High school career

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 went the final 25 games of his career without allowing a quarterback sack. After his senior season, Monroe participated in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl, and was named a SuperPrep All-American, a Parade All-American, and All-USA by USA Today.

Regarded as a five-star recruit by Rivals.com, Monroe was ranked first among the top offensive tackle prospects in 2005. “ 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. Monroe chose Virginia over offers from Florida State, Miami (FL), Nebraska, and Oklahoma, among others.

College career

As a true freshman at Virginia, Monroe played in every game and saw action at left tackle, as back-up to D'Brickashaw Ferguson, and right guard. In his sophomore year, he played in 12 games and started six games, splitting starting duties at left tackle with Zak Stair. As a junior in 2007, Monroe was honorable mention All-ACC selection after starting 11 games at left tackle, missing two games due to knee injury. He did not allowed a sack during the regular season and had 20 knockdown blocks during the regular season, according to Virginia coaches.

In 2008 Monroe was a Unanimous All-Atlantic Coast Conference selection and was voted the ACC's most outstanding blocker. He started all twelve games at left offensive tackle and registered a school season-record 105 knockdowns, according to the coaching staff and had blocking consistency grade of 88.42%.

Professional career

2009 NFL Draft

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.

Pre-draft measurables

Ht	Wt	40-yd dash	10-yd split	20-yd split	20-ss	3-cone	Vert	Broad	BP	Wonderlic
6 ft 5¼ in	309 lb	5.18 s	1.75 s	2.96 s	4.79 s	7.86 s	28½ in	9 ft 2 in	23 reps	24

Jacksonville Jaguars

In an effort to rebuild their offensive line, the Jaguars selected Monroe and Eben Britton with their first two picks. Monroe was expected to compete with veteran free-agent acquisition Tra Thomas for the start at left tackle. On August 14, 2009 the Jaguars agreed to a five-year deal with Monroe.

In the 2012 season, Monroe started all 16 games at left tackle for the team.

Baltimore Ravens

On October 1, 2013, the Jacksonville Jaguars traded Monroe to the Baltimore Ravens in exchange for Baltimore's fourth- and fifth-round draft selections in the 2014 NFL Draft. His uniform number changed from 75 to 60 out of respect to Hall of Famer and former offensive tackle Jonathan Ogden. On March 11, 2014, he re-signed with the Ravens on a five-year, $37.5M deal. On September 24, 2014, Monroe underwent a minor knee surgery, which required 3-4 weeks to recover. On December 12, 2015, he was placed on injured reserve.

Personal life

Monroe has gained national attention for his outspoken criticism of NFL drug testing policy in regards to marijuana. Monroe advocates that marijuana can help players better manage their chronic pain, and that prohibiting its use pushes players to seek treatment with much more dangerous and addictive opioid drugs. Monroe has donated money to research on marijuana and started a website to promote his views. He also penned a personal essay on the subject.

[ Source: Wikipedia ]