mine, contacted me and wished me well. And but
he's he's the only one I think I would assume
most of them will be there in d C when
I come in, but uh, but he's the one that
(08:43):
that reached out at least so far. Congrats, Yeah, thank you.
Speaker 7 (08:49):
Hey are congratulations what an uh Coach Gibbs had a
chance to talk to you about, you know, your playing days.
Talk to me about a little bit about coach Gibbs
and plan with him and what this means you know
for you overall as far as to play under a
guy like him.
Speaker 2 (09:11):
Well, Coach Gibbs. I owe a lot of this my
success to him, because I mean we had three receivers,
three good receivers.
Speaker 5 (09:25):
And.
Speaker 2 (09:29):
It's the way he used me. I didn't just my
normal position was the strong side receiver, which was Z,
but he also had me playing X. He also had
me playing H and on occasion I also played R,
which is a running back. So running back came out
and I went into that spot. So he was very
(09:52):
creative in the way that he used me to get
me open or to be a diversion to get somebody
else open. And that was something I had never experienced before,
and at least not in high school or anything in college,
(10:13):
and so it was kind of h I questioned it
at first, but then I got to love it. I mean,
I couldn't wait to get into the meeting rooms to
see where he was going to have me and place
me and how it was going to use me for
a particular game and.
Speaker 7 (10:33):
For our organization that has reached back, the new ownership,
that has reached back to retire Darryl last year and
you this year. Talk a little bit about just how
big that is for both of you and then just
maybe for somebody in the future.
Speaker 2 (10:49):
Well it You know, sometimes you know, you do something
and then when you're finished during it, you wonder if
you made a difference, you know, if if anybody really
if it really mattered what you did, because so many
guys are capable of doing what you what you do
(11:10):
and then good at it, and so you when you
know you you play the game, you leave it and
then you just kind of go on about your business
and you try to find what's next to live the
rest of your life. But to be called back in
and say, hey, we want to acknowledge you for X,
(11:30):
Y and Z, it's it's really special and you realize
that people noticed what you did and appreciate what you
did and want to recognize you for it, excuse me,
and it's it's a great feeling. It really is so
(11:52):
glad to come back and share that with the fans
of d C.
Speaker 8 (11:57):
Well, this is Adam Kilgore at the Washington Post. Congratulations
and somewhere along the lines of what Donald was just
asking about there, you know, you're obviously synonymous with this
this franchise in Washington. It is getting this honor now
given the new direction of the franchise, the new ownership
of the franchise, Is it in any way more fulfilling,
more more rewarding to have it happened right now than
(12:19):
it would have been, you know, five ten years ago
when things were kind of headed you know, not as
in an uplifting uh way here and with with the
football team.
Speaker 2 (12:30):
I probably would say even more so because I've been
retired now for quite a while, and you know, usually
you get your honors, you know, when you first retire
two or three or four years you shortly after you
leave the game, excuse me, but to continue to be
remembered and acknowledged for you know, many years later, it's
(12:55):
it's pretty special. At least, you know, for me it is.
Speaker 3 (12:58):
Yeah.
Speaker 8 (12:58):
And and and as you're as you were, like pride
in the franchise been rekindled it all over the past
couple of years.
Speaker 2 (13:06):
Yeah. Absolutely, Man, I enjoy watching them, watching them, And
I mean I think every team goes through its ups
and downs. You know, you have the great years and
then you people, you know, guys retire, coaches move on
or retire, and so the franchise has to go through
another rebuilding phase. And so there's ups and downs and
(13:31):
hopefully this is they're on their way back up that
get to those you know, pinnacles where they go to
Super Bowls and playoff games and draw the fan base
back in to that support.
Speaker 9 (13:49):
Hey, are Ben's standing here? Congratulations on the honor. You
were not somebody that sought the limelight when you played
or in your post career as well. So I'm just
carrying you set so many records, you had all the
accomplishments as a player. What's it like receiving this recognition
now post career when you're kind of just living life
like a normal person versus in the moment when you're
(14:10):
getting that attention, but maybe it's not something you were
seeking at the moment. How's the difference for you getting
the recognition in these two very kind of different ways.
