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LB, 6'2, 224, 4.45, 375 bp
Tallahassee, FL
Nickname: Radar
High School: Godby
HS Number: 22
Official Visits: Alabama, Michigan State, UCF, Auburn
Second Choice: UCF
Host During Alabama Visit: Steve Stanley
Committed: February 2, 1998
Academic Status: Not Qualified
Stats
HS Junior Season
Tackles
HS Senior Season
Tackles
Honors
- Two-time All-County
- All-State
- Forrest Davis Second Team All-South
- GA-FL All-Star Game
Stories
Alabama to Use "Radar" Next Year
The snap of the ball triggers his sixth sense. He RApidly Detects And Responds. His opponent never has a chance.
"It doesn’t matter if the play is coming at me or going away from me," Aries Monroe says. "I’ll make the tackle."
During his last two seasons Monroe made 174 tackles and 28 QB sacks, and was considered the best player in the talent-rich Tallahassee area.
Godby coach Mark Fealy rates Monroe one of the top HS linebackers in Florida.
"You can line him up anywhere and he makes plays," Fealy says. "He has excellent speed and quickness to the ball. He’s just a great player."
One of Monroe’s more memorable plays came this year in the Niceville game. Niceville was facing a fourth-and-two deep in Godby’s territory.
"They ran their running back to my side," recalls Monroe. "He hurdled and I met him in mid-air. I hit him so hard that he laid on the ground yelling for quite a while."
Did he pick up the first-down?
"He got his two yards. But it was two yards in the wrong direction."
Aries
His mother found the name looking at Zodiac signs.
"She liked the sound of it," Monroe says. "When she read what it meant, she knew that it was the name for her son"
What does Aries mean?
"Brave, courageous, and ready to go get’em. That’s me," he says laughingly.
But Aries is not an Aries. Aries is an Aquarius.
"An Aquarius and an Aries are not supposed to be compatible, but they are for me," Aries says.
Block That Punt!
It was the first game of the year. Late in the third quarter Godby and Pensacola Woodham were locked in a tight battle. Aries Monroe took matters into his own hands.
"We had two losing seasons at Godby. I wanted to get this season started off right."
Woodham was punting from it’s own 35-yard line. Monroe lined up over the center.
"Their center never had a chance to block me. I jumped completely over him. I blocked it, caught it in the air, and went all the way untouched."
And Godby won the game 26-14.
On The Recruiting Trail …
For years Alabama fans have jokingly referred to Auburn as "that cow college." But is it really just a joke?
We asked Monroe what was the most memorable moment during the recruiting process.
"Well, when I went to Auburn I got chased by a cow," he said.
What? You’ve got to be kidding, right?
"No, I’m serious. They had us take our picture with a cow and that’s how it happened."
Please, tell us more.
"They took all of the prospects out to a pasture. Since I was the biggest one there, I had to be the first to pose with the cow. When I got close to the cow, he went crazy and started chasing me around the field."
Monroe took off for a nearby fence.
"That cow was a pretty quick. But I got over the fence and got out of there."
Auburn, a cow college? It's not a joke anymore.
Q&A
TI: Aries, you came on the recruiting scene for Alabama late.
AM: When Coach Cottrell made the move to Alabama I started looking at them.
TI: Did he recruit you for FSU?
AM: Yes, he did. He didn’t want to recruit me for Alabama unless something happened between me and Florida State. So when Florida State started acting a little funny, I had my high school coach call Coach Cottrell and tell him I wanted to visit Alabama.
TI: How was your visit to Alabama?
AM: Everything about it was memorable. I really liked the coaches up there. The food was good too.
TI: How do you expect to help Alabama?
AM: They need speed on defense and that’s one of my assets. I’m a very athletic type of player. Along with my speed, I have great quickness and a good vertical leap. And I like to hit.
TI: Would you compare yourself with some of the past linebackers at Alabama?
AM: Yes, I would. I see myself as a Cornelius Bennett type of player. I make big plays. That’s my specialty.
TI: There have been some rumors that you may not qualify academically. Can you clarify your current status?
AM: I’m a few points off on my core and the test. I think that I can still make it though.
TI: What happens if you don’t qualify?
AM: I’ll probably go to Coffeyville Junior College [in Kansas]. Then I would come back to Alabama when I finish.
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