July 17, 2025 • 18 mins
NFL Hall of Famer and Washington legend Art Monk joins Next Man Up for a powerful conversation ahead of his jersey retirement. He reflects on his journey from the streets of New York to 3 Super Bowl titles, shares the mindset behind his Hall of Fame longevity, and pays tribute to the teammates and fans who made it all possible. A must-listen for Commanders fans and football lovers everywhere.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Command, this family, welcome into a very very special version
of Next Man Up. This one is special because we
have one of the greatest to do it of all time.
Now this the greatest to do it in a Washington Jersey,
but one of the greatest in NFL history to ever
play the game. We're talking about wide receiver, one of
your favorite wide receivers.
Speaker 2 (00:21):
I know that for sure. My good brother, Art Monk,
All right, how are.
Speaker 3 (00:25):
You doing so? I'm doing well, man, how are you?
Speaker 2 (00:27):
Oh man, I'm blessed to have you here.
Speaker 1 (00:29):
I know you don't do a ton of media, but
I know this is a very very special occasion, so
we appreciate you taking the time.
Speaker 2 (00:35):
To jump on with us.
Speaker 3 (00:36):
Sure, glad to be on with you, yes, sir.
Speaker 1 (00:38):
And of course that special occasion is getting your jersey retired.
Speaker 2 (00:44):
Now your jersey is crazy.
Speaker 1 (00:45):
Your jersey is the only jersey, only Redskins jersey that
a young boy grew up in California owned. I found
it in a like not a pond shot, but like
what a thrift store in that our Monk jersey was
hanging there looking good. And then I learned all about you.
You became one of my favorite wide receivers. So first
things first, thank you. When you think about that jersey,
(01:07):
it's going to be retired and infamy.
Speaker 2 (01:08):
Now, what did it mean to you to find that out?
Speaker 4 (01:12):
Well, obviously it's a very special honor. I mean, you know,
I started playing this game because I just loved to play.
I didn't think anything about I didn't even think about winning.
I mean, obviously when you want to win when you
play the game. But I just loved the game that much.
I just wanted to play it and anytime I had
a chance to do so. And it's talking about when
(01:34):
I was younger, I did, but and then doing that
it just led me from one platform to another and
obviously into the NFL. And man, it's just this nothing
like it. There's a high you get from it that
you can't get doing anything else.
Speaker 1 (01:50):
And that love of the game really showed, and I
think that's why you were so beloved.
Speaker 2 (01:54):
But not only a teammates, not only the coaching staff,
but this fan base. Where did that love of the
game come from?
Speaker 3 (02:01):
I don't know.
Speaker 4 (02:03):
I grew up in the streets of New York white
playing New York suburbs. You know, my friends and I
we grab a football which was half inflated, and we
play in the tackle in the street, you know, on
the cummit, and that's you know, we didn't have any
place else to play. And it just grew from there,
(02:23):
and I, you know, Pop joined the Pop Warner team,
and I wanted to play wide receiver obviously, but they
put me at offensive defensive tackle and I didn't enjoy that,
so I didn't. I didn't play anymore after that, and
it took my friends to when I got into high school,
took my friends to kind of convinced me to come
(02:44):
out again, to start playing again, and so I said, okay,
I'll do it, and so I did, and I was
back on the offensive defensive line again. But I also
started running track. And when I ran track, I lost
a lot of weight and I became faster and quicker
and more agile, and they couldn't put me in the
(03:06):
line anymore, so they had to find another place for me,
and so wide receivers where I ended up, and I
just kind of grew from there.
Speaker 1 (03:15):
I don't know the name of those friends that got
you back into football, but I feel like the whole
organization owes them a few checks because you not playing
football is.
Speaker 3 (03:24):
Insane, that's right.
Speaker 1 (03:26):
So when you're on the street right you're playing with
that half deflated football, you have dreams. I'm sure of
one day making it to that next level, being in
the NFL. But could you have ever dreamed of that
moment when you're in your garage with your peers, with
ownership and you're finding out your jersey's going to be retired.
Speaker 3 (03:45):
Not at all, man.
Speaker 4 (03:47):
It just my love for the game never took me
that far because I didn't think I was that good,
or neither did I think I would ever become that good.
