Today, Redskins’ great Art Monk is being inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.  He played for the ‘Skins from 1980-1993, the “glory years” that created so many great memories of watching football with by dad and brother, including 3 Super Bowl wins. 

He’s been eligible for the past seven years, but was passed over each time.    I’ll resist reciting a bunch of relevant stats, but suffice it to say he belongs in the Hall.  It’s no secret that part of why he took so long to be inducted is that he didn’t lobby for his induction, nor did he ask anyone else to.  He played his retirement the same way he played the game: quietly.

When I was a kid, I learned a lot of lessons from Art Monk.  Work hard.  Never quit.  Stay humble.  Let your play do the talking.  If others want to compliment your accomplishments, accept their praise gracefully, but don’t seek it out.  If people want to talk badly about you, take the high road and ignore them.  It’s always about the team, never the individual. 

These lessons were reinforced by my dad, when he coached me in high school (lacrosse, not football — alas, I’m just a li’l guy).  I carried them on when I coached my lacrosse team in college, a responsibility I’ve often credited with helping prepare me for my job at Viget.

A couple years ago I had a chance to meet Art at a local charity event.  I told him that he was an inspiration to me in sports but more significantly in business.  I told him I try to approach my career the way he seemed to approach his, and that I always appreciated his influence.  I also told him that I looked forward to the day that the Hall of Fame voters would wake up and vote him in.  He reacted as I would have expected him to — he just smiled, thanked me graciously, and shook my hand.

So today, congrats to Art Monk, and kudos to the voters for finally seeing the light.