Jacob Monk s cold water allergy won t be a problem in Green Bay

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GREEN BAY, Wis. -- At first glance, one of the coldest cities in the NFL wouldn't seem like the best place for someone like offensive lineman Jacob Monk.

After all, he's allergic to cold water -- something he discovered before his first college game for the Duke Blue Devils.

"I got in the cold tub and found out I was allergic to water -- not allergic to water -- allergic to cold water," Monk said Saturday. "I ended up getting some hives before the game, before we flew out. Yeah, that was something to learn, I guess."

That didn't bother the Green Bay Packers who play in the frozen tundra of Lambeau Field. They picked the versatile second-team All-ACC standout in the fifth round (No. 163 overall) of the draft.

"I heard about that," Packers vice president of player personnel Jon-Eric Sullivan said of Monk's allergy. "Not a concern for us. There's probably some humor in that, but let's just make sure he doesn't go ice fishing."

Believe it or not, the Clayton, North Carolina native desired to play in snow for years.

"I can be in the snow and all that," he said. "It's always been a dream of mine to play in the snow. I'm not afraid of the cold. I'm not afraid of cold water. I think it's just a one-time thing, honestly, well not a one-time thing clearly but I feel like the temperature had to be just right for me to sit there for that long. But I'm not worried about being in the cold at all, honestly."

The Packers liked Monk's versatility. In five college seasons, he played right tackle, right guard and center. Last season, he was one of just seven FBS linemen to play at least 300 snaps at guard and center. Sullivan said the Packers view him as an interior lineman who also could play tackle if necessary.