Like I said, I started as an offense and deep
insive lineman. I thought that was kind of where I
would stay. And when I got into high school, I
joined the track team, trimmed down, lost a lot of weight,
(04:10):
got faster, and so they couldn't put me on the
line anymore. So they put me up to received by
tight end actually, and it just kind of grew from there.
But no way did I ever think I'd end up
where I am now.
Speaker 1 (04:29):
Well, sometimes God's plans bigger than ours, and it was
just so great to see you be able to be
around the people that love you. The posse Gary Clark
who's somebody I've spoke to a bunch about you.
Speaker 2 (04:39):
We speak so highly of you having them there, the Posse,
your people's there. Yeah, what did that mean to you?
Speaker 1 (04:45):
Knowing all the blood, sweat and tears that y'all shared
on that field together.
Speaker 3 (04:50):
Well, I couldn't. I don't know if I'd be.
Speaker 4 (04:55):
If I would have been where I was if it
wasn't for them. I was a great recvah. But those
guys helped me in a lot of different ways. They
took pressure Gary Clark, Rickey Sanders, They took pressure coverage
off of me at times, which helped, you know, open
me up.
Speaker 3 (05:12):
And so I mean, yeah, I can. I can stand
here and.
Speaker 4 (05:18):
Take all the credit, sit here and take all the credit,
but a lot of the credit also goes to them
and to the rest of my teammates because a team
is a team. We can't we couldn't do one thing
without one, could not do bad job without the other.
Speaker 1 (05:32):
And you hear that to every member of the Posse
that you talked to. And I think it's really cool
that you were so good for so long. You got
to be part of like two infamous groups.
Speaker 3 (05:42):
Right.
Speaker 2 (05:42):
You had the Posse and then you had the fun bunch.
Speaker 1 (05:45):
So I got to ask, it's like a fan, what
was the difference between the two and what was that
like being part of those groups, because those are the
dolls in both groups.
Speaker 3 (05:52):
Well, it was a lot of fun, I'll tell you what. Practice.
Speaker 4 (05:57):
No matter where we were, what we did, it was
just a lot of fun. We laughed all the time.
And but we also took our job seriously. But during
the off season, you know, we we just we just
enjoyed being around each other. We fed off of each other,
We challenged each other, We helped make each other what.
Speaker 3 (06:16):
We ended up becoming.
Speaker 4 (06:18):
And you know, so I a lot I'm like, especially
with Charlie Brown, Alvin Garrett Virgil see you know, in
the earlier days, and then Gary Clark came on, and
then Ricky, Ricky Sanders, even Calvin Alvin Mohammed came in
from the Raiders.
Speaker 3 (06:36):
I believe it was at the.
Speaker 4 (06:37):
Time, man, it was just we fed off of each other,
We challenged each other. Like I said, it just if
it wasn't for that, and I don't know if I
would have been what I what I became.
Speaker 1 (06:49):
All Right, it's so flat talking to you guys, because
y'all are literally like the best at what you guys did.
But instead of talking about yourselves, you'll always found a
way to bring it to the other guys. Gary was
the same exact way. He had so much much how
it praise for you, Art, We're here to talk about
you for a little bit, so I would switch gears.
Now we gotta show you your flowers.
Speaker 2 (07:06):
It gives you so love though you're very humble.
Speaker 1 (07:08):
But not many guys can have three super Bowls with
three different quarterbacks. Man as a receiver, we know that's tough.
Some guys barely get it with one quarterback. They play
with their whole life. You did it three times with
three different quarterbacks. When you look back on that and
those super Bowl runs and what it meant for Washington
and this is this entire area, what stands out to
(07:28):
you about those.
Speaker 4 (07:29):
Super Bowls, Well, it was just I immediately think of
Coach Gibbs and just him always calling us together and saying, look,
none of.
Speaker 3 (07:42):
You are you can't go by your You're not by
yourself on this team. You're not alone.
Speaker 4 (07:50):
You can't survive, you won't succeed without the other. And
so it was always that mindset that we always had
to It wasn't about me, It was about us as
a team. And you know, when I think about that,
it was I mean when I look at every if
(08:10):
you examine every position that we had, if it wasn't
for them at that position, we wouldn't have become what
we became. We wouldn't have been able to accomplish things
the things that we did. And just the mindset that
Coach Gibbs established for us, not just as an offense,
for a defense and for all special teams. So we
(08:31):
were all kind of just one unit that elevated each
other up.
Speaker 2 (08:37):
And it takes a whole team to find that success, right.
