In honor of Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser and Managing Partner of the Washington Commanders Josh Harris announcing a deal to bring the team home and activate 180 acres of opportunity at the RFK campus, Commanders.com is looking back at some of the team's greatest moments at its former stadium. Today, we're highlighting Hall of Fame wide receiver Art Monk making NFL history and securing his 820th career catch in a home game against the Denver Broncos.
For one of the few times in his life, wide receiver Art Monk was nervous before an NFL game.
On the eve of the Redskins' Monday Night Football matchup with the Broncos at RFK Stadium in 1992, Monk knew he had the opportunity to break the NFL receptions record that night in front of nearly 53,000 fans, only needing a few catches to reach the record of 820 career receptions.
Monk wanted to get it out of the way, and so did Washington. The team, fresh off its Super Bowl run from the previous year, was 2-2 heading into the matchup and had a tough slate ahead, including two division games and a road game against a talented Minnesota Vikings squad.
For a moment, it looked as though the record would have to wait. Washington was crushing the Broncos with a 31-3 lead heading into the fourth quarter, and throwing the ball wasn't particularly practical. But head coach Joe Gibbs pressed on to the point where that was the team's main objective. Fans who didn't leave early for traffic were rewarded for their patience.
"We padded those last three plays for him," Gibbs said after the game.
Gibbs called three pass plays in a row for the eventual Hall of Famer during a final fourth quarter drive. Quarterback Mark Rypien said it was "the toughest part of the game," because there were players beside Monk who were open. However, Rypien and Monk's teammates -- as well as Monk himself -- knew who was getting the ball.
The final play -- the record-setter -- was a 10-yard reception near the Broncos' sideline. The players in the huddle knew the significance of the moment with one of them saying, "This is it."
That created some pressure, Monk said, but he did what Hall of Famers normally do: he made the catch, pushing him past Steve Largent, and had a grin on his face as his teammates rushed the field to lift him off his feet.
"It was a play designed for me to catch," Monk said after the game. "I'm glad it's over. I was nervous before the game -- that's something I'm not used to. I was glad to be able to do it here."
Washington won the game, 34-3, and improved their record to 3-2, but night will be remembered more as another addition to what ended up being a stacked resume for Monk. He went on to become the first-ever player to reach 900 receptions and finished with 940 in his career. He had 12,026 receiving yards, which still stand as the most in franchise history, in 14 seasons with the Burgundy & Gold.
And while his career receptions number has now fallen to 24th, it is still regarded as one of the more impressive accomplishments in NFL history.
