The Redskins Blog

All-Pro Fletcher Finally Honolulu-Bound

AP Image

Happy Lon-day afternoon, everyone.

On the first weekend of the offseason for linebacker London Fletcher, it was an exciting one, as he was named to the All-Pro team late Friday, and added to the Pro Bowl roster early this afternoon.

I believe the phrase goes, “Better late than never.”

Fletcher is finally enjoying his just deserts, following the best statistical season of his prolific career.  For comparison, his next-best teammate was cornerback DeAngelo Hall with a respectable 111, or roughly half of Fletcher’s tally.  The patriarch of the Redskins defense led the NFL in tackles by a wide margin, finishing with a career-best 209.

The numbers earned him his first career AP All-Pro designation, to the second team.  First teamers at the inside linebacker position were Patrick Willis (San Francisco); NaVorro Bowman (San Francisco), and Derrick Johnson (Kansas City).  Fletcher was joined on the second team by Texans linebacker Brian Cushing.

Of this group of five players, Fletcher ranked first in tackles, second in forced fumbles and first in interceptions.

And yet, despite his impressive resume, Fletcher remained on the outside looking in for the Pro Bowl.  Fletcher expressed his initial disappointments after hearing about his snub:

Don't know if I should be upset or laugh. Obviously it doesn't matter what u do on the field! #probowl—
London Fletcher (@LFletcher59) December 28, 2011

Wanted to thank all those who voted for me & say congrats to all those who made the probowl especially @mr_carter93 & carlos rogers!—
London Fletcher (@LFletcher59) December 28, 2011

And these were the more outspoken frustrations of his teammates for him, courtesy of CSNWashington:

But all of that is obviously behind him, as Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher is forced to sit with injury.  With this morning’s news, Fletcher is tweeting a considerably happier tune:

This is the third-straight year that Fletcher has deserved a Pro Bowl nod and has instead been dealt an alternate position.  This is also the third straight year that, via injury, Fletcher has made it to the Pro Bowl to play in the all-star position that he so rightfully deserves.

Waiting on the injury bug just seems to be his patented route to Hawaii.  And for the man who hasn’t missed a start since 2000, maybe that’s just poetic justice.