Eugene Monroe

The pair became the first two rookie tackles to start together on opening day since the 1982 season of the St. Louis Cardinals.

Eugene Christopher Monroe (born April 18, 1987) is a former American football offensive tackle who played seven seasons in the National Football League (NFL).

Regarded as a five-star recruit by Rivals.com, Monroe was ranked the top offensive line prospect in 2005 and third overall among all positions.

"[Monroe] has everything: great footwork, balance, excels as both a run and pass blocker and is able to dominate in both the run and pass game. The perfect left tackle for some lucky college," said Tom Lemming, ESPN recruiting analyst.

He chose Virginia over offers from Florida State, Miami (FL), Nebraska, and Oklahoma, among others.

Monroe played four seasons of college football at the University of Virginia.

As a true freshman in 2005 he appeared in all 12 games, serving as a backup to D'Brickashaw Ferguson at left tackle while also spending time at right guard.

In 2006, Monroe suffered a dislocated left kneecap during April camp which required surgery.

He recovered to play in all 12 games with 7 starts on the year, allowing just four quarterback pressures and no sacks.

Monroe started 11 games at left tackle in 2007, missing two games due to a sprained knee.

He 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.

Monroe started all 12 games at left tackle in 2008, setting school records with 105 knockdowns/key blocks and 16 blocks that resulted in a touchdown.

He was the recipient of the Jacobs Blocking Trophy and a unanimous All-ACC selection.

Monroe was widely believed to be one of the top two offensive tackles available in the Draft (alongside Jason Smith).

Particularly praised for his pass blocking ability, Monroe drew comparisons to Walter Jones.

He was selected eighth overall by the Jacksonville Jaguars, a pick that was declared a "steal" by Sports Illustrated's Tony Pauline.

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.

Selected eighth overall in the 2009 NFL Draft, he spent the early years of his pro career with the Jacksonville Jaguars until a trade sent him to the Baltimore Ravens during the 2013 regular season.

In an effort to rebuild their offensive line, the Jacksonville Jaguars selected Monroe and Eben Britton with their first two picks in the 2009 NFL Draft.

Monroe signed a five-year deal with the Jaguars on August 14, 2009.

During his time in Jacksonville, Monroe established himself as a cornerstone of the Jaguars offense, starting 62 of 65 games played and missing only 3 of 68 due to injury.

In 2012, he started all 16 games and was one of only two Jaguars to play every snap.

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.

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.

Upon arriving in Baltimore, Monroe switched his uniform number to 60 due to Jonathan Ogden's #75 being unofficially retired by the Ravens.

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.

Over the next two seasons Monroe struggled to remain healthy.

He underwent arthroscopic knee surgery in September 2014 which caused him to miss four straight games.

He also missed the final regular season game of 2014 and both postseason games due to an ankle injury.

In 2015, Monroe played in only six games, of which he finished three.

He suffered a concussion on the first offensive drive of the season and missed the next three games.

A shoulder injury also caused him to miss week 8 and the last six games of the season.

Monroe was place on injured reserve on December 12 and had surgery to repair his left shoulder shortly afterwards.

Released by the Ravens in June 2016, Monroe announced his retirement from football one month later at the age of 29, citing concerns over head trauma sustained during his career.

Monroe played college football at Virginia.

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.

Monroe played at Plainfield High School in Plainfield, New Jersey, where he was teammates with Donald Jones.

A two-time first-team All-State lineman, Monroe did not allow a quarterback sack in the last three seasons of his high school career.

After his senior season, Monroe participated in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl, and was recognized with Super Prep All-American, Parade All-American, and USA Today All-USA honors.

Monroe was released by the Ravens on June 16, 2016.