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London Fletcher

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London Fletcher
refer to caption
Fletcher in the 2010 NFL season.
Washington Redskins
Personal information
Born: (1975-05-19) May 19, 1975 (age 49)
Cleveland, Ohio
Career information
College:John Carroll
Undrafted:1998
Career history
Roster status:Active
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics as of Week 17, 2011
Tackles:1,782
Sacks:34.0
INTs:18
FFs:18
TDs:2
Stats at Pro Football Reference Edit this at Wikidata

London Levi Fletcher-Baker (born May 19, 1975) is an American football inside linebacker for the Washington Redskins of the National Football League (NFL). Undrafted in 1998, he was signed by the St. Louis Rams as a rookie free agent, where he spent four seasons. In 2002, he was signed to the Buffalo Bills roster, where he stayed for five seasons.

He is also well known for never missing a game in his career, playing in 224 consecutive games over 14 seasons.[1]

High school years

Fletcher attended St. Joeseph High School in Cleveland, Ohio, and won varsity letters in football and basketball. He played on two state championship basketball teams.[citation needed]

College years

While attending John Carroll University (Blue Streaks), Fletcher played both basketball and football. As a senior, he had 202 tackles (a school-record) and was named the Division III National Linebacker of the Year. Fletcher also attended St. Francis University of Pennsylvania prior to transferring to John Carroll University. He was on the Men's Basketball Team at St. Francis.

Professional career

St. Louis Rams

Fletcher signed with the St. Louis Rams as an undrafted free agent on April 28, 1998. He was one of the two rookie free agents to make Rams’ opening day roster, playing in all 16 regular season games. Fletcher earned the Rams Rookie of the Year Award.[2]

In 1999, Fletcher led the Rams in tackles after winning the starting middle linebacker position during training camp. His 138 tackles for the season were the most by a Ram since Roman Phifer collected 149 in the 1995 season.[2] He also started at linebacker for the Rams in Super Bowl XXXIV, in which the Rams defeated the Titans 23-16. He also was named to the All-Madden team. In 2000, he again led the team with 193 tackles, eclipsing the old franchise mark of 185 set by LB Jim Collins in 1984. Fletcher earned NFC Defensive Player of the Week honors for the first time in his career after making 14 tackles (9 solo) and tying a career-high with two sacks against the Minnesota Vikings on November 10.[2] He established season and career highs in sacks (5.5), interceptions (4) and quarterback pressures (9), along with a forced fumble.[3]

In 2001, Fletcher earned NFC Defensive Player of the Week honors twice. In a game against the San Francisco 49ers on September 23, he led the team with a career-high 21 tackles, 15 solo. The second time was after his big performance against the New England Patriots on November 18 as he led the team with 17 tackles with one pass deflection. He forced a fumble on the Rams’ three-yard line that led to a 97-yard scoring drive to end the first half and intercepted a Tom Brady pass with 5:18 left in the third quarter for an 18-yard return.[4] This season the Rams made the Super Bowl XXXVI but were defeated by the Patriots 20–17, after kicker Adam Vinatieri made a game-winning 48-yard field goal as time expired.

Buffalo Bills

Fletcher signed with the Buffalo Bills as an unrestricted free agent on March 7, 2002. In the 2002 season, his first season with the Bills, Fletcher set a career high for himself as well as a franchise record with 209 tackles, which broke the old mark of 206 set by Chris Spielman in 1996. He also was selected as a Pro Bowl alternate eight times though he never was actually a Pro Bowler as a Bill.[5] Since 2002, Fletcher started all 16 regular season games for the Bills until his last season in 2006, when he recorded a team-high 157 tackles, including nine for loss, set a career high with 14 deflections and tied a career high with four interceptions. On September 10, in the first regular season game, Fletcher scored his first career touchdown after recovering a fumble by the Patriots' Tom Brady and returning it five yards for a touchdown only 12 seconds into the game.[6] Fletcher was named a 2007 Pro Bowl alternate in his last season as a Bill.

Washington Redskins

Fletcher (#59) pursuing Vernand Morency with Rocky McIntosh (#52) in 2007 season.

