<
        >

          NFL Nation

          Ravens' Eugene Monroe treats homeless veterans to a fishing trip

          • Jamison Hensley, ESPN Staff WriterMay 23, 2016, 07:00 AM ET
            Close
              Jamison Hensley is a reporter covering the Baltimore Ravens for ESPN. Jamison joined ESPN in 2011, covering the AFC North before focusing exclusively on the Ravens beginning in 2013. Jamison won the National Sports Media Association Maryland Sportswriter of the Year award in 2018, and he authored a book titled: Flying High: Stories of the Baltimore Ravens. He was the Ravens beat writer for the Baltimore Sun from 2000-2011.
            Follow on X

          Eugene Monroe's campaign for medical marijuana extended beyond the NFL on Friday.

          The Baltimore Ravens offensive tackle treated 45 homeless veterans battling drug and alcohol addiction to a fishing trip. Monroe chartered two boats for The Baltimore Station, a residential treatment program that has been helping veterans for 25 years.

          After the trip, Monroe posted on Twitter: "Let's get these Veterans healthy #cannabis treatment!!!"

          The trip was quite a success, as the group caught the day's limit of 90 fish before noon, according to Fox Baltimore. The Baltimore Station was going to use the fish for meals throughout the weekend.

          Monroe has been vigorously lobbying the NFL to approve medical marijuana for the past three months. He recently donated $80,000 to researchers at Johns Hopkins and the University of Pennsylvania for studies to examine the impact of cannabinoid therapies on current and NFL players. This comes a few months after he gave $10,000 for marijuana research.

          In a Friday interview on National Public Radio, Monroe was asked whether his coaches and teammates have been supportive of his outspoken stance on medical marijuana.

          "My teammates are extremely supportive," he said. "We want a healthier option. We don't want to be like some of our former colleagues who have gone on and exposed their great deal of strife that has come into their life because of addiction to these opioids. That addiction, that doesn't stop when the game is over for them. It transfers into their life when they retire from the game as well."

          Monroe's status with the Ravens this season has come under question after Baltimore used the No. 6 overall pick in April's draft on offensive tackle Ronnie Stanley. Ravens officials said last month that there is room for both Monroe and Stanley on this season's team because Stanley could play left guard if he loses the competition at left tackle to Monroe.

          The Ravens can create $6.5 million of cap space if they trade or release Monroe, who is scheduled to make $6.5 million in base salary this season -- $1 million more than anyone else on the team.