It was a cloudy morning in Florida when Art Monk got a knock at his door.

Monk was not expecting visitors, never mind some of his former teammates like Gary Clark, Ricky Sanders and Doug Williams standing on his patio. They were joined by Washington Commanders Managing Partner Josh Harris, Team President Mark Clouse and several family members, all wearing t-shirts with his old jersey number and ear-to-ear smiles on their faces. They were there to tell him that no Washington player would wear No. 81 ever again.

All Monk could muster was, "What the...?"

Monk, the team's all-time leading receiver, has been a living embodiment of the franchise's greatest era. His 16-year career, 14 of which were in Washington, was filled with Super Bowl victories, Pro Bowls and All-Pro selections. He was listed as one of Washington's greatest players and inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame as well as the team's Ring of Fame after a historic career.

Now, Monk is among the select few players to have their jerseys retired by the franchise, with the honor coming on Nov. 2 during the team's Week 9 game vs. Seattle on Sunday Night Football.

"I've been sitting here these last few days just trying to digest it all," Monk said.

Monk was not expecting to receive the honor, which speaks to the way he has approached the game throughout his life, dating back to when he was playing with his friends in the street with a half-inflated football. He played because he loved the sport and did not expect any awards or accolades in return, which was partly why he was so beloved by his teammates.

And yet, Monk found success at every level of his playing career. He was an instant contributor with Washington after a four-year career with Syracuse -- he remains one of the top receivers in program history -- and was named a unanimous All-Rookie selection for setting a franchise rookie record-breaking 58 receptions. He broke numerous other team records, including scrimmage yards, receptions and consecutive games with at least one catch. He was the first player to record over 100 receptions in the Super Bowl Era, reach 820 receptions in a career and record a catch in 180 consecutive games.

What Monk remembers and appreciates most, however, are the players he suited up with over the years. He was a member of both "The Posse," which included Sanders and Clark, and "The Fun Bunch" alongside Virgil Seay, Charlie Brown, Alvin Garrett, Rick "Doc" Walker and Don Warren. Both groups brought the franchise Super Bowls and made league history as well as add their own personal flair to the team.

"It was a lot of fun," Monk said. "No matter where we were...it was just a lot of fun. We laughed all the time but we also took our job seriously. But during the offseason, we just enjoyed being around each other. We fed off of each other; we challenged each other. We helped make each other what we ended up becoming."

Monk is the only Hall of Famer from either group, but he credits others for his success as much as his own work ethic. "They're acknowledging me," he said, "but football is a team sport." He believes that had it not been for the players around him -- he listed off Clark, Williams, Brown, Sanders, quarterback Mark Rypien and "The Hogs" among several others -- he would not be in the position to have his jersey retired.

"There are these great receivers on other teams...but didn't have that type of support and weren't able to display and show the success that they could have had in their careers."

Monk recalls a sentiment from former head coach Joe Gibbs, who constantly reminded him and his teammates that "you're not by yourself on this team."

"You can't survive," Monk said. "You can't succeed without the other ... It wasn't about me; it was about us as a team."

Monk made sure he did his part -- something he did better than most from the time he was first introduced to the sport.

"Obviously, you want to win when you play the game, but I just loved the game that much," Monk said. "I just wanted to play it, and anytime I had the chance to do so...I did. And in doing that, it led me from one platform to another and obviously into the NFL. There's nothing like it. There's a high you get from it that you can't get doing anything else."

That's one of several reasons why Monk's teammates always returned that respect.

"You showed us what greatness looked like every single day in your work ethic and your humility and how you carried this franchise with dignity," Clark told Monk. "You changed the standard for wide receivers not just here in Washington, but across the league."

Monk knows he was a great wide receiver -- there is too much evidence to suggest otherwise. His teammates will point to how hard he worked every day, practiced hard so he could be available each Sunday, and his consistent reliable production. They will point to how good of person he was and how he was there for them, both on and off the field, as the reason why it is an easy decision for the team to honor Monk in a manner that Clark said "should have been done a long time ago."

Monk, however, would point his finger back at them.

"I can 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," Monk said. "One could not do their job without the other."