On March 2, 2007, Fletcher signed with the Washington Redskins to a five-year, $25 million contract.[7][8] He has been a defensive co-captain for the team since the 2008 season.[9] Fletcher originally played middle linebacker for the Redskins, but switched to left inside linebacker after the Redskins went to a 3-4 defense scheme in the 2010 NFL Season. Fletcher was named to the NFC squad in the 2010 Pro Bowl after Jonathan Vilma's New Orleans Saints qualified for Super Bowl XLIV,[10] his first Pro Bowl selection in his career. Fletcher was also one of three candidates for the 2009 Walter Payton Man of the Year Award, which was ultimately won by the Kansas City Chiefs's Brian Waters[11] Fletcher made the Pro Bowl for the second consecutive time in 2010 and an interception in the Pro Bowl which set up a touchdown for the NFC. Fletcher is currently second among active players with 164 consecutive starts behind Ronde Barber.[12]

Despite not being making the 2012 Pro Bowl roster, Fletcher led the entire league in tackles with 166 tackles by the end of the 2011 season.[13] He started all 16 games of the 2011 NFL season and recorded 166 combined tackles, 1.5 sacks, two interceptions, and eight pass breakups. Fletcher, however, did make it as alternate for the 2012 Pro Bowl along with teammates, Brian Orakpo and Lorenzo Alexander.[14] On January 9, 2012, Fletcher was added to the NFC 2012 Pro Bowl roster after Brian Urlacher confirmed that he would not be participating.[15] On January 11, 2012, it was announced that Fletcher won the Bart Starr Award.[16]

On April 13, 2012, Fletcher was re-signed by the Redskins to a five-year contract worth $10.75 million for the first two years with $5.25 million guaranteed.[17][18]

Personal

  • Prior to the 2006 season, he adopted the "Baker" to his last name to honor his late grandmother.[citation needed]
  • Fletcher and his wife Charne have two children, a daughter, Paige, who was born during the 2007 offseason and a son, Cortland Steele, who was born July 22, 2008.[2]
  • in 2008, the Redskins nominated Fletcher as their Walter Payton Man of the Year Award representative.[19]
  • In 2007, he was named co-winner of the B.J. Blanchard Award, along with quarterback Jason Campbell, an honor given annually to a Redskins player who best helps the local media do their jobs.[2]
  • Has been named a Pro Bowl Alternate eleven times. He made his first Pro Bowl after the 2009 season via replacing Jonathan Vilma, due to prepping for the Super Bowl. Fletcher once considered himself the NFL version of Susan Lucci, who won a Daytime Emmy in 1999 in her 19th attempt.
  • London also made the NFL Network's Top 100 Players of 2012 list on position #87.

References

  1. ^ "Redskins reach deal with linebacker London Fletcher". The Washington Post.
  2. ^ a b c d e [1]
  3. ^ London Fletcher: Career Stats
  4. ^ NFL Game Center: Post Game- St. Louis Rams at New England Patriots- 2001 Week 10
  5. ^ "Reuters Good, Bad, and Ugly". October 1, 2009.
  6. ^ NFL Game Center: Box Score- Buffalo Bills at New England Patriots- 2006 1
  7. ^ Fletcher Signs With Redskins
  8. ^ In Fletcher, A 'Quarterback' For the Defense
  9. ^ http://blog.redskins.com/2008/10/03/portrait-of-the-captains-as-young-men-or-gangsters-or-maybe-deacons/
  10. ^ http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2010/01/25/london-fletcher-finally-makes-it-to-the-pro-bowl/
  11. ^ http://www.nationalfootballpost.com/Wilson-Brian-Waters-named-NFL-Man-of-the-Year.html
  12. ^ ESPN NFL
  13. ^ "London Fletcher ends season as NFL's leading tackler". WashingtonPost.com. Retrieved 2012-01-02.
  14. ^ "London Fletcher among Redskins' Pro Bowl alternates". WashingtonPost.com. Retrieved 2011-12-28.
  15. ^ "London Fletcher will play in Pro Bowl". ESPN.com. Retrieved 2012-01-09.
  16. ^ "'Skins London Fletcher nabs Bart Starr Award for character, leadership". GantDaily.com. Retrieved 2012-01-11.
  17. ^ Campbell, Rich (April 13, 2012). "Redskins retain team captain London Fletcher". WashingtonTimes.com. Retrieved 2012-04-13.
  18. ^ "Fletcher's 'Skins deal for two years, $10.75M". April 16, 2012. Retrieved 2012-04-16. {{cite web}}: Text "NFL.com" ignored (help)
  19. ^ Fletcher Wins Redskins' Community Honor
Awards
Preceded by Rams Rookie of the Year Award
1998 		Succeeded by

Template:Rams Rookie of the Year

Template:Persondata

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