By Robert Klemko | mmqb.SI.com
Linebacker London Fletcher is all but sure that his 16th NFL season was his last. With 215 consecutive starts, he would retire as the all-time ironman among NFL linebackers, and his 256 consecutive games played ranks fourth in league history. A veteran of St. Louis, Buffalo and Washington and a two-time Super Bowl starter for the Rams (in the SB XXXIV win over the Titans in and the SB XXXVI loss to the Patriots), Fletcher has clear ideas about the direction of the league, his plans for life after football, and his Hall of Fame status. He spoke to The MMQB’s Robert Klemko after the conclusion of the season.
ROBERT KLEMKO: Are you sure you’re done, or is it still 99 percent?
LONDON FLETCHER: It’s still 99 percent. You have to leave that one percent out there.
RK: And you’ve settled on TV as a post-football career?
LF: That’s my aspiration once I leave the game. I still want to be around the sport, and I think I can give some insight about the game, because I’ve been around it so long. I think I could provide some good analysis. I’ve done enough in the last four or five years to know how it goes. Coaching was a thought, and I’ll never say never, but I have three young kids, so the demand and hours that would come with coaching is not what I want to do. I’m walking away from the game to spend more time with my wife and children, not to spend less time. When you become a father it just puts you in this totally different mindset. Everything you do becomes about them.
RK: Will you let your five-year-old son play football?
LF: He loves football. He’s glued to the set. He plays flag now. It would be more difficult for me to keep him away just because he loves it so much. You think about the risks with head injuries, and you don’t want them harmed. That comes into play. You have to make sure he’s in a program where they’re teaching him the fundamentals and doing things the right way from a tackling standpoint. I have confidence in that.
RK: Do you worry about CTE for yourself?
LF: With all the research that’s come out, you think about that, but I don’t think I’ll have an issue. I’ve suffered a few concussions, but I’ve never been a big hitter with my head. Even before all the research came out, I didn’t think that was smart.
RK: Fondest football memory?
LF: The Super Bowl is the fondest memory. That’s absolutely what we play for. It doesn’t get any bigger than that. The thing is, I did it at such a young age, I don’t think I truly appreciated it as much as I could have. I still enjoyed it and it was a great accomplishment from a team standpoint, but as I’ve gotten older and realized how difficult it is to get to the playoffs, I’ve had a greater appreciation for being able to win it.
RK: If you played next season, could you be as effective as you’d like?
LF: Yes. It’s not a productivity thing, the reason I’m walking away. I know I can go out and make plays and be effective, just because I know how to prepare. It’s just that I want to do other things in life.
Read full story here