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In The Blood Line
12/6/2019 10:00:00 AM | Football
This story originally ran in the 2019 November edition of the Go Duke, the magazine.
Football runs through the family blood of Duke freshman offensive tackle Jacob Monk.
More specifically, Duke football.
Drawn to the sport from a young age, Monk spent countless fall Saturdays throughout his childhood in the stands at Brooks Field at Wallace Wade Stadium from as far back as he can remember as a young boy — dreaming that he would one day have the opportunity to run onto the same field that was in front of him.
"It's a dream come true to walk on this field every Saturday," Monk said. "I've been coming to games since I was five years old every year."
Monk, who grew up in nearby Clayton, N.C., is a second-generation letterman for Duke, as his father Stanley Monk played running back for the Blue Devils from 1984-87.
Stanley rushed for more than 1,100 yards and eight touchdowns, including a pair of 100-yard games. He later went on to sign with the NFL's Dallas Cowboys following his collegiate career.
"My mom always tells me that my first word was football," Monk said. "I don't know how true that actually is but as far back as I can remember I've loved football."
In addition to his dad, his late uncle Quincy Monk played linebacker for North Carolina from 1998-01 before being selected in the seventh round of the 2002 NFL Draft and playing three seasons with the New York Giants (2002-03) and the Houston Texans (2004).
Quincy, who passed away from adenocarcinoma, an aggressive form of cancer in November 2015, led the Tar Heel defense and to a 2001 Peach Bowl victory against Auburn.
Now, in 2019, Jacob is the latest Monk to play college football at a high level.
"Of course, my dad's very happy that I came to Duke," Monk said. "He told me to just keep going even in the hard times. Him and my mom are always there to talk to me and support me."
Monk is living his childhood dream of not only playing at Duke, but he's a rare talent that was able to win a starting job on the offensive line right away.
Coming out of high school ranked as the No. 6 center in the country by ESPN.com, Monk arrived on Duke's campus and enrolled in classes last January ahead of spring practice.
"Jacob came in very mature, physically developed, mentally and emotionally developed in his family structure," said Duke offensive line coach Jim Bridge. "Even for a young freshman he was personally developed well.
"He works hard in the classroom, meeting rooms and on the field to master his craft. What's impressed me the most is his age beyond his years. He's such a mature kid."
A 6-foot-3, 305-pound freshman, Monk is the third true freshman in the Cutcliffe era to start along the offensive line, joining his teammates Rakavius Chambers and Julian Santos.
"To play my first year is a dream come true," he said. "Running onto the field and having one of the greatest coaches of all time, in my opinion, trust me that much really helps me feel good."
After coming to campus, Monk immediately delved into the playbook and became accustomed to the rigors of being a student-athlete at Duke, impressing Bridge and Chambers on the field with his work ethic and ability to quickly grasp the complex blocking schemes.
Planning to pursue a major in political science, Monk also took time to adjust outside of the football field as a Blue Devil, learning how to properly manage his time well in order to succeed academically.
"Academically, the work wasn't necessarily hard but the time management and learning to manage my time was difficult," Monk said. "You have to set aside certain times to do certain things."
Recruited as a center and an offensive guard coming out of high school, Monk had never played offensive tackle until arriving to Duke. In addition to learning a collegiate playbook, he was challenged with learning a position that he had never played before.
Chambers, the 6-3, 310-pound offensive guard, was in the same shoes as Monk two seasons ago, playing all 13 games on the offensive line during the 2017 season and being forced to quickly adjust to college football.
"I told him that he needed to be sure that he went in during the spring, do a lot of work and trust that football is a grind every single day," Chambers said.
When teammate Robert Kraeling went down to injury in spring practice, Monk was able to make the most of his opportunity, climbing the depth chart and earning a starting nod.
"After Kraeling went down in the spring, Coach put me in there," Monk said. "I didn't really know the position but they kept staying with me and believing in me.
"Coach Bridge has been a huge reason I've been able to grasp the information as fast as I can because of the reason he teaches it to me. I'm really thankful he's my coach here."
Monk's first collegiate start came in Atlanta against none other than college football national power Alabama, a program boasting four of the last nine national championships and five consecutive trips to the College Football Playoff.
From there, Monk has been a staple along the offensive line, starting every game at right tackle and lining up next to Chambers.
"I've seen him grow a lot even from the spring," Chambers said. "He's a quick learner, it's been really impressive to see what he's done so far and see how much he's grown."
A player with a strong work ethic, the sky is the limit for Monk in terms of his potential at Duke and beyond, according to Bridge and Chambers.
"I don't think he has a ceiling," Chambers said. "I haven't seen it. His ability and desire to be great will take him as far as he wants to go. He's going to be a great football player here at Duke and in the NFL."
And according to Chambers, Monk is still the same kid who used to go to Duke football games as a kid and enjoys the game.
"He's like a kid, he just loves football and being around the game," Chambers said.
