Blache says Fletcher is punished for having class
Posted by Michael David Smith on December 15, 2009 10:50 AM ET
In 12 NFL seasons with the Rams, Bills and Redskins, London Fletcher has never missed a game, hasn't missed many tackles, and has generally been one of the league's more reliable middle linebackers.
But he hasn't been to a Pro Bowl, and Redskins defensive coordinator Greg Blache says it's time for that to change. And, according to Blache, Fletcher is punished by Pro Bowl voters because he conducts himself the right way.
"The thing that hurts London is that he doesn't act like an idiot every time he makes a tackle," Blache said in an interview with the Washington Post. "He doesn't bring that attention to himself. He's a football player, not a showman. He takes great pride in his football, and he has great respect for the game. He acts the way a professional is supposed to act, and consequently, it's cost him."
Blache feels so strongly that Fletcher belongs in the Pro Bowl that he spoke with the media for the first time in more than two months to tell the Post that Fletcher, at age 34, is having his best year. And to say that Fletcher should be rewarded -- not overlooked -- for the way he acts on the field.
"There are some guys who don't show respect for the game but bring this look-at-me attitude to it, and strut and dance and prance every time they do something that they're paid to do. And that gets people's attention," Blache said. "That doesn't mean you're a great player; it means you take attention away from the unit and put it on yourself. So London has been hurt over the years by his own character, his own professionalism, his class, his own respect for the game."
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