Speaker 1 (08:40):
But in order to be involved in success, especially through
Super Bowls, you have to have longevity.
Speaker 2 (08:45):
You have to be on that field and art.
Speaker 1 (08:47):
That is something that I think everybody that knows you
and knows your history knows this.
Speaker 2 (08:51):
Guy got it done. He was consistent, He did things consecutively.
Speaker 1 (08:56):
How do you manage, especially in the league where we
see guys, I think the average NFL player's career it's
like four years.
Speaker 2 (09:03):
How did you manage such longevity?
Speaker 1 (09:05):
And what advice would you give to up and coming
guys trying to match that same type of production.
Speaker 4 (09:11):
Well, first of all, you just you just have to
be able to find a way to stay healthy. I
mean that's the first thing. You can't You can't be
out there if you're not if you're not healthy, if
you're hurting any kind of way, you're just sitting on
the sideline watching. But for me, the off season was
the most important aspect of my game, just making sure
(09:32):
I was well prepared physically, and then during the season
maintaining that and also being prepared mentally for the game.
Speaker 3 (09:42):
And so.
Speaker 4 (09:44):
You know, I didn't take any shortcuts. You know, I
didn't try to, you know, you know, take the short
route to do anything. I did it the hard way,
and I did it the way I was taught by
that first my rookie year, the over the Hill gang
that was there. You know, when I was practice is
(10:07):
over and I was walking inside and say come on,
they pulled me back out, said no, we got we
still got some work to do, and so we would
go over past place, we would go over routes, we
would go over formations, and then we'd do extra conditioning
on top of what we've already done.
Speaker 3 (10:21):
So it's just always that extra that gave.
Speaker 4 (10:25):
The edge that we were hoping to give us the
edge over our opponents.
Speaker 1 (10:30):
And it's so great to hear the people from that
Super Bowl era talk about the things that they needed
to get those Super bowls. You talk about that teamwork,
that camaraderie, holding each other accountable, and when you think
of all those things, it's hard not to see parallels
from those teams to the team that we currently have.
These guys talk about it their family, They believe in
(10:51):
each other, the brotherhood. Now you able to see a
Washington team find success. We're able to make it to
the NFC Conference championships. Man, gotta imagine there's a pride there.
Be it somebody that was able to get all the way,
be it somebody that lived through those rock star like
Super Bowl wins. Did you feel pride seeing Washington back
(11:14):
on top?
Speaker 3 (11:16):
Oh? Absolutely.
Speaker 4 (11:17):
I mean it's just you know, when you talk about family,
we were family, and you know when you're a family,
you're you're close knit. At least that's how we were
trained to be with on the Coach Gibbs leadership. We
weren't just individual guys that you know, came together for
a moment to practice or to play. We were actually family.
We did everything together, not only on the field, but
(11:39):
off the field too. And so yeah, when you see
other guys have success and doing well and whatever they're
doing on or off the field, there's a pride. There's
a satisfaction that comes along with that.
Speaker 2 (11:54):
You mentioned the word pride.
Speaker 1 (11:55):
I don't think there is a prouder fan base than
the Washington fan base was. Like Doc Walker, he would
tell me after a loss, they'd be out there at
three am at the airport, just there to cheer you on.
Can you put into words what it means for this
fan base, with your history with this team, to finally
have success again and to have optimism for the future.
Speaker 4 (12:16):
Well, it's it's hard to describe the our fan base.
I mean, there's there's there's nothing else like it. I
don't think I've ever and I've never experienced anything else
like that. The love and the compassion and the commitment
(12:38):
that the Washington community.
Speaker 3 (12:41):
Has for their team, for their home team.
Speaker 4 (12:45):
Yeah, every every team says that, you know, our fans
are the best, but I I can't help to say
that our our the Washington fan base is the best.
And we would not have we would not have won
(13:07):
the games that we've we wouldn't have would not have
been able to accomplish the things that we've accomplished if
it wasn't for them. I will step out and say that,
you know, yes, we had talented the guys, we had
good coaching, we had everything else. But if it wasn't
for that little piece, that little fan based next to us,
(13:29):
I don't think we would have been as successful as
we were.
Speaker 2 (13:32):
You know, are you not going to get any arguments
from me.
Speaker 1 (13:35):
I've seen in real time how this fan based travels,
how they show up for their guys, And a big
part of that resurgence right now is Jaden Daniels having
a quarterback like Jayden Daniels.