Speaker 2 (14:20):
Well, I can't, I can't. I can't really run from
this one. I know, after a game or a big
game or something, I can come to the locker room
that I can go hide in the training room or
something like that for the reporters. But this one, I
don't know, and I guess it means a lot more too,
to be you know, a game is somewhat distemporary. You
(14:44):
have another week to go or to whatever. The rest
of the season, you can kind of put off the
acknowledgement for a little bit. This one, you know, it's
it's President's now, and so I could run, but no,
I'm not running from this one. It's post career. I've
(15:08):
put it all my sweat and in my tears, and
so I'm just gonna take it as it comes.
Speaker 10 (15:17):
Thank you, Sure, Art, it's David Alders with the athletic congratulations.
Speaker 2 (15:23):
Yes, please correct me if I'm wrong.
Speaker 10 (15:26):
But but you didn't wear eighty one at Syracuse, right.
Speaker 2 (15:31):
Right? I was forty five, I think it was.
Speaker 10 (15:34):
Do you recall was eighty one a number that meant
something to you or was it just assigned to you
when you got to Washington.
Speaker 2 (15:41):
No, it was just it was just a number that
they gave me. Yeah, I came in. They gave me
this jersey had eighty one on it, so that's you know.
I didn't I didn't question it. I didn't even ask
if forty five was available. I just I was just
excited to be in the in on a pro level
(16:02):
and to be able to be a part of this team.
So whatever they gave me wherever they had put me
even in locker room, I would have been happy with it,
and I was, so are you.
Speaker 1 (16:19):
You.
Speaker 10 (16:19):
You were on a team of very different individuals, some
of whom talked a lot. You didn't talk very much
at all, And I just wonder did you find comfort
knowing that on this team you didn't have to be
front and center and do all the talking. There were
dexter and there were plenty of guys that were happy doing.
Speaker 2 (16:40):
All the talking. Absolutely. I never I've never been excuse me,
never been much of a talker, you know, even in it,
even with my wife, you know, when we go out,
you know, I usually just you know, when we're with
(17:01):
other people, I'm the one kind of just sitting there
where everybody's chatting, and unless I'm asked a question of something,
or unless i'm uh kind of prompted to say something,
I'm just I'm just I'm just quiet. I don't know,
I've I've always been that way. I guess, I guess
I take it up with my dad. He was sort
of the same way too. He would just sit there
(17:23):
and unless you know, you ask them something, he was
he didn't say anything. So that's I guess that's kind
of what I modeled after Hey Art.
Speaker 11 (17:37):
Congratulations David Harrison, d w s A nine. There's there's
plenty of fans out there who have gotten to see
the post, they got to watch the fun bunch, but
there's even more who never got to actually watch you
guys play outside of like NFL films highlight reels, but
they still carry you and your teammates as a badge
of honor for their fandom. How does that feel to
have that impact generations after you know, people I mean
(18:00):
get to see you play still kind of carrying you
in their fandom.
Speaker 2 (18:04):
Yeah. Wow, that's uh. I guess we did all the
right things, you know, you when you when we played
this game, and I think coach Gibbs was was a
big part of that. You know, he was he was
very yeah, I don't want to use the word strict,
(18:28):
but he wanted he wanted everyone not only to do
their job, but too to be to be a professional
at every aspect of the game on the field, off
the field, in meetings, in the media, you know, wherever
you were. They wanted people to look at you and
say that's you know, that's something to be proud of
(18:52):
and to be want their kids to be Tomordel after
and so I guess Gibbs sort of set the standard
for us and how to talk, how to behave, how
to dress even and as we traveled and having managed
our persons wherever, wherever, wherever we were, whether it was
(19:15):
in the facility or outside of the facility.
Speaker 11 (19:19):
Thanks Ark, congrats again.
Speaker 5 (19:20):
Sure we have time for a couple more guys.
Speaker 12 (19:24):
Thank you, Ali, congratulations are My name is Candy Waller
from Bowie TV. So you've touched on both of the
questions that I have you touched on on these already,
But on the night of your jersey retirement, the team
is will be wearing their Super Bowl era uniforms that
(19:44):
they just introduced. So not only are they are they
honoring you, they're also honoring everything that you and your
teammates did for the NFL as well as for this area.
So how does it make you feel that that the
not just the know the ownership and the fans, but
the team is actually doing all that they can to
(20:04):
honor you all.
