CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. - Monroe Mills has been around Scott Stadium plenty since arriving at Virginia. Until now, though, the offensive tackle has only watched from the sideline. That changes Saturday.
"Man, I'm super excited," Mills said. "It's been me wobbling out there last year, so I'm just super excited to get out there with the boys."
Virginia’s opener against NC State marks the first real chance for Mills to suit up for the Cavaliers after a first season in Charlottesville that never got off the ground. He came in as one of the headliners of Virginia’s transfer portal haul, then saw everything derail before the fall even started.
At 6-foot-7 and 320 pounds, Mills was viewed as a major pickup when he left Louisville. The portal had him ranked No. 8 overall and No. 1 among offensive tackles. He had started at both left and right tackle for the Cardinals in 2024 and picked up All-ACC honorable mention recognition.
Virginia expected him to plug in quickly and become a steady presence up front.
Instead, a spring practice in March brought a brutal turn. Mills tore his ACL, ending his season months before the Cavaliers ever played a game.
"I mean, that was a hard, hard year last year just because I kept wanting to be out there, and it was just not something I could do," Mills said. "So it was just great to finally come back and hang out with my guys out on the field. I love the grittiness and toughness of football, and I think it makes people closer than really anything else, maybe in the world."
With playing time off the table, Mills still found a way to stay involved.
That’s how Monroe Mills became "Coach Mills."
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