A Hall of Mystery

Byline: Leonard Shapiro

Five years after Randy Moss retires from football, he almost certainly will be a first ballot selection to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Five years after he became eligible for induction, Art Monk still hasn't been voted into Canton, and may have several more years to wait.

What's wrong with this picture?

As a Hall of Fame selector for the last 23 years, I remain mystified by my fellow selectors refusal to judge Monk as one of the greatest and certainly most productive receivers in the history of the National Football League.

At the moment, no receiver in the Hall has more receptions. And when he retired, no receiver in football had more, either. That alone ought to have been enough to punch Monk's ticket. Oh yes, did we mention that he played on four teams that went to Super Bowls, with three of them winning championships.

Steve Largent and Charlie Joiner are in the Hall of Fame, both of them fine receivers. But neither man came close to Monk in catches, or Super Bowl titles, in fact never played for contending teams. The Redskins, with Monk on the field and Joe Gibbs on the sidelines, contended for division titles every year he was in Washington, and Monk was a major reason why.

When I go to the selection meetings, hardly anyone ever speaks ill of Monk. The few nay sayers always point out that he never had a spectacular catch or huge play in a Super Bowl or conference title game, the way, say, Lynn Swann did with the Steelers of the 1970s.

I always argue that was never Monk's role. He caught the tough pass over the middle, the critical third down reception at the sideline that kept the chains moving and allowed John Riggins to score on the ground many of the touchdowns other teams likely would have thrown through the air.

One or two others say opposing defensive coordinators have told them they were more concerned about getting beaten deep by Gary Clarke or Ricky Sanders. But I've never met a defensive coordinator yet who didn't want to be embarrassed by the 50-yard bomb and spent sleepless nights doing anything in their power to avoid such a calamity. Clarke, Sanders and other assorted Smurfs plunged daggers into defenses, Monk merely killed them a little more softly, but just as effectively.

Monk's value to his team also wasn't always translated in the game's cold, hard statistics. The Redskins were a power running team in those days, and Monk was a brilliant blocker, often cutting down potential tacklers that allowed John Riggins, Joe Washington, Earnest Byner and George Rogers extra yards beyond the line of scrimmage. Gibbs even used him to protect his quarterback occasionally, and Monk never once complained.

He also was the strong silent type in the clubhouse, a man who hated the harsh glare of the public spotlight and chose not to use his locker stall as a podium to advance his own or any other cause. There are some who believe his reluctance to grant interviews may now be hurting his chances in getting into the Hall, but I'd like to believe my fellow voters would be above such pettiness in judging his qualifications for entry.

This is a guy who clearly would be a credit to Canton. Before, during or after his playing days, he has always been a solid citizen, a man who gave to the community without tooting his own horn, a player who showed rookies and new arrivals the proper way to train and prepare, a loving husband and father and good neighbor according to anyone who has ever come in contact with him.

Which brings us to Randy Moss, the anti-Monk if you will and the epitome of the me-first player of the 21st Century.

Even one of his best friends on the Minnesota Vikings, quarterback Daunte Culpepper, was quoted as saying perhaps it was time for Moss to move on, if nothing but for the good of the team. Moss was Culpepper's favorite target, one of the most physically gifted players in the history of the game, yet his quarterback had no qualms about moving on without him.

That should tell you all you have to know about Randy Moss, the person.

Randy Moss the football player likely will flourish in Oakland, where he will team with native Washingtonian Jerry Porter to give the Raiders arguably the best receiving duo in football. Head Coach Norv Turner, always considered an offensive whiz, will surely open up the offense, especially with strong-armed Kerry Collins at quarterback.

Moss will pile up the catches and the yards and the touchdowns, and eventually he will be a first ballot Hall of Fame selection. I only hope Art Monk gets in long before that day arrives. In one man's opinion, he's far more deserving, by any measure you care to choose.

Questions or comments? Send Len an e-mail.

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