Speaker 2 (20:08):
Well, it's it's it's uh, it's hard to describe. It's
it's a great feeling to see that they you know,
I put my I guess I put myself in their shoes,
(20:29):
you know. When I was, when I was coming in,
you know, there was an overhill gang. I think I
spoke about this, and so for me and the young guys,
just like, okay, you old guys, that's what you did.
We were here to try to start something new, you know.
But but we respected them just the same. And it's
(20:50):
good to see that although we played, you know, many
years earlier, that they're still acknowledge us and and respect
what we did and who we were and how we
did it. It's a great feeling.
Speaker 12 (21:07):
And you've of course touched on this as well. Can
you describe what type of work epic does it take
to achieve what you have individually as well as what
you all did as a team.
Speaker 2 (21:25):
It was a pretty tough work ethic, and it started
during the off season, where we work every day. You know,
just because it was the off season didn't mean me,
you know, we took off. We still worked, and or
at least I still worked, and I worked as hard
(21:46):
during the off season as if it was during the season.
It was just a different type of training, and I
wanted to do everything that I could to prepare myself
physically and mentally. When I started training camp, that I
wouldn't struggle through training camp to try to get ready,
that I'd already be ready and would be that much
(22:10):
more productive in the things that I did on the field.
And so the off season is for me and for
really for any player, it's a very important aspect of
preparing for their season.
Speaker 12 (22:28):
Yeah, thank you so much, and congratulations again.
Speaker 2 (22:32):
Sure, thank you.
Hey, Art, It's John Kinin from ESPN. I'm just curious
what was your initial reaction when they told you what
was happening? What did that What was what was your
feeling like inside?
Speaker 2 (00:11):
Well, just a little surprised, not really expected, and but
you know, just kind of shocked, excited, and all those
kind of feeling at the same time. So I really
didn't know how to react because it's just kind of
took me off guard a little bit.
Speaker 1 (00:32):
First of all, congratulations, But secondly, then, now that you've
had a day to process this, what does this mean
to you?
Speaker 2 (00:40):
Well, you know, I I I played the game because
I loved it, and I worked hard during the off
season to really prepare myself to make sure it was
at my best during the season. And I guess you
know it when you when you work hard and you
do all the right things, or at least try to,
(01:03):
I guess there's a reward at the end, there's a payoff.
And so I guess all my hard work and all
of that wasn't wasn't in vain?
Speaker 1 (01:15):
Hey, al right, be Mitch just wanted to say congratulations.
Speaker 2 (01:17):
Brother, Hey, what's up man? Thank you, thank you, You're
you're a part of it. Man, Come on, I got you,
but you did you said you you led the way. Brother,
Thank you all right, man, Arthur.
Speaker 3 (01:31):
I was there back in two thousand and eight, August
second for the longest standing ovation ever in Hall of
Fame history. And along the lines of what it means
to you, This is not only about what you did
on the field, but what you meant to the Washington
fan base. So when you think about that, how does
that strike you?
Speaker 2 (01:53):
Well, it's gosh, it's it's humbling. You know. I came
to Washington not knowing anyone, wasn't even familiar with the town.
I'm from New York. And and as I you know,
got to play in DC and meet people and get
(02:16):
to know them, it became home. It became my place.
I didn't go back to New York anymore that I
stayed there. Some people went back to there, you know,
to where they were from during the off season and
then came back during the season. But I lived there.
I stayed there, and so d C. Virginia, Northern Virginia,
(02:40):
and and that, you know, Maryland was part of that too.
That was my home, and I got to know the people,
and I felt comfortable there and They made me feel comfortable,
and that, you know, made me want to play even
more when I got, you know, laced up to go
out on the field.
Speaker 3 (03:01):
I know you didn't play for this honor, but twenty
eight went in last year and now no one's gonna
wear eighty one? Is that odd to you?
Speaker 2 (03:09):
Or is it? What is that? I don't know even
how to think about it. It's it's yeah, it's kind
of weird. I've never had anything like this done. Yeah,
I mean, it's just it's an honor, absolutely, and I
(03:34):
see it that way, and I appreciate it, and I
guess I'll get used to it. Congratulations, man, thanks thanks
so much.
Speaker 4 (03:45):
Hey Art, congratulations. Oh yeah, JP Finley would be Mitchell Finley,
I suppose. I'm just curious if you have a single
greatest memory. I mean, you accomplished so much, but in
your time in Washington, is there one thing that stands out?