Speaker 2 (13:45):
Now, I said it to start three ser.
Speaker 1 (13:47):
Waves, three different quarterbacks, So you know a thing or
two about playing with a quarterback that knows how to win.
When you watch Jayden and Daniels to see what he
was able to do his rookie year, what stands out
to you and what makes Jayden Daniels special.
Speaker 4 (13:59):
Well, he's athletic, he's smart, and and he knows his players.
Speaker 3 (14:07):
He knows who can you be, who he.
Speaker 4 (14:10):
Can rely on, who he can count on every quarterback
and never receiver kind of has their their favorites, you know,
so to speak sometimes and but he's he's just a.
Speaker 3 (14:20):
Smart He's just a smart kid.
Speaker 4 (14:23):
You know, some some quarterbacks you have to kind of
teach him where to go with the ball, you know,
the quarterbacks you have to. I mean, he's the kind
of guy that has it all. I guess that is
what I'm trying to say. And so it's not a
lot that you have to tell him what, teach him
what to do. He's got it naturally. And so that's
(14:46):
from my from my standpoint, that's a that's a real
good thing.
Speaker 1 (14:50):
He's a great thing to have having a guy like
Jadan Daniels and a historic rookie quarterback at that. And
I think it's really been great not only seeing Jad
Daniels come in, but see what this new ownership is done.
I don't know if you've seen the new Super Bowl
era alternate jerseys that we bust out, but to me,
that speaks to the way that this ownership in this
(15:12):
organization honors its history, honors it's past. When you've seen
the way that they've been able to bring gods like
you back in Gary Clark, things of that nature, honoring
some of our best to do it.
Speaker 2 (15:23):
What does that mean to you?
Speaker 1 (15:24):
The ownership that hasn't been here long but understands how
important that history is.
Speaker 4 (15:30):
Well, in order to move forward, you always got to
understand your past, and this ownership understands that. And I'm
able to prepare and do the right things to move
to move it forward and continue in that direction. And
so it's it's you know, as a fan, as a
(15:50):
former player, it's great to see that they understand that
and they're doing all the right things to try try
to get back into into the that mode of success
and elevation and you know, moving forward and doing great
(16:11):
things as a team.
Speaker 1 (16:13):
And a big part of that honor in the past
is raising that jersey of that number eighty one jersey
of our monkey. You will have your jersey retired. Now
we haven't gotten there yet, however, can you explain to
me and the fans what do we mean to you
to see that eighty one go up there, see that
monk go up there?
Speaker 3 (16:32):
Man?
Speaker 2 (16:32):
What's that gonna feel like? For you?
Speaker 4 (16:34):
Well, I gosh, it's really really hard to say. And
I've been sitting here these last few days is trying
to digest it, digest it all. And yeah, I think
about the past and the games that we played, and.
Speaker 3 (16:51):
You know it's they're acknowledging me, but I was. I was.
Speaker 4 (16:58):
You know, football is a team sport and so you know,
if it wasn't for the Ricky Sanders or the Gary
Clarks of the Charlie Browns, or the Joke Feiseman's or
the Mark Rippons or the Doug Williams and the offensive
line that we had that was so great, to Kobe
and Russ Grimm and Donny Moore and the others. Robald McKenzie,
(17:27):
I could not I would not be here. Well, i'd
be here, but I would not have had the success
that I've had. And you know there are great receivers
on other teams or have been on other teams, didn't
have that type of support that weren't able to display
(17:50):
and show the success that they could have had in
their careers.
Speaker 2 (17:55):
Well, it's definitely a team game. However, it can't be
taken lightly.
Speaker 1 (17:58):
What you were able to do for so long, what
you were able to do for not only this team,
this organization, what we're able to do for the entire
dm V community.
Speaker 2 (18:06):
This fan base.
Speaker 3 (18:07):
Art.
Speaker 1 (18:07):
You mean so much to us, so I cannot wait
to see you honored on that day and to know
that nobody else will be able to rock that jersey
that only our Monk can truly were Art. Thank you
so much for your time, brother. We appreciate you, and
again you deserve all these flowers that you're gaining.
Speaker 3 (18:23):
Well, thank you, thank you so much. I'm looking forward
to being there.
Speaker 1 (18:27):
Sir, command this family, our next man up, one of
the greatest in the history of the game to ever
lay some up.
