CLEVELAND — There will be a strong connection between the City of Cleveland and the College Football Hall of Fame Class of 2019, and not only from the professional ranks.
In addition to the selection of former Cleveland Browns left tackle Joe Thomas, former John Carroll University linebacker, and Cleveland native, London Fletcher has been elected to the College Football Hall of Fame’s Class of 2019.
During his career at John Carroll, Fletcher was a two-time first-team All-American, the Football Gazette Linebacker of the Year in 1997 and helped the Blue Streaks advance to the quarterfinals of the postseason tournament after they collected their first-ever NCAA Division III playoff victory.
Additionally, Fletcher was a two-time first-team All-Ohio Athletic Conference selection and the Most Outstanding Linebacker in the conference in 1997.
In his final season with John Carroll, Fletcher registered 202 total tackles, which remains a school record more than 20 years later, and set the mark for the most tackles in a single game when he totaled 29 stops against Ohio Northern University.
Fletcher finished his John Carroll career with 386 total tackles, 37 tackles for lost yardage, 14 sacks, three interceptions and two defensive scores, one on an interception return and the other on a kickoff return.
John Carroll retired Fletcher’s No. 3 jersey in 2017, as part of a celebration of the 1997 team.
Undersized and overlooked out of Villa Angela-St. Joseph High School in Cleveland, Fletcher took tremendous care of his body and used a tenacious motor to become one of the most consistent and productive linebackers during his 16 NFL seasons with the St. Louis Rams, Buffalo Bills and Washington football team.
A four-time Pro Bowler (2009-2012), Fletcher played in all 256 career games over his 16 NFL seasons, where he registered 1,796 tackles, including 1,197 solo stops and 599 assists with 39.0 quarterback sacks, two safeties, 75 passes defended and 23 interceptions, two of which he returned for touchdowns.
Additionally, Fletcher, who was an undrafted free-agent signing of the Rams in 1998, forced 19 fumbles and recovered 12 turnovers in his NFL career.
To be selected for induction, a player must be at least a first-team All-American by an organization recognized by the NCAA, 10 years removed from the end of his collegiate career, have several on-field achievements and “have proven himself worthy as a citizen, carrying the ideals of football forward into his relations with his community.”
Along with Fletcher and Thomas, the Class of 2019 includes, safety Troy Polamalu (University of Southern California), wide receivers Raghib “Rocket” Ismail (Notre Dame) and Torry Holt (North Carolina State), quarterbacks Vince Young (Texas) and Jake Plummer (Arizona State), cornerbacks Rickey Dixon and Terrell Buckley, running backs Lorenzo White (Michigan State) and Darren McFadden (Arkansas), linebacker Patrick Willis (Mississippi) and defensive lineman Jacob Green (Texas A&M), as well as coaches Dennis Erickson and Joe Taylor.
Fletcher will be John Carroll’s first graduate to be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.
The Class of 2019 will be officially inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame at the National Football Foundation’s 62nd Annual Awards Dinner at the New York Hilton-Midtown on December 10, 2019.