Speaker 2 (04:05):
Well? I think all the big moments like the Super Bowls,
those those type of things, but I think probably the
biggest thing for me is coming in as a rookie
and being drafted by the Redskins. Coming in as a
rookie where it was in it was a very mature team.
(04:29):
It was a veteran team. There is very few rookies,
if I remember, we even made the squad, but they
were all older players, you know, six seven, eight, nine
years and that year I was a little hesitant, not hesitant,
a little nervous going in and playing in that environment.
(04:52):
But I quickly realized those guys, man, they they made
us it was they made it fun and playing the
game was serious. Yeah, they took the game seriously, but
they also made it fun. And they welcomed me in
and they helped me. You know, I've had concerns or problems,
was something there. They were right there for me to
(05:14):
to help me in any in any way, guys on
the field, off the field, And I don't know, that
year was probably even even with the Super Bowl years,
I think that that year probably is the one that
I remember and identified with the most. Thanks congrats again, yeah,
(05:38):
thank you.
Speaker 5 (05:41):
With Washington posts, you mentioned the surprise, Andre, But what
did it mean to you to hear and see some
of your former teammates there and Gary Clark and Ricky
Sanders and Doug Williams.
Speaker 2 (05:54):
Well, it was a little surprised they got me. And
but yeah, even though I was the one, I guess
being acknowledged. It was good to see their faces there.
I just felt like home. It was you know, when
(06:15):
when I was playing during the season, you know, it's
one thing to stand on the sideline when you're called
into the game and you and you get in that
huddle and you see those faces that you're familiar with,
you feel, I don't even know how to explain it,
but you just feel it's just a comfortable place to be.
(06:39):
And so you know, getting there and seeing all those
faces there that we're part of this this I could relax.
I just yeah, I don't know, just it was just
a great feeling to see their faces.
Speaker 5 (06:58):
Do you have any expectations what it might be like
on the you know, during the game when they they
put your number up.
Speaker 2 (07:05):
There, I don't know. I what I remember and going
into well I didn't play in the new stadium was RFK,
but coming out onto that field and hearing the roar
of the fans that was so loud, it was deafening,
(07:29):
and but it just made you feel good. It made
you knew you were a home. You knew you had
everyone behind you and standing with you ensuring for you
to do well, and and then when you did well,
there was it was an immediate another roar again of
excitement and appreciation. And you know that's that's I guess
(07:55):
that's just what I remember the most about being in
that state. You Yeah, hey, Eric, congrats.
Speaker 6 (08:05):
You had a bunch of the players come down and
folks around the team come down. Have have you heard
from anybody else around the league or from outside of
the group that was physically there that you know you
hadn't heard from her while or was surprising exciting for
you to hear congratulations from uh?
Speaker 2 (08:22):
Uh yeah, Charlie. Charlie Brown, who was a former teammate
of mine, contacted me and wished me well. And but
he's he's the only one I think I would assume
most of them will be there in d C when
I come in, but uh, but he's the one that
(08:43):
that reached out at least so far. Congrats, Yeah, thank you.
Speaker 7 (08:49):
Hey are congratulations what an uh Coach Gibbs had a
chance to talk to you about, you know, your playing days.
Talk to me about a little bit about coach Gibbs
and plan with him and what this means you know
for you overall as far as to play under a
guy like him.
Speaker 2 (09:11):
Well, Coach Gibbs. I owe a lot of this my
success to him, because I mean we had three receivers,
three good receivers.
Speaker 5 (09:25):
And.
Speaker 2 (09:29):
It's the way he used me. I didn't just my
normal position was the strong side receiver, which was Z,
but he also had me playing X. He also had
me playing H and on occasion I also played R,
which is a running back. So running back came out
and I went into that spot. So he was very
(09:52):
creative in the way that he used me to get
me open or to be a diversion to get somebody
else open. And that was something I had never experienced before,
and at least not in high school or anything in college,
(10:13):
and so it was kind of h I questioned it
at first, but then I got to love it. I mean,
I couldn't wait to get into the meeting rooms to
see where he was going to have me and place
me and how it was going to use me for
a particular game and.
Speaker 7 (10:33):
For our organization that has reached back, the new ownership,
that has reached back to retire Darryl last year and
you this year. Talk a little bit about just how
big that is for both of you and then just
maybe for somebody in the future.
