Art Monk never displayed the behavior that we’ve come to expect from receivers.  Monk wasn’t brash, he wasn’t loud, and he didn’t draw attention to himself.

Instead, he did his job, did it well, and waited for the next opportunity to do it again.

His reward for humility?  Until this year, he got lost in the shuffle when it came to qualifying for Canton.

But that won’t happen to him here.  The award we give out each year to the guy whom we regard as the best receiver in the NFL will be named for Monk.

The first recipient is Giants receiver Plaxico Burress.

Burress suffered torn ankle ligaments in Week Two of the 2007 NFL season.  He didn’t whine, he didn’t complain.  Instead, he did his job, did it well, and waited for the next opportunity to do it again.

Despite a stellar regular season, Burress earned this one with his performance in the NFC title game, during which he tore up Pro Bowler Al Harris, delivering a performance that arguably made the difference between going to the Super Bowl and going home.

He capped off an epic campaign by delivering the game-winning reception despite the bum ankle and a partially torn MCL suffered in a shower mishap.

After the game, Plaxico’s rare display of emotion convinced us that the once moody and immature receiver has made a dramatic change.  If his example would be heeded by all of the drama queens who think that the ability to run fast and catch a ball somehow puts them at a higher level than their teammates, there wouldn’t be nearly as much drama for sites like this one to write about.