The following is a transcript of Eugene Monroe's conference call with the Jacksonville media following his selection in the first round of the 2009 NFL Draft.

(on his reaction to be drafted by the Jaguars with the eighth overall pick) "It was incredible. I heard my name called and I pounded the table. I was on the phone prior with them but to actually hear my name, I was so excited. I pounded the table and everything on it flipped over. I was just so overjoyed."

(on his relationship with the tackles who have been drafted through the years from the University of Virginia, D'Brickashaw Ferguson and Branden Albert) "D'Brickashaw Ferguson was the first to come out. He was a mentor to me. I learned a lot from him, both about the college experience that would be ahead of me and also playing football at left tackle. Branden came out after that and he was my roommate and one of my closest friends. Brandon is like my brother and to experience the process with him closely this past year and to get advice from him helped me tremendously."

(on being the youngest of 16 children. What is the genealogy?) "My mother had just two children and the rest are my father's. The majority of my brothers and sisters are half brothers and sisters. My father passed away when I was eleven."

(on how many of his brothers and sisters are full siblings?) "One is full sibling and the rest are half-siblings."

(on if they were all living together at one time) "They are much older but at times sometimes we all lived together. Mainly it was just myself, my brother and my mother."

(how old is your oldest half-sibling) "Sixty."

(on his thoughts about the Jaguars and what he knows about the team) "What I know of Jacksonville is what I experienced when we had our bowl game. We played in the Gator Bowl a few years ago. I got to experience just really the downtown area so I don't know much about Jacksonville. The o-line situation, I know they got some help this past offseason and I think they didn't see that as their final solution. I'm just happy, I'm just fortunate to become a part of the organization."

(on his expectations for cracking the lineup) "I expect to go to camp this weekend and work and learn the system and work my way into a starting position and be able to contribute to this team."

(on if he thought he would go higher) "I did not pay attention to any of the mock drafts. You can speak to a team two or three weeks out of the draft and they are just now starting to formulate their draft boards. I knew that reading into any of the mock drafts would just cause confusion or anger. I stayed away from that and just stayed focused training and now I'm ready to go to Jacksonville."

(on if he was disappointed he went eighth overall) "Not disappointed at all. Anywhere you are picked is a blessing so I'm very happy and very excited for myself, my family and friends."

(on reports that surfaced about his knee) "I didn't know what that was. I had surgery my first year in college and since then the knee has been healthy. Hearing these reports, I just couldn't believe it because I'm working out with no limitations and doing everything normally and ever since my first year I've been fine. Hearing those rumors or whatever talk there was didn't bother me at all."

(on the Jaguars having problems in recent years with the ability to sign the eighth overall pick. Do you expect to get to camp on time) "I want to be there. I definitely don't want to be behind. That is the last thing I want to do. Being in a holdout situation isn't a positive for either of the parties. I just hope that

we don't get into that situation."

(who is your agent?) "Sunny Shah."

(on Jaguars offensive line coach Andy Heck having a relationship with both of your line coaches and how comforting that is to you) "It's good to know because I'm sure he's had conversations with both of my o-line coaches. They have probably told him a lot about me so that will get that process started faster."

(on how familiar he is with some of the problems the Jaguars had with their offensive line in 2008) "Not very familiar at all. Obviously with them choosing me and also getting Tra (Thomas) in the offseason, it's going to improve the o-line."

(on if he reads the reports on him in the various draft guides) "I didn't read into any of that because I understood that much of it…it would irritate me to read those kinds of things. Nothing positive is going to come out of that because at the end of the day I still have to go to work."

(on if he had surgery on his left knee because of the kneecap) "Yes."

(on if the right knee was just a sprained MCL) "Yes. I missed two games because of that. One I missed and the second was just precautionary. We had another guard that was able to step in and play tackle for us and he did a good job."

(on his personality off the field compared to his personality on the field) "Off the field, I'm a pretty laidback guy. On the field, it's different. I'm ready to work. I'm ready to go."

(on the reports saying he is not very nasty on the field) "That is not true at all."

(on if he can "bring it") "Yes. If you really watch the film you will see I can bring it."

(on his weight right now and what he wants to play at) "My weight is 315 and I play wherever I am in the offseason getting in shape or wherever they want me to be then that is what I will be weighing."

(on the number he wore in college) "Seventy-five."