Speaker 2 (18:35):
Thanks to Art Monk. Thank you, sir.
Speaker 3 (18:37):
All right, thank you too. Man all right now,
Command, this family, welcome into a very very special version
of Next Man Up. This one is special because we
have one of the greatest to do it of all time.
Now this the greatest to do it in a Washington Jersey,
but one of the greatest in NFL history to ever
play the game. We're talking about wide receiver, one of
your favorite wide receivers.
Speaker 2 (00:21):
I know that for sure. My good brother, Art Monk,
All right, how are.
Speaker 3 (00:25):
You doing so? I'm doing well, man, how are you?
Speaker 2 (00:27):
Oh man, I'm blessed to have you here.
Speaker 1 (00:29):
I know you don't do a ton of media, but
I know this is a very very special occasion, so
we appreciate you taking the time.
Speaker 2 (00:35):
To jump on with us.
Speaker 3 (00:36):
Sure, glad to be on with you, yes, sir.
Speaker 1 (00:38):
And of course that special occasion is getting your jersey retired.
Speaker 2 (00:44):
Now your jersey is crazy.
Speaker 1 (00:45):
Your jersey is the only jersey, only Redskins jersey that
a young boy grew up in California owned. I found
it in a like not a pond shot, but like
what a thrift store in that our Monk jersey was
hanging there looking good. And then I learned all about you.
You became one of my favorite wide receivers. So first
things first, thank you. When you think about that jersey,
(01:07):
it's going to be retired and infamy.
Speaker 2 (01:08):
Now, what did it mean to you to find that out?
Speaker 4 (01:12):
Well, obviously it's a very special honor. I mean, you know,
I started playing this game because I just loved to play.
I didn't think anything about I didn't even think about winning.
I mean, obviously when you want to win when you
play the game. But I just loved the game that much.
I just wanted to play it and anytime I had
a chance to do so. And it's talking about when
(01:34):
I was younger, I did, but and then doing that
it just led me from one platform to another and
obviously into the NFL. And man, it's just this nothing
like it. There's a high you get from it that
you can't get doing anything else.
Speaker 1 (01:50):
And that love of the game really showed, and I
think that's why you were so beloved.
Speaker 2 (01:54):
But not only a teammates, not only the coaching staff,
but this fan base. Where did that love of the
game come from?
Speaker 3 (02:01):
I don't know.
Speaker 4 (02:03):
I grew up in the streets of New York white
playing New York suburbs. You know, my friends and I
we grab a football which was half inflated, and we
play in the tackle in the street, you know, on
the cummit, and that's you know, we didn't have any
place else to play. And it just grew from there,
(02:23):
and I, you know, Pop joined the Pop Warner team,
and I wanted to play wide receiver obviously, but they
put me at offensive defensive tackle and I didn't enjoy that,
so I didn't. I didn't play anymore after that, and
it took my friends to when I got into high school,
took my friends to kind of convinced me to come
(02:44):
out again, to start playing again, and so I said, okay,
I'll do it, and so I did, and I was
back on the offensive defensive line again. But I also
started running track. And when I ran track, I lost
a lot of weight and I became faster and quicker
and more agile, and they couldn't put me in the
(03:06):
line anymore, so they had to find another place for me,
and so wide receivers where I ended up, and I
just kind of grew from there.
Speaker 1 (03:15):
I don't know the name of those friends that got
you back into football, but I feel like the whole
organization owes them a few checks because you not playing
football is.
Speaker 3 (03:24):
Insane, that's right.
Speaker 1 (03:26):
So when you're on the street right you're playing with
that half deflated football, you have dreams. I'm sure of
one day making it to that next level, being in
the NFL. But could you have ever dreamed of that
moment when you're in your garage with your peers, with
ownership and you're finding out your jersey's going to be retired.
Speaker 3 (03:45):
Not at all, man.
Speaker 4 (03:47):
It just my love for the game never took me
that far because I didn't think I was that good,
or neither did I think I would ever become that good.
Like I said, I started as an offense and deep
insive lineman. I thought that was kind of where I
would stay. And when I got into high school, I
joined the track team, trimmed down, lost a lot of weight,
(04:10):
got faster, and so they couldn't put me on the
line anymore. So they put me up to received by
tight end actually, and it just kind of grew from there.
But no way did I ever think I'd end up
where I am now.
