Photo courtesy of University of Virginia

Virginia offensive lineman Eugene Monroe has been mentioned as a potential first-round pick in the 2009 NFL Draft.

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- Close to 20 Virginia players had done Tuesday interviews this season before the projected No. 1 NFL Draft pick strolled through the door for the first time.

Eugene Monroe's first session with UVa's beat reporters came one week after his 17-year-old offensive linemate, Austin Pasztor, had conducted a teleconference in which he regaled the media with tales of his Canadian upbringing.

Clearly, Monroe doesn't crave the limelight, but he'd better get used to it.

Three years after coming out of Plainfield (N.J.) High School as the nation's No. 1-rated prospect, as chosen by SuperPrep magazine, Monroe stands atop draft guru Mel Kiper's "Big Board."

"I wouldn't say I'm oblivious to it," said Monroe, a 6-foot-6, 315-pounder. "It's unavoidable. I hear it every day. At the same time, my focus right now is getting ready for the UNC game [Saturday]. I look forward to what could happen after the season, but right now it's a distraction."

For all the accolades that accompanied his arrival at Virginia, Monroe has toiled mostly in the shadows. He did not allow a sack last year for a Virginia team that finished 9-4 but was not named first- or second-team All-ACC.

Some of that might have resulted from the attention given Cavaliers offensive guard Branden Albert, who was named first-team All-ACC and later was selected by Kansas City in the first round of the NFL Draft.

Albert and Monroe were fellow members of the Cavaliers' 2005 recruiting class and both played as freshmen, Albert as a starter and Monroe as a back-up to All-American D'Brickashaw Ferguson.

As expected, Monroe took Ferguson's place in 2006, but not until he had spent an entire spring and summer rehabilitating a dislocated kneecap. Monroe played in every game that year but was replaced in the starting lineup by Zak Stair for seven games.

"It was rough," he said. "It was difficult knowing I could play better if I was healthy. I'm just thankful I was able to get back to 100 percent in 2007."

If the all-star voters didn't notice Monroe's play in 2007, the NFL scouts did, based on the early projections for next April's draft. Monroe, who did not turn 21 until April and is nearly 2¹₂ years younger than Albert, did not consider passing up his final season of college eligibility.

UVa head coach Al Groh and Monroe discussed the topic only briefly "because it was not something Gene was particularly interested in from the outset," Groh said.

"It was very important to him that he get his degree, which he'll do in 3¹₂ years, and it was important to him to finish with his class and his teammates.

"He is a player who has clearly profited from playing his full four years. His skill level and his execution this season is substantially upgraded from what it was last year."

That might not have been apparent when Virginia was losing three of its first four games and ranking near the bottom of Division I-A in virtually every offensive category.

The two offensive tackles, Monroe and Will Barker, were the only returning starters from 2007, and it showed. Yet the Cavaliers eventually turned a corner with victories over Maryland (31-0) and East Carolina (35-20).

"Finally, we started to block the right people," Monroe said. "We're just doing now what we should have been doing at the beginning of the season. [The problem was] miscommunication, mental errors and getting used to playing with each other."

Monroe is not one of UVa's co-captains, but he does feel an obligation to be a leader, especially with Pasztor now starting alongside him.

"Very obligated," Monroe said. "My main goal as a leader is to make my performance speak for what I demand out of my teammates in terms of performance or focus. If I'm not doing my part in that regard, then nothing I say will matter.

"I was frustrated with my play [early], but I'm frustrated with my play every week. I always go back to the drawing board and see things I could have done better."

Sometimes, he takes out his frustration on outside linebacker Clint Sintim, the ACC sack leader, who occasionally goes up against Monroe in practice.

"I definitely see why he's No. 1," Sintim said. "He's extremely talented, he's massive and he has great feet. Going against him every day in practice really elevates my game.

"Every Wednesday, we go into a one-on-one pass-rushing drills. That's my day to work him over. It doesn't work as often as I'd like. A lot of the moves I try on him don't work as well as they do in the games."