A steady veteran and dependable leader, London Fletcher stepped into the middle of the Redskins’ defense in 2007 and has led the team in tackles each of the last two years. Fletcher has proven to be one of the most durable players in the NFL. He has played in all 176 contests of his 11-year career, starting 161. Entering 2009, he has started 135 consecutive games, which ranks fifth among active players. Fletcher has logged 100+ tackles for 10 consecutive seasons. He played for the St. Louis Rams from 1998-2001 and the Buffalo Bills from 2002-06. He started for St. Louis in Super Bowl XXXIV in 1999 and helped the Rams defeat the Tennessee Titans 23-16 to win the championship.
NFL Acquisition: Signed with the St. Louis Rams as an undrafted rookie free agent on April 23, 1998
How Acquired: Signed with the Washington Redskins as a free agent on March 3, 2007 following
Pro:
Started in 135 consecutive games, which ranks fifth among active players in the NFL
Totaled 1,695 career tackles (1,110 solo), 28 sacks, 14 interceptions, 13 forced fumbles, nine fumble recoveries and 65 passes defensed
Has two career touchdowns; an interception return for a touchdown with Washington in 2007 and a fumble recovery for a touchdown with Buffalo in 2006
Led his team in tackles for 10 consecutive seasons (1999-2008) while also racking up more than 100 tackles in each of these 10 campaigns
Has played with the St. Louis Rams (1998-2001), Buffalo Bills (2002-06) and the Washington Redskins (2007-08)
Was the starting middle linebacker on the St. Louis Rams’ 1999 Super Bowl championship team
2008 Season (WAS):
Started all 16 regular season games
Led the team in tackles with 146 (95 solo) in his second season in Washington
Posted 10 or more tackles in five games
Named a team captain at beginning of the season
Logged 17 tackles at N.Y. Giants (9/4)
Had seven tackles and a forced fumble at Dallas (9/28) as the Redskins’ defense limited Pro Bowl running back Marion Barber to just 27 yards on eight carries
Had 12 tackles vs. Cleveland (10/19) and made a pair of key tackles on goal-line plays to prevent the Browns from scoring
Posted a team-high nine tackles vs. Philadelphia (12/21) and returned Donovan McNabb’s fumble 12 yards to set up the Redskins’ lone touchdown in a 10-3 win
2007 Season (WAS):
Started all 16 regular season games and one postseason contest
Led the team in tackles with 164 (98 solo) during his first season in Washington
Named GMC Defensive Player of the Week after totaling a team-high 13 tackles and recording his second career touchdown (a 27-yard interception return for a touchdown off of QB Kurt Warner) in a Week 7 win against the Arizona Cardinals (10/21)
Named as Rick Gosselin’s (Dallas Morning Star) Free Agent of the Year
Was named a third alternate for the 2008 Pro Bowl
Named co-winner of the B.J. Blanchard Award (along with QB Jason Campbell), an honor given annually to a Redskins player who best helps the local media do their jobs
2006 Season (BUF):
Started all 16 regular season games
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
Against New England (9/10), scored his first career touchdown after recovering a fumble by Tom Brady and returning it five yards for a touchdown only 12 seconds into the game
Named a 2007 Pro Bowl alternate
2005 Season (BUF):
Started all 16 regular season games
Recorded 174 tackles (120 solo), four sacks and an interception
Tied a career-high with two sacks at Miami (12/4)
2004 Season (BUF):
Started all 16 regular season games
Led the team with 150 tackles (115 solo)
Tied a career-high with 21 tackles at NYJ (10/10) and also set a career-high with 17 solo tackles while playing in the 100th game of his career
2003 Season (BUF):
Started all 16 regular season games
Led the Bills in tackles with 158 total stops, led or tied for the team tackle lead in eight games and had double-digit tackle totals in seven games
2002 Season (BUF):
Started all 16 regular season games
Selected as a Pro Bowl alternate in his first season with the Bills
Set a career high and franchise record with 209 tackles, breaking the old mark of 206 set by Chris Spielman in 1996
2001 Season (STL):
Started all 16 regular season games and three postseason contests
Led the team in tackles with 189 (113 solo)
Led the team with a career-high 21 tackles (15 solo) at San Francisco (9/23) and was named NFC Defensive Player of the Week
Recorded a big game at NE (11/18) as he led the team with 17 tackles with one pass deflection; 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; his performance earned him NFC Defensive Player of the Week honors for the second time that season
2000 Season (STL):
Appeared in all 15 regular season games with 15 starts and started one postseason contest
Led the team with 193 tackles (eclipsing old franchise mark of 185 set by LB Jim Collins in 1984) and established season and career highs in sacks (5.5), interceptions (four), and quarterback pressures (nine), while adding a forced fumble
Earned NFC Defensive Player of the Week honors for the first time in his career after making 14 tackles (nine solo) and tied a career-high with two sacks vs. Minnesota (12/10)
1999 Season (STL):
Started all 16 regular season games and three postseason contests
Led the Rams in tackles after winning the starting middle linebacker position during training camp and started every game through the Super Bowl win over the Titans
His 138 tackles for the season were the most by a Ram since Roman Phifer collected 149 in 1995
Named to the All-Madden team
1998 Season (STL):
Was one of two rookie free agents to make Rams’ opening day roster
Played in all 16 regular season games, starting the season finale at San Francisco (12/27)
Earned the Carroll Rosenbloom Memorial Award as Rams’ Rookie of the Year
Originally attended St. Francis (PA) to play basketball but after three semesters transferred to Division III John Carroll to pursue football, where he went on to rank fourth all-time in school history with 386 tackles
Named Division III National Linebacker of the Year and Ohio Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Week three times, was named to the AP Little All-America first team and was a nominee for the Gagliardi Award - the Heisman Trophy of Division III as a senior
Owns school records for most tackles in a game (29) and a season (202)
Lettered in football and basketball at Villa Angela-St. Joseph High in Cleveland
Participated in the Washington Redskins Charitable Foundations 4th & Life football forum in 2007
He and his wife, Charne, welcomed a daughter during the 2007 offseason and are expecting their second child, a son, in August
