London Fletcher facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
London Fletcher

Fletcher in 2022
No. 59
Position:	Linebacker
Personal information
Born:	(1975-05-19) May 19, 1975 (age 50) Cleveland, Ohio, U.S.
Height:	5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)
Weight:	242 lb (110 kg)
Career information
High school:	Villa Angela-St. Joseph (Cleveland)
College:	John Carroll (1995–1997)
Undrafted:	1998
Career history
St. Louis Rams (1998) Buffalo Bills (2002) Washington Redskins (2007)
Career highlights and awards
Super Bowl champion (XXXIV) 2× Second-team All-Pro (2011, 2012) 4× Pro Bowl (2009–2012) Bart Starr Award (2012) Washington Commanders Ring of Fame 90 Greatest Commanders
Career NFL statistics
Tackles: 2,039 Sacks: 39 Forced fumbles: 19 Fumble recoveries: 12 Interceptions: 23 Touchdowns: 3
Player stats at PFR
College Football Hall of Fame

London Levi Fletcher-Baker (born May 19, 1975) is a former American football linebacker. He played for 16 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). London played for the St. Louis Rams, Buffalo Bills, and Washington Redskins. He played college football at John Carroll. The Rams signed him in 1998.

After four seasons with the Rams, he played for the Bills for five seasons. He spent his last seven seasons with the Redskins. He won Super Bowl XXXIV with the Rams in 1999. He also made four Pro Bowls while playing for the Redskins. Fletcher never missed a game due to injury in his entire career. He is one of only five players in NFL history to play in over 250 games in a row. He holds the record for most consecutive starts at linebacker. He started 215 games in a row. This ties him for seventh all-time with Alan Page and Ronde Barber. He was added to Washington's Ring of Fame in 2019. In 2022, he joined their radio broadcast team.

Early Life and High School Years

London Fletcher grew up in Cleveland, Ohio. He went to Villa Angela-St. Joseph High School. There, he played both football and basketball. He was part of two state championship basketball teams.

College Football Career

Fletcher went to John Carroll University. He played both basketball and football for the John Carroll Blue Streaks. In his senior year, he made 202 tackles. This was a school record! He was named the best Division III National Linebacker of the Year. Before John Carroll, he also attended Saint Francis University. He played on the men's basketball team there.

Becoming a Pro Football Player

London Fletcher went to the NFL Scouting Combine. He ran the 40-yard dash in a very fast 4.38 seconds. Many NFL teams watched him. People thought he would be picked in the draft. But he was not one of the 30 linebackers chosen in the 1998 NFL draft.

Playing for the St. Louis Rams

Starting His NFL Journey (1998)

On April 28, 1998, the St. Louis Rams signed Fletcher. He joined as an undrafted free agent. This means he wasn't picked in the draft. He made his first NFL appearance in the Rams' first game. On December 27, 1998, he started his first game. He made eight tackles. He finished his first season playing in all 16 games. He also earned the Rams Rookie of the Year Award.

Super Bowl Champion (1999)

In 1999, London Fletcher became the starting middle linebacker for the Rams. On October 3, he made 11 tackles. He also got his first career sack. This was against the Cincinnati Bengals. In Week 9, he made his first career safety. He tackled a running back in the endzone. Fletcher started all 16 games in 1999. He had 138 tackles. This was the most by a Ram since 1995.

The Rams had a great season. They finished first in their division. They had a 13–3 record. On January 16, 2000, Fletcher played in his first playoff game. He made 11 tackles. The Rams won against the Minnesota Vikings. The next week, they beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. On January 30, 2000, Fletcher started in Super Bowl XXXIV. He made 11 tackles. The Rams won the Super Bowl against the Tennessee Titans 23–16!

Continued Success with Rams (2000-2001)

In 2000, London Fletcher continued to shine. He made a season-high 14 tackles in the first game. On November 12, he made his first career interception. He caught a pass from Kerry Collins. In Week 13, he had two interceptions in one game! In Week 15, he made ten tackles and two sacks. His great play earned him NFC Defensive Player of the Week. He led the team with 193 tackles that year.