Speaker 1 (04:29):
Well, sometimes God's plans bigger than ours, and it was
just so great to see you be able to be
around the people that love you. The posse Gary Clark
who's somebody I've spoke to a bunch about you.
Speaker 2 (04:39):
We speak so highly of you having them there, the Posse,
your people's there. Yeah, what did that mean to you?
Speaker 1 (04:45):
Knowing all the blood, sweat and tears that y'all shared
on that field together.
Speaker 3 (04:50):
Well, I couldn't. I don't know if I'd be.
Speaker 4 (04:55):
If I would have been where I was if it
wasn't for them. I was a great recvah. But those
guys helped me in a lot of different ways. They
took pressure Gary Clark, Rickey Sanders, They took pressure coverage
off of me at times, which helped, you know, open
me up.
Speaker 3 (05:12):
And so I mean, yeah, I can. I can stand
here and.
Speaker 4 (05:18):
Take all the credit, sit here and take all the credit,
but a lot of the credit also goes to them
and to the rest of my teammates because a team
is a team. We can't we couldn't do one thing
without one, could not do bad job without the other.
Speaker 1 (05:32):
And you hear that to every member of the Posse
that you talked to. And I think it's really cool
that you were so good for so long. You got
to be part of like two infamous groups.
Speaker 3 (05:42):
Right.
Speaker 2 (05:42):
You had the Posse and then you had the fun bunch.
Speaker 1 (05:45):
So I got to ask, it's like a fan, what
was the difference between the two and what was that
like being part of those groups, because those are the
dolls in both groups.
Speaker 3 (05:52):
Well, it was a lot of fun, I'll tell you what. Practice.
Speaker 4 (05:57):
No matter where we were, what we did, it was
just a lot of fun. We laughed all the time.
And but we also took our job seriously. But during
the off season, you know, we we just we just
enjoyed being around each other. We fed off of each other,
We challenged each other, We helped make each other what.
Speaker 3 (06:16):
We ended up becoming.
Speaker 4 (06:18):
And you know, so I a lot I'm like, especially
with Charlie Brown, Alvin Garrett Virgil see you know, in
the earlier days, and then Gary Clark came on, and
then Ricky, Ricky Sanders, even Calvin Alvin Mohammed came in
from the Raiders.
Speaker 3 (06:36):
I believe it was at the.
Speaker 4 (06:37):
Time, man, it was just we fed off of each other,
We challenged each other. Like I said, it just if
it wasn't for that, and I don't know if I
would have been what I what I became.
Speaker 1 (06:49):
All Right, it's so flat talking to you guys, because
y'all are literally like the best at what you guys did.
But instead of talking about yourselves, you'll always found a
way to bring it to the other guys. Gary was
the same exact way. He had so much much how
it praise for you, Art, We're here to talk about
you for a little bit, so I would switch gears.
Now we gotta show you your flowers.
Speaker 2 (07:06):
It gives you so love though you're very humble.
Speaker 1 (07:08):
But not many guys can have three super Bowls with
three different quarterbacks. Man as a receiver, we know that's tough.
Some guys barely get it with one quarterback. They play
with their whole life. You did it three times with
three different quarterbacks. When you look back on that and
those super Bowl runs and what it meant for Washington
and this is this entire area, what stands out to
(07:28):
you about those.
Speaker 4 (07:29):
Super Bowls, Well, it was just I immediately think of
Coach Gibbs and just him always calling us together and saying, look,
none of.
Speaker 3 (07:42):
You are you can't go by your You're not by
yourself on this team. You're not alone.
Speaker 4 (07:50):
You can't survive, you won't succeed without the other. And
so it was always that mindset that we always had
to It wasn't about me, It was about us as
a team. And you know, when I think about that,
it was I mean when I look at every if
(08:10):
you examine every position that we had, if it wasn't
for them at that position, we wouldn't have become what
we became. We wouldn't have been able to accomplish things
the things that we did. And just the mindset that
Coach Gibbs established for us, not just as an offense,
for a defense and for all special teams. So we
(08:31):
were all kind of just one unit that elevated each
other up.
Speaker 2 (08:37):
And it takes a whole team to find that success, right.
Speaker 1 (08:40):
But in order to be involved in success, especially through
Super Bowls, you have to have longevity.
Speaker 2 (08:45):
You have to be on that field and art.
