Monroe enters final season

By Jerry Ratcliffe

Published: August 16, 2008

The first thing big Eugene Monroe noticed when he sat down and looked around the meeting room as Virginia’s football team started training camp was the presence of a lot of fresh faces.
“I look back at the freshmen and I feel like I’m ancient around here,” Monroe said.
Is it really possible that the massive offensive tackle is already a senior? Seems as if he was one of those freshmen in the back of the room only yesterday.
The Cavaliers are delighted that Monroe is back for another year considering all the personnel losses from last season’s Gator Bowl squad. Considering he’s one of only two returning starters on the offensive line, the Cavaliers are overjoyed he’s back.
Monroe intends on making his last year his best and as far as he’s concerned nothing’s going to get in his way. If it does, it doesn’t stand much of a chance against this 6-foot-6, 315-pound steamroller of a man.
“I’m excited about my last year here,” Monroe said at an octave as deep as the voice of doom. “I just want to win games.”
Those who observe from the NFL ranks believe that the offensive left tackle, who didn’t give up a single sack during the regular season last year, is the next great Virginia lineman. Like those before him, D’Brickashaw Ferguson (Jets) and Branden Albert (Chiefs), Monroe projects as a strong candidate for All-American and as a first-round draft choice.
UVa coach Al Groh, a pretty good judge of talent, is one of those.
“Gene is a player that really caught people’s attention here early,” Groh said. “He finished at a high level last year and it looks like he’s already beyond that level. He had an awesome summer and it’s looking right now like he can have a season comparable to any of those who preceded him.”
An honorable mention All-ACC choice last season, Monroe may have been the most underrated player in the conference, much as his former teammate Albert was the year before. But Monroe isn’t worried about that stuff. Certainly he’d like to be an All-American, but he’s putting all that stuff behind him for now, choosing to focus more on the present.
“I’m only concerned about this season and whatever happens after that will take care of itself,” Monroe said.
He’s hoping that all the knowledge he accumulated from working behind Ferguson, alongside Albert and across the line from yet another All-American, defensive end Chris Long, will help him make Virginia’s offense just a little better this season.
Monroe will never forget walking into the weightroom at the McCue Center his freshman year and seeing Ferguson working out. To say the high school All-American was in awe would be an understatement. It was at that point he understood that college football required more work than perhaps he had realized.
Ranked the No. 1 high school lineman in the country by some recruiting services, and the No. 3 overall prospect in the country by yet another, the Plainfield, N.J., blue-chipper checked what little ego he had at the door when he walked into Virginia’s football program.
Surrounded by sportswriters at his freshman training camp, Monroe explained to them that what he had accomplished in high school no longer mattered, that he was starting fresh and had a lot to learn.
“That was probably the truest thing I’ve ever said,” Monroe pointed out during last weekend’s media chat. “It was just so different coming in and making the transition. Each year everything is new. Each year you renew yourself. There’s different challenges to be met, but I’ve loved my experience here.”
He took a lot from Ferguson, who always advised him that no matter what to keep working hard. Monroe has taken that to heart, although a series of injuries, including a dislocated kneecap, have caused him to miss some time along the way.
“Brick was a true leader,” said Monroe, whom teammates sometime refer to as ‘Brick Jr.’ “I could come to him if I needed help or he would just see me and just offer help. It was an incredible experience for my first year.”
That’s when Virginia’s coaches slowly moved the big lineman onto the special teams, then at right guard, then behind Brick at left tackle, Monroe’s future home. That’s when he was paired up alongside another mountainous figure in Albert, who became almost a brother to Monroe.
The two hung out together, even went Valentine’s Day shopping for their girlfriends together.
“I talk to Branden every week,” Monroe said of his pal, who is in Chiefs training camp.
Then there was Long, who credited some of his own development to going against Ferguson in practice early in his career. Long returned the favor by helping Monroe and Albert develop into better linemen.
How could it get any tougher for a lineman than to have to defend against Long?
“Obviously Chris was a phenomenal player and being able to go against him every rep in every practice helped me accelerate my game that much further, that much faster,” Monroe said.
Groh said that while folks attempt to compare Ferguson and Monroe, they’re really two different types of tackles. Ferguson was technique oriented from the start because he came to UVa as an undersized tackle who had to rely on technique and an incredible athletic ability to make up for the lack of size and power.
Meanwhile, Monroe came equipped with what many recruiting gurus described as an NFL body. However, the injuries slowed his development, causing him to miss nearly two springs and part of an August training camp. Brick never missed anything.
“But Gene’s catching up now,” Groh was quick to point out. “The most apparent thing with Gene right now is the big step up in his technique.”
That will have NFL scouts frothing at the mouth until next April.
But that’s a long way off in Monroe’s thinking. August 30 is the only date on his mind. That’s when Southern Cal comes to town in one of the biggest games ever in Scott Stadium.
Certainly the rest of the line will be looking to Big Gene The Blocking Machine for leadership just as Monroe looked upon the Brick a few years ago. If he can lead them the way Ferguson did, then this offense just might raise a few eyebrows.