In 2001, Fletcher was named NFC Defensive Player of the Week twice. He had a career-high 21 tackles against the San Francisco 49ers. He also had 17 tackles against the New England Patriots. In that game, he forced a fumble and made an interception against Tom Brady. The Rams made it to Super Bowl XXXVI this season. But they lost to the Patriots 20–17.

Playing for the Buffalo Bills

On March 6, 2002, the Buffalo Bills signed London Fletcher. He signed a five-year contract. From 2002 to 2006, he started all 16 regular season games for the Bills. In his last season with them (2006), he had 157 tackles. He also set a career-high with 14 pass deflections. He tied his career-high with four interceptions. On September 10, 2006, he scored his first career touchdown. He recovered a fumble by Tom Brady and ran it in. Fletcher was named a 2007 Pro Bowl alternate in his last season with the Bills.

Playing for the Washington Redskins

Fletcher in 2012

On March 2, 2007, Fletcher joined the Washington Redskins. He signed a five-year contract. He immediately became the team's starting middle linebacker. In his first season, he won the B.J. Blanchard Award. This award goes to a player who helps the local media. From 2008 until he retired, he was the Redskins' defensive co-captain. In 2008, he was also nominated for the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award.

Fletcher was chosen for the 2010 Pro Bowl. This was his first Pro Bowl selection! He also was a candidate for the 2009 Walter Payton Man of the Year Award. After the Redskins changed their defense, Fletcher moved to left inside linebacker. He made the Pro Bowl for the second time in 2010. There, he had an interception that led to a touchdown.

Even though he wasn't a starter for the 2012 Pro Bowl, Fletcher led the entire league in tackles in 2011. He had 166 tackles! He started all 16 games that season. He also had 1.5 sacks and two interceptions. On January 9, 2012, Fletcher was added to the NFC 2012 Pro Bowl team. On January 11, 2012, he won the Bart Starr Award. He was also named the Redskins' 2011 Defensive Player of the Year.

Fletcher on the sidelines at the 2013 Pro Bowl.

On April 13, 2012, the Redskins re-signed Fletcher for two more years. He was ranked 87th on the NFL Network's Top 100 Players of 2012 list. In Week 2 of the 2012 NFL season, he had a great game. He intercepted a pass and forced a fumble. In Week 12, he got his second interception of the season. This made him one of only three active NFL players with 20 interceptions and 30 sacks. The others were Brian Urlacher and Ray Lewis.

Fletcher intercepted passes in Week 14 and against the Cleveland Browns. He finished the 2012 season with 139 tackles. He also had three sacks and a career-high five interceptions. There was some question if Fletcher would play in 2013. But he had surgery to get ready for another season. On November 7, he started his 208th game in a row. This tied the record for most starts by a linebacker.

On December 18, 2013, London Fletcher announced he was retiring. He finished his career playing in 256 games in a row. He started 215 games in a row. This is the NFL all-time record for consecutive starts at linebacker. In 2022, he joined Washington's radio broadcast team. On September 1, 2022, Fletcher was added to Washington's Greatest Players list. This was to celebrate the team's 90th anniversary.

Career Achievements and Awards

London Fletcher had an amazing career. Here are some of his top achievements:

• Super Bowl champion (XXXIV)
• 4× Pro Bowl selection (2009–2012)
• 2× second-team All-Pro selection (2011, 2012)
• NFL combined tackles leader (2011)
• Bart Starr Man of the Year Award (2012)
• Redskins Ring of Fame (2019)

NFL Career Statistics

Regular Season Stats

Playoff Stats

Personal Life

London Fletcher is married to Charne. They have three children: two daughters named Paige and Brooke, and a son named Steele. Sadly, Charne passed away from cancer in September 2024.

Fletcher is a Christian. He has spoken about his faith. He said that chasing things like Super Bowl rings or money didn't bring him lasting joy. He found that joy through his faith.

London Fletcher was chosen as a Pro Bowl alternate 11 times. This means he was a backup choice. He didn't actually play in his first Pro Bowl until 2010. He replaced another player, Jonathan Vilma. Because of this, Fletcher joked that he was like Susan Lucci. She was an actress who won an award after many nominations.