Speaker 1 (08:47):
That is something that I think everybody that knows you
and knows your history knows this.
Speaker 2 (08:51):
Guy got it done. He was consistent, He did things consecutively.
Speaker 1 (08:56):
How do you manage, especially in the league where we
see guys, I think the average NFL player's career it's
like four years.
Speaker 2 (09:03):
How did you manage such longevity?
Speaker 1 (09:05):
And what advice would you give to up and coming
guys trying to match that same type of production.
Speaker 4 (09:11):
Well, first of all, you just you just have to
be able to find a way to stay healthy. I
mean that's the first thing. You can't You can't be
out there if you're not if you're not healthy, if
you're hurting any kind of way, you're just sitting on
the sideline watching. But for me, the off season was
the most important aspect of my game, just making sure
(09:32):
I was well prepared physically, and then during the season
maintaining that and also being prepared mentally for the game.
Speaker 3 (09:42):
And so.
Speaker 4 (09:44):
You know, I didn't take any shortcuts. You know, I
didn't try to, you know, you know, take the short
route to do anything. I did it the hard way,
and I did it the way I was taught by
that first my rookie year, the over the Hill gang
that was there. You know, when I was practice is
(10:07):
over and I was walking inside and say come on,
they pulled me back out, said no, we got we
still got some work to do, and so we would
go over past place, we would go over routes, we
would go over formations, and then we'd do extra conditioning
on top of what we've already done.
Speaker 3 (10:21):
So it's just always that extra that gave.
Speaker 4 (10:25):
The edge that we were hoping to give us the
edge over our opponents.
Speaker 1 (10:30):
And it's so great to hear the people from that
Super Bowl era talk about the things that they needed
to get those Super bowls. You talk about that teamwork,
that camaraderie, holding each other accountable, and when you think
of all those things, it's hard not to see parallels
from those teams to the team that we currently have.
These guys talk about it their family, They believe in
(10:51):
each other, the brotherhood. Now you able to see a
Washington team find success. We're able to make it to
the NFC Conference championships. Man, gotta imagine there's a pride there.
Be it somebody that was able to get all the way,
be it somebody that lived through those rock star like
Super Bowl wins. Did you feel pride seeing Washington back
(11:14):
on top?
Speaker 3 (11:16):
Oh? Absolutely.
Speaker 4 (11:17):
I mean it's just you know, when you talk about family,
we were family, and you know when you're a family,
you're you're close knit. At least that's how we were
trained to be with on the Coach Gibbs leadership. We
weren't just individual guys that you know, came together for
a moment to practice or to play. We were actually family.
We did everything together, not only on the field, but
(11:39):
off the field too. And so yeah, when you see
other guys have success and doing well and whatever they're
doing on or off the field, there's a pride. There's
a satisfaction that comes along with that.
Speaker 2 (11:54):
You mentioned the word pride.
Speaker 1 (11:55):
I don't think there is a prouder fan base than
the Washington fan base was. Like Doc Walker, he would
tell me after a loss, they'd be out there at
three am at the airport, just there to cheer you on.
Can you put into words what it means for this
fan base, with your history with this team, to finally
have success again and to have optimism for the future.
Speaker 4 (12:16):
Well, it's it's hard to describe the our fan base.
I mean, there's there's there's nothing else like it. I
don't think I've ever and I've never experienced anything else
like that. The love and the compassion and the commitment
(12:38):
that the Washington community.
Speaker 3 (12:41):
Has for their team, for their home team.
Speaker 4 (12:45):
Yeah, every every team says that, you know, our fans
are the best, but I I can't help to say
that our our the Washington fan base is the best.
And we would not have we would not have won
(13:07):
the games that we've we wouldn't have would not have
been able to accomplish the things that we've accomplished if
it wasn't for them. I will step out and say that,
you know, yes, we had talented the guys, we had
good coaching, we had everything else. But if it wasn't
for that little piece, that little fan based next to us,
(13:29):
I don't think we would have been as successful as
we were.
Speaker 2 (13:32):
You know, are you not going to get any arguments
from me.
Speaker 1 (13:35):
I've seen in real time how this fan based travels,
how they show up for their guys, And a big
part of that resurgence right now is Jaden Daniels having
a quarterback like Jayden Daniels.
Speaker 2 (13:45):
Now, I said it to start three ser.
