In today's Rewarding Moments In Redskins History presented by Maryland Lottery My Lottery Rewards, we look back at Redskins' receiver Art Monk breaking the league's all-time receptions record in 1992.*
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, only needing a few catches to reach the record of 820.
For a moment, on that Oct. 12 night, it looked as though the record would have to wait. The Redskins were dominating the Broncos late in the contest and it looked as though the team would become more conservative with the play calling. However, with Monk still not at the record, the Redskins continued to use the passing game.
During one of the final drives of the fourth quarter, three pass plays were called consecutively. The third pass was the record-setter, a 10-yard throw from Mark Rypien that Monk caught by the Broncos sideline with just more than three minutes left to play. The reception made history, pushing past Steve Largent, and Monk was quickly lifted into the air by his teammates to celebrate.
"I knew it was for the record. It was a play designed for me to catch," Monk said after the Redskins' eventual 34-3 victory. "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."
With the game in hand, those that didn't leave early for traffic were rewarded for their patience and roared for their wide receiver.
Monk finished the night with seven catches for 69 yards and would finish his career with 940 receptions, now 19th overall on the all-time receptions list in NFL history.
