Eugene Christopher Monroe was born on April 18,1987 and is a former American football offensive tackle who played seven seasons in the National Football League.
40 Facts About Eugene Monroe
2.
Eugene Monroe is an outspoken advocate for the medical use of cannabis, and is noted for being the first active NFL player to publicly challenge league policy on the issue.
3.
Eugene Monroe played at Plainfield High School in Plainfield, New Jersey, where he was teammates with Donald Jones.
4.
Eugene Monroe chose Virginia over offers from Florida State, Miami, Nebraska, and Oklahoma, among others.
5.
Eugene Monroe played four seasons of college football at the University of Virginia.
6.
In 2006, Eugene Monroe suffered a dislocated left kneecap during April camp which required surgery.
7.
Eugene Monroe recovered to play in all 12 games with 7 starts on the year, allowing just four quarterback pressures and no sacks.
8.
Eugene Monroe started 11 games at left tackle in 2007, missing two games due to a sprained knee.
9.
Eugene Monroe allowed zero sacks and only one QB pressure while leading the conference with 15 touchdown-resulting blocks, earning him an All-ACC mention from the league's coaches.
10.
Eugene Monroe was the recipient of the Jacobs Blocking Trophy and a unanimous All-ACC selection.
11.
Eugene Monroe was widely believed to be one of the top two offensive tackles available in the Draft.
12.
Particularly praised for his pass blocking ability, Eugene Monroe drew comparisons to Walter Jones.
13.
Eugene Monroe was selected eighth overall by the Jacksonville Jaguars, a pick that was declared a "steal" by Sports Illustrated's Tony Pauline.
14.
Eugene Monroe was the third offensive lineman from Virginia selected in the top 15 of an NFL draft in four years, following D'Brickashaw Ferguson and Branden Albert.
15.
Eugene Monroe signed a five-year deal with the Jaguars on August 14,2009.
16.
Eugene Monroe was considered to be one of Jacksonville's best players when he was traded to the Baltimore Ravens four games into the 2013 season.
17.
Eugene Monroe was traded from the Jacksonville Jaguars to the Baltimore Ravens on October 3,2013, in exchange for Baltimore's fourth- and fifth-round selections in the 2014 NFL Draft.
18.
Eugene Monroe finished out the final year of his contract in 2013, then signed a new 5-year, $37.5 million deal with the Ravens on March 11,2014.
19.
Eugene Monroe underwent arthroscopic knee surgery in September 2014 which caused him to miss four straight games.
20.
Eugene Monroe missed the final regular season game of 2014 and both postseason games due to an ankle injury.
21.
In 2015, Eugene Monroe played in only six games, of which he finished three.
22.
Eugene Monroe suffered a concussion on the first offensive drive of the season and missed the next three games.
23.
Eugene Monroe was released by the Ravens on June 16,2016.
24.
Eugene Monroe had the highest base salary on the team and had been plagued by injury problems that caused him to miss 17 of 34 regular season and postseason games the previous two years.
25.
Eugene Monroe disclosed that he had recently noticed signs of memory loss and planned to undergo a battery of tests to evaluate his current health status.
26.
Eugene Monroe has been an outspoken advocate for removing cannabis from the list of banned substances in the NFL.
27.
Eugene Monroe has pointed to the heavy use of addictive opioid drugs in the league and says players should not be punished for choosing a safer alternative that could help them better manage their pain.
28.
Eugene Monroe has cited the neuroprotective properties of cannabis that could help treat and prevent the serious brain injuries and diseases that are well-documented among NFL players.
29.
Eugene Monroe has contributed funding to medical cannabis research and started a website to promote his views.
30.
Eugene Monroe has penned a personal essay on the subject.
31.
Eugene Monroe has been joined by a number of retired NFL players who have attested to the medicinal benefits of cannabis and called on the league to change its stance, including Jim McMahon, Jake Plummer, Kyle Turley, Nate Jackson, Eben Britton, Leonard Marshall, and Marvin Washington.
32.
Eugene Monroe was later joined by Derrick Morgan of the Tennessee Titans when the two appeared together in a June 2016 interview with Katie Couric.
33.
Eugene Monroe was named as a founding member of the committee.
34.
Also in November 2016, Eugene Monroe was among the signatories of an open letter addressed to the NFL, urging a change in the league's policy towards cannabis.
35.
Eugene Monroe has served as Athletics Ambassador for DFCR and co-chair of its NFL steering committee.
36.
Eugene Monroe was named chairman of the "Yes on 4" campaign in Maryland that was formed to support the passage of Question 4 in 2022 to legalize cannabis for recreational use.
37.
Eugene Monroe authored an op-ed in The Washington Post titled "The case for legalizing marijuana in Maryland".
38.
Eugene Monroe is the youngest of 16 children in his family.
39.
Eugene Monroe graduated with a degree in sociology from the University of Virginia in 2009.
40.
Eugene Monroe is married to Nureya Monroe who he met while attending UVA.