Speaker 1 (13:47):
Waves, three different quarterbacks, So you know a thing or
two about playing with a quarterback that knows how to win.
When you watch Jayden and Daniels to see what he
was able to do his rookie year, what stands out
to you and what makes Jayden Daniels special.
Speaker 4 (13:59):
Well, he's athletic, he's smart, and and he knows his players.
Speaker 3 (14:07):
He knows who can you be, who he.
Speaker 4 (14:10):
Can rely on, who he can count on every quarterback
and never receiver kind of has their their favorites, you know,
so to speak sometimes and but he's he's just a.
Speaker 3 (14:20):
Smart He's just a smart kid.
Speaker 4 (14:23):
You know, some some quarterbacks you have to kind of
teach him where to go with the ball, you know,
the quarterbacks you have to. I mean, he's the kind
of guy that has it all. I guess that is
what I'm trying to say. And so it's not a
lot that you have to tell him what, teach him
what to do. He's got it naturally. And so that's
(14:46):
from my from my standpoint, that's a that's a real
good thing.
Speaker 1 (14:50):
He's a great thing to have having a guy like
Jadan Daniels and a historic rookie quarterback at that. And
I think it's really been great not only seeing Jad
Daniels come in, but see what this new ownership is done.
I don't know if you've seen the new Super Bowl
era alternate jerseys that we bust out, but to me,
that speaks to the way that this ownership in this
(15:12):
organization honors its history, honors it's past. When you've seen
the way that they've been able to bring gods like
you back in Gary Clark, things of that nature, honoring
some of our best to do it.
Speaker 2 (15:23):
What does that mean to you?
Speaker 1 (15:24):
The ownership that hasn't been here long but understands how
important that history is.
Speaker 4 (15:30):
Well, in order to move forward, you always got to
understand your past, and this ownership understands that. And I'm
able to prepare and do the right things to move
to move it forward and continue in that direction. And
so it's it's you know, as a fan, as a
(15:50):
former player, it's great to see that they understand that
and they're doing all the right things to try try
to get back into into the that mode of success
and elevation and you know, moving forward and doing great
(16:11):
things as a team.
Speaker 1 (16:13):
And a big part of that honor in the past
is raising that jersey of that number eighty one jersey
of our monkey. You will have your jersey retired. Now
we haven't gotten there yet, however, can you explain to
me and the fans what do we mean to you
to see that eighty one go up there, see that
monk go up there?
Speaker 3 (16:32):
Man?
Speaker 2 (16:32):
What's that gonna feel like? For you?
Speaker 4 (16:34):
Well, I gosh, it's really really hard to say. And
I've been sitting here these last few days is trying
to digest it, digest it all. And yeah, I think
about the past and the games that we played, and.
Speaker 3 (16:51):
You know it's they're acknowledging me, but I was. I was.
Speaker 4 (16:58):
You know, football is a team sport and so you know,
if it wasn't for the Ricky Sanders or the Gary
Clarks of the Charlie Browns, or the Joke Feiseman's or
the Mark Rippons or the Doug Williams and the offensive
line that we had that was so great, to Kobe
and Russ Grimm and Donny Moore and the others. Robald McKenzie,
(17:27):
I could not I would not be here. Well, i'd
be here, but I would not have had the success
that I've had. And you know there are great receivers
on other teams or have been on other teams, didn't
have that type of support that weren't able to display
(17:50):
and show the success that they could have had in
their careers.
Speaker 2 (17:55):
Well, it's definitely a team game. However, it can't be
taken lightly.
Speaker 1 (17:58):
What you were able to do for so long, what
you were able to do for not only this team,
this organization, what we're able to do for the entire
dm V community.
Speaker 2 (18:06):
This fan base.
Speaker 3 (18:07):
Art.
Speaker 1 (18:07):
You mean so much to us, so I cannot wait
to see you honored on that day and to know
that nobody else will be able to rock that jersey
that only our Monk can truly were Art. Thank you
so much for your time, brother. We appreciate you, and
again you deserve all these flowers that you're gaining.
Speaker 3 (18:23):
Well, thank you, thank you so much. I'm looking forward
to being there.
Speaker 1 (18:27):
Sir, command this family, our next man up, one of
the greatest in the history of the game to ever
lay some up.
Speaker 2 (18:35):
Thanks to Art Monk. Thank you, sir.
Speaker 3 (18:37):
All right, thank you too. Man all right now,
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