When a college football program produces an NFL great, it strives to etch their jersey in history to honor their talent and the recognition they brought to the school. And this time, this honor might be coming in late, but coming nonetheless. A former star of this program will be making a trip back to where it all started for a special honor. The school will officially hang up the legend’s jersey for good, which was a long due feat for the player. This star has heaps of personal achievements both in college football and the NFL, and three Super Bowl titles to cap it all off.
Jersey retirements are a big thing in football. Deion Sanders retired the jersey of Travis Hunter right after he completed his CFB career. It was a quick decision, considering Hunter is yet to catch his first NFL pass. But we know we will never see a dual-phenom like Hunter soon. It’s those kinds of players who become irreplaceable. Now, Syracuse will be retiring the jersey of Washington phenom Art Monk. The iconic No. 45 put forward a career that demands nothing but sheer respect and admiration.
Syracuse football announced the news on their social media. “Honoring a legend Art Monk will have his jersey retired on Saturday, November 29th to celebrate a legacy that redefined excellence on and off the field!” the caption read. The Orange will play Boston College that day, marking a phenomenal day at the Syracuse dome. It was a long wait for the icon, considering it’s been 35 years since Monk bowed out of Syracuse football as one of the best the program has ever produced. He will attend this memorable night after his jersey retirement event in Washington on November 2.
Honoring a legend
Art Monk will have his jersey retired on Saturday, November 29th to celebrate a legacy that redefined excellence on and off the field! https://t.co/9adOBMHqqz pic.twitter.com/u87dSeMAq7
— Syracuse Football (@CuseFootball) July 29, 2025
Monk played Syracuse football from 1976 to 1979, racking up a slew of honors and personal records. He is still a name in some career stats leaderboards among the Orange. Despite his illustrious career in the NFL, he had to wait a long time before getting his due credit for his contributions. His jaw-dropping total of 12,206 yards is the most in Washington history, and in his 15-year-long career, he only saw 3 losing seasons. Monk retired with the most career yards in 1995, but he held that record for a very short time. But it was only in 2008 that he was able to enter the Hall of Fame, becoming the 6th Syracuse footballer to get the honor.
Syracuse bestowing the grand honor on Monk this year was also a much-delayed feat.
Syracuse’s honor was long due for a star like Art Monk
When Art Monk was officially enshrined in the Hall of Fame, he received the longest standing ovation in its history – that’s how much impact his career has created. The receiver has the 6th highest total of career receptions, 7th highest all-time receiving yards, and 9th in yards per game. 35 years on, he is still featured on those leaderboards. He finished his Syracuse career with 102 receptions, 1,644 yards, and 9 touchdowns. He was a force to be reckoned with on the ground, rushing for 1,174 yards. And yet, Monk had to wait 3 decades to see his jersey go up in the JMA dome’s southeast corner.
Syracuse’s decision comes after the Commanders announced they would retire Monk’s NFL jersey, No. 81. That is also after new head coach Josh Harris led the talks for this major honor. Monk is the only Syracuse player to lead the program for 3 straight seasons in receiving. His last with the Orange, in 1979, he played in a schedule that saw no home games. And after that, Monk went on to be selected in the 1st round of the 1980 draft. In his 15-season-long career, the WR earned 2 All-Pro honors, 3 Pro-Bowl selections, and 3 Super Bowl wins.
Art Monk is known to keep his pit extremely private, never really one for prominent on-camera interactions. But his on-field dominance alone spoke volumes about his sheer talent. We know November 29 is going to be a packed night at the Dome, with fans thronging the venue to see the special event unfold.
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