Speaker 2 (10:49):
Well it You know, sometimes you know, you do something
and then when you're finished during it, you wonder if
you made a difference, you know, if if anybody really
if it really mattered what you did, because so many
guys are capable of doing what you what you do
(11:10):
and then good at it, and so you when you
know you you play the game, you leave it and
then you just kind of go on about your business
and you try to find what's next to live the
rest of your life. But to be called back in
and say, hey, we want to acknowledge you for X,
(11:30):
Y and Z, it's it's really special and you realize
that people noticed what you did and appreciate what you
did and want to recognize you for it, excuse me,
and it's it's a great feeling. It really is so
(11:52):
glad to come back and share that with the fans
of d C.
Speaker 8 (11:57):
Well, this is Adam Kilgore at the Washington Post. Congratulations
and somewhere along the lines of what Donald was just
asking about there, you know, you're obviously synonymous with this
this franchise in Washington. It is getting this honor now
given the new direction of the franchise, the new ownership
of the franchise, Is it in any way more fulfilling,
more more rewarding to have it happened right now than
(12:19):
it would have been, you know, five ten years ago
when things were kind of headed you know, not as
in an uplifting uh way here and with with the
football team.
Speaker 2 (12:30):
I probably would say even more so because I've been
retired now for quite a while, and you know, usually
you get your honors, you know, when you first retire
two or three or four years you shortly after you
leave the game, excuse me, but to continue to be
remembered and acknowledged for you know, many years later, it's
(12:55):
it's pretty special. At least, you know, for me it is.
Speaker 3 (12:58):
Yeah.
Speaker 8 (12:58):
And and and as you're as you were, like pride
in the franchise been rekindled it all over the past
couple of years.
Speaker 2 (13:06):
Yeah. Absolutely, Man, I enjoy watching them, watching them, And
I mean I think every team goes through its ups
and downs. You know, you have the great years and
then you people, you know, guys retire, coaches move on
or retire, and so the franchise has to go through
another rebuilding phase. And so there's ups and downs and
(13:31):
hopefully this is they're on their way back up that
get to those you know, pinnacles where they go to
Super Bowls and playoff games and draw the fan base
back in to that support.
Speaker 9 (13:49):
Hey, are Ben's standing here? Congratulations on the honor. You
were not somebody that sought the limelight when you played
or in your post career as well. So I'm just
carrying you set so many records, you had all the
accomplishments as a player. What's it like receiving this recognition
now post career when you're kind of just living life
like a normal person versus in the moment when you're
(14:10):
getting that attention, but maybe it's not something you were
seeking at the moment. How's the difference for you getting
the recognition in these two very kind of different ways.
Speaker 2 (14:20):
Well, I can't, I can't. I can't really run from
this one. I know, after a game or a big
game or something, I can come to the locker room
that I can go hide in the training room or
something like that for the reporters. But this one, I
don't know, and I guess it means a lot more too,
to be you know, a game is somewhat distemporary. You
(14:44):
have another week to go or to whatever. The rest
of the season, you can kind of put off the
acknowledgement for a little bit. This one, you know, it's
it's President's now, and so I could run, but no,
I'm not running from this one. It's post career. I've
(15:08):
put it all my sweat and in my tears, and
so I'm just gonna take it as it comes.
Speaker 10 (15:17):
Thank you, Sure, Art, it's David Alders with the athletic congratulations.
Speaker 2 (15:23):
Yes, please correct me if I'm wrong.
Speaker 10 (15:26):
But but you didn't wear eighty one at Syracuse, right.
Speaker 2 (15:31):
Right? I was forty five, I think it was.
Speaker 10 (15:34):
Do you recall was eighty one a number that meant
something to you or was it just assigned to you
when you got to Washington.
Speaker 2 (15:41):
No, it was just it was just a number that
they gave me. Yeah, I came in. They gave me
this jersey had eighty one on it, so that's you know.
I didn't I didn't question it. I didn't even ask
if forty five was available. I just I was just
excited to be in the in on a pro level
(16:02):
and to be able to be a part of this team.
So whatever they gave me wherever they had put me
even in locker room, I would have been happy with it,
and I was, so are you.
Speaker 1 (16:19):
You.