He's also living his dream of playing Duke football.
Â
Football runs through the family blood of Duke freshman offensive tackle Jacob Monk.
More specifically, Duke football.
Drawn to the sport from a young age, Monk spent countless fall Saturdays throughout his childhood in the stands at Brooks Field at Wallace Wade Stadium from as far back as he can remember as a young boy — dreaming that he would one day have the opportunity to run onto the same field that was in front of him.
"It's a dream come true to walk on this field every Saturday," Monk said. "I've been coming to games since I was five years old every year."
Monk, who grew up in nearby Clayton, N.C., is a second-generation letterman for Duke, as his father Stanley Monk played running back for the Blue Devils from 1984-87.
Stanley rushed for more than 1,100 yards and eight touchdowns, including a pair of 100-yard games. He later went on to sign with the NFL's Dallas Cowboys following his collegiate career.
"My mom always tells me that my first word was football," Monk said. "I don't know how true that actually is but as far back as I can remember I've loved football."
In addition to his dad, his late uncle Quincy Monk played linebacker for North Carolina from 1998-01 before being selected in the seventh round of the 2002 NFL Draft and playing three seasons with the New York Giants (2002-03) and the Houston Texans (2004).
Quincy, who passed away from adenocarcinoma, an aggressive form of cancer in November 2015, led the Tar Heel defense and to a 2001 Peach Bowl victory against Auburn.
Now, in 2019, Jacob is the latest Monk to play college football at a high level.
"Of course, my dad's very happy that I came to Duke," Monk said. "He told me to just keep going even in the hard times. Him and my mom are always there to talk to me and support me."
Monk is living his childhood dream of not only playing at Duke, but he's a rare talent that was able to win a starting job on the offensive line right away.
Coming out of high school ranked as the No. 6 center in the country by ESPN.com, Monk arrived on Duke's campus and enrolled in classes last January ahead of spring practice.
"Jacob came in very mature, physically developed, mentally and emotionally developed in his family structure," said Duke offensive line coach Jim Bridge. "Even for a young freshman he was personally developed well.
"He works hard in the classroom, meeting rooms and on the field to master his craft. What's impressed me the most is his age beyond his years. He's such a mature kid."
A 6-foot-3, 305-pound freshman, Monk is the third true freshman in the Cutcliffe era to start along the offensive line, joining his teammates Rakavius Chambers and Julian Santos.
"To play my first year is a dream come true," he said. "Running onto the field and having one of the greatest coaches of all time, in my opinion, trust me that much really helps me feel good."
After coming to campus, Monk immediately delved into the playbook and became accustomed to the rigors of being a student-athlete at Duke, impressing Bridge and Chambers on the field with his work ethic and ability to quickly grasp the complex blocking schemes.
Planning to pursue a major in political science, Monk also took time to adjust outside of the football field as a Blue Devil, learning how to properly manage his time well in order to succeed academically.
"Academically, the work wasn't necessarily hard but the time management and learning to manage my time was difficult," Monk said. "You have to set aside certain times to do certain things."
Recruited as a center and an offensive guard coming out of high school, Monk had never played offensive tackle until arriving to Duke. In addition to learning a collegiate playbook, he was challenged with learning a position that he had never played before.
Chambers, the 6-3, 310-pound offensive guard, was in the same shoes as Monk two seasons ago, playing all 13 games on the offensive line during the 2017 season and being forced to quickly adjust to college football.
"I told him that he needed to be sure that he went in during the spring, do a lot of work and trust that football is a grind every single day," Chambers said.
When teammate Robert Kraeling went down to injury in spring practice, Monk was able to make the most of his opportunity, climbing the depth chart and earning a starting nod.
"After Kraeling went down in the spring, Coach put me in there," Monk said. "I didn't really know the position but they kept staying with me and believing in me.
"Coach Bridge has been a huge reason I've been able to grasp the information as fast as I can because of the reason he teaches it to me. I'm really thankful he's my coach here."
Monk's first collegiate start came in Atlanta against none other than college football national power Alabama, a program boasting four of the last nine national championships and five consecutive trips to the College Football Playoff.
From there, Monk has been a staple along the offensive line, starting every game at right tackle and lining up next to Chambers.
"I've seen him grow a lot even from the spring," Chambers said. "He's a quick learner, it's been really impressive to see what he's done so far and see how much he's grown."
A player with a strong work ethic, the sky is the limit for Monk in terms of his potential at Duke and beyond, according to Bridge and Chambers.
"I don't think he has a ceiling," Chambers said. "I haven't seen it. His ability and desire to be great will take him as far as he wants to go. He's going to be a great football player here at Duke and in the NFL."
And according to Chambers, Monk is still the same kid who used to go to Duke football games as a kid and enjoys the game.
"He's like a kid, he just loves football and being around the game," Chambers said.
He's also living his dream of playing Duke football.
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