London Fletcher, one of the most under-appreciated NFL players in recent memory, is calling on Hall of Fame voters to put some respect on his name.
NFL coaching legend Dick Vermeil agrees. It's time for Fletcher to receive the recognition he deserves from Canton.
"London Fletcher was to our defense what Kurt Warner was to our offense," Vermeil told the 'Upon Further Review' podcast. "Here's two undrafted college free agents starting and playing at a Pro Bowl level."
Fletcher played two seasons under Vermeil in St. Louis (1998-99), amassing 78 total tackles, 12 tackles for loss and three sacks with a forced fumble. But his NFL career would really take off in 2000, when he made 133 tackles with 13 TFLs, 5.5 sacks and four interceptions for the Rams.
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As an undrafted free agent out of the small John Carroll University in 1998, the odds were stacked against Fletcher from the beginning. Although undersized for a linebacker — Vermeil recalls Fletcher was even shorter than his listed playing height of 5-foot-10 — he flashed a 4.38 40-time at the combine and arrived at camp with a chip on his shoulder.
"I remember when he came to our training camp," Vermeil said. "He said to me, 'Coach, you'll never be able to let me go. I'm here to stay.' And boy, was he ever?"
Hungry to prove himself as NFL caliber, Fletcher uttered a similar line to John Bunting, St. Louis' linebackers coach from 1997 to 1999. To this day, Bunting still says Fletcher was the "smartest player I was ever around" in more than two decades as a coach, first learning of Fletcher's superior mental makeup over the phone when he was calling potential free agents to bring into camp in '98.
"If you bring me in, you will never cut me," Fletcher told Bunting.
"He was always extremely confident," Vermeil said. "You could almost say cocky sometimes, but it was all in a positive way. It was a positive contribution to his playing ability. He really believed he could play as well as anybody from the minute he got there. He continued to play on special teams, too. He liked it."
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"I think he was always playing to prove to everybody that he was a lot better than anybody thought he was," he said.
Indeed, neither Vermeil nor Bunting ever did cut Fletcher. However, Vermeil announced his retirement following the Rams' victory in Super Bowl 34, and two seasons later, St. Louis would let Fletcher walk in free agency. Fletcher signed his first lucrative NFL contract, joining the Bills on a five-year, $17.1 million deal.
"There's certain people you just have to keep in your locker room," Vermeil said. "There's no greater contributor than a great example."
Vermeil still remembers when Fletcher proved he should be starting.
"We're playing the last game of the season in San Francisco [in 1998], and our starting linebacker got hurt, and we started London Fletcher," he recalled. "John Madden is broadcasting the game, and we're not a real good football team."
"At the end of the game — and John and I are old friends, from California junior college days — he comes over," he continued. "I see him there walking. He says, 'Who's that middle linebacker?'
"I said, 'That's London Fletcher.'
"He says, 'He's gonna be your starter. This guy can play.'"
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That was Fletcher's only time starting during his rookie year. He'd start all 16 games the following season.
When comparing Fletcher statistically with another great linebacker of the game in Ray Lewis, it's hard to imagine why one was a first-ballot Hall of Famer and the other is still waiting for his name to be called. Set the MVPs, Pro Bowl nods and other popularity contests aside for a second.
Fletcher: 2,039 career tackles, 39 sacks, 23 interceptions (96 passes defensed), 19 forced fumbles, 12 fumbles recovered, 109 TFLs, 3 TDs
Lewis: 2,059 career tackles, 41.5 sacks, 31 interceptions (96 passes defensed), 19 forced fumbles, 20 fumbles recovered, 99 TFLs, 3 TDs
Lewis retired in 2012 and went into the Hall in his first year of eligibility. Fletcher, a member of Washington's Ring of Fame, has been HOF eligible for three years now.
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Now consider that Lewis, with near identical numbers, was a 13-time Pro Bowler while Fletcher received the honor just four times. In addition to his excellence on the field, the NFL's "Iron Man," never missed a single game in 16 seasons, with Fletcher playing in 256 of 256 possible games.
"If you take London Fletcher's numbers and compare them with supposedly the finest linebackers in NFL history," Vermeil said, "his numbers are equal to or better."
There are other notable middle linebackers still waiting for the call from Canton, such as Dolphins great Zach Thomas.
"Take Zach Thomas’ numbers and compare them with London Fletcher’s to see what you get,” Vermeil added. “Zach Thomas was a fine player, but it's easier to build a reputation if you come into the league with a big reputation. It's harder to build a big reputation until you build it yourself."
Fletcher: 2,039 career tackles, 39 sacks, 23 interceptions (96 passes defensed), 19 forced fumbles, 12 fumbles recovered, 109 TFLs, 3 TDs
Thomas: 1,734 career tackles, 20.5 sacks, 17 interceptions (48 passes defensed), 16 forced fumbles, 8 fumbles recovered, 74 TFLs, 4 TDs
Thomas played in 13 NFL seasons, was a five-time First Team All-Pro and was named to seven Pro Bowls.
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“His overall contributions, in my opinion, went beyond game day,” Vermeil said. "In the locker room, on the practice field, in the meeting room, his focus on what it takes and what it would take to become a great linebacker was just superior. His personality skills in leadership within the locker room, within the team, within preparation, were superior."
"They're all Hall of Fame quality attributes," he said. "Whether he ever gets in the Hall of Fame, I don't know, but if you're going to put other linebackers in you better compare his numbers with them and his years."
Fletcher deserves to be in the discussion.