Speaker 10 (16:19):
You were on a team of very different individuals, some
of whom talked a lot. You didn't talk very much
at all, And I just wonder did you find comfort
knowing that on this team you didn't have to be
front and center and do all the talking. There were
dexter and there were plenty of guys that were happy doing.
Speaker 2 (16:40):
All the talking. Absolutely. I never I've never been excuse me,
never been much of a talker, you know, even in it,
even with my wife, you know, when we go out,
you know, I usually just you know, when we're with
(17:01):
other people, I'm the one kind of just sitting there
where everybody's chatting, and unless I'm asked a question of something,
or unless i'm uh kind of prompted to say something,
I'm just I'm just I'm just quiet. I don't know,
I've I've always been that way. I guess, I guess
I take it up with my dad. He was sort
of the same way too. He would just sit there
(17:23):
and unless you know, you ask them something, he was
he didn't say anything. So that's I guess that's kind
of what I modeled after Hey Art.
Speaker 11 (17:37):
Congratulations David Harrison, d w s A nine. There's there's
plenty of fans out there who have gotten to see
the post, they got to watch the fun bunch, but
there's even more who never got to actually watch you
guys play outside of like NFL films highlight reels, but
they still carry you and your teammates as a badge
of honor for their fandom. How does that feel to
have that impact generations after you know, people I mean
(18:00):
get to see you play still kind of carrying you
in their fandom.
Speaker 2 (18:04):
Yeah. Wow, that's uh. I guess we did all the
right things, you know, you when you when we played
this game, and I think coach Gibbs was was a
big part of that. You know, he was he was
very yeah, I don't want to use the word strict,
(18:28):
but he wanted he wanted everyone not only to do
their job, but too to be to be a professional
at every aspect of the game on the field, off
the field, in meetings, in the media, you know, wherever
you were. They wanted people to look at you and
say that's you know, that's something to be proud of
(18:52):
and to be want their kids to be Tomordel after
and so I guess Gibbs sort of set the standard
for us and how to talk, how to behave, how
to dress even and as we traveled and having managed
our persons wherever, wherever, wherever we were, whether it was
(19:15):
in the facility or outside of the facility.
Speaker 11 (19:19):
Thanks Ark, congrats again.
Speaker 5 (19:20):
Sure we have time for a couple more guys.
Speaker 12 (19:24):
Thank you, Ali, congratulations are My name is Candy Waller
from Bowie TV. So you've touched on both of the
questions that I have you touched on on these already,
But on the night of your jersey retirement, the team
is will be wearing their Super Bowl era uniforms that
(19:44):
they just introduced. So not only are they are they
honoring you, they're also honoring everything that you and your
teammates did for the NFL as well as for this area.
So how does it make you feel that that the
not just the know the ownership and the fans, but
the team is actually doing all that they can to
(20:04):
honor you all.
Speaker 2 (20:08):
Well, it's it's it's uh, it's hard to describe. It's
it's a great feeling to see that they you know,
I put my I guess I put myself in their shoes,
(20:29):
you know. When I was, when I was coming in,
you know, there was an overhill gang. I think I
spoke about this, and so for me and the young guys,
just like, okay, you old guys, that's what you did.
We were here to try to start something new, you know.
But but we respected them just the same. And it's
(20:50):
good to see that although we played, you know, many
years earlier, that they're still acknowledge us and and respect
what we did and who we were and how we
did it. It's a great feeling.
Speaker 12 (21:07):
And you've of course touched on this as well. Can
you describe what type of work epic does it take
to achieve what you have individually as well as what
you all did as a team.
Speaker 2 (21:25):
It was a pretty tough work ethic, and it started
during the off season, where we work every day. You know,
just because it was the off season didn't mean me,
you know, we took off. We still worked, and or
at least I still worked, and I worked as hard
(21:46):
during the off season as if it was during the season.
It was just a different type of training, and I
wanted to do everything that I could to prepare myself
physically and mentally. When I started training camp, that I
wouldn't struggle through training camp to try to get ready,
that I'd already be ready and would be that much
(22:10):
more productive in the things that I did on the field.
And so the off season is for me and for
really for any player, it's a very important aspect of
preparing for their season.
Speaker 12 (22:28):
Yeah, thank you so much, and congratulations again.
Speaker 2 (22:32):
Sure, thank you.
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