Tuesday, March 16, 2010

Where Are They Now? Part 5

Tony Horne

Antonio Tremaine Horne (born March 21, 1976) is a former professional football player in the National Football League (NFL). Undrafted as a walk on, he played the 1998, 1999, and 2000 seasons with the St. Louis Rams, where he was primarily used as a wide receiver and kickoff returner. In 1998, he finished sixth in the NFL with 1306 yards on kick returns, adding 892 yards in 1999, and 1379 in 11 games in 2000, when he again finished sixth in the league.[1] Horne works as a strength and speed coach at D1 Sports Training in Greenville. He attended Richmond Senior High in Rockingham, North Carolina, where he was a quarterback and a wide receiver in college at the University of Clemson. In 2000 he signed on as a free agent with the Kansas City Chiefs before suffering a knee injury during that preseason that ended his pro career.

Mike Jones

Michael Anthony Jones (born April 15, 1969, in Kansas City, Missouri) is a former American football linebacker in the National Football League. During his NFL career, which started in 1991 and ended after 2002, Jones played on three teams: the Los Angeles/Oakland Raiders, the St. Louis Rams, and the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Jones attended college at the University of Missouri, where he originally played as a running back. He was converted to the linebacker position when he signed with the Raiders as a rookie free agent.

He is well known for his actions during the final play of Super Bowl XXXIV, known as The Tackle, when he tackled then-Titans receiver Kevin Dyson at the one-yard line to preserve a Rams victory. He also had a superb performance during the regular season that year, recording 1 sack and 4 interceptions, which he returned for 96 yards and 2 touchdowns. He also recovered 2 fumbles, returning them for 51 yards and a touchdown.

Jones finished his 12 seasons with 9 sacks, 8 interceptions, 132 return yards, 5 fumble recoveries, 94 return yards, and 4 touchdowns (2 interceptions and 2 fumble recoveries) in 183 games. He is currently the head coach of the football team at Hazelwood East High School in Hazelwood, Missouri.


London Fletcher

London Levi Fletcher-Baker (born May 19, 1975 in Cleveland, Ohio) is an American football linebacker who currently plays for the Washington Redskins of the National Football League. He spent four seasons with the Rams before joining the Buffalo Bills in 2002. On March 2, 2007, Fletcher and the Redskins agreed to a 5-year, $25 million contract with a $10 million signing bonus. Known as one of the most consistent and knowledgeable linebackers in the game, Fletcher has never missed a game in his lengthy career, a feat further magnified by the intense physicality of the middle linebacker position.

St. Louis Rams

Fletcher began his professional career with the St. Louis Rams as an undrafted free agent.He was one of the two rookie free agents to make Rams’ opening day roster, he played in all 16 regular season games, starting the season finale at San Francisco. Fletcher earned the Rams Rookie of the Year Award as teams’ Rookie of the Year[1].

In 1999, Fletcher led the Rams in tackles after winning the starting middle linebacker position during training camp, he led the Rams with 138 tackles for the season were the most by a Ram since Roman Phifer collected 149 in 1995 season[1]. He was a starting linebacker for the Rams in Super Bowl XXXIV, in which the Rams defeated the Titans 23-16. He also was named to the All-Madden team. In 2000, he again led the team with 193 tackles, eclipsing old franchise mark of 185 set by LB Jim Collins in 1984. Fletcher earned NFC Defensive Player of the Week honors for the first time in his career after making 14 tackles (9 solo) and tying a career-high with two sacks against the Minnesota Vikings on November 10[1]. He established season and career highs in sacks (5.5), interceptions (4), and quarterback pressures (9) and adding a forced fumble[2].

In 2001, Fletcher earned NFC Defensive Player of the Week honors twice, first in the game against the San Francisco 49ers on September 23, he led the team with a career-high 21 tackles, 15 solo. The second time was after his big performance against the New England Patriots on November 18 as he led the team with 17 tackles with one pass deflection; forced a fumble on the Rams’ three-yard line that led to a 97-yard scoring drive to end the first half and intercepted a Tom Brady pass with 5:18 left in the third quarter for an 18-yard return[3]. This season the Rams made the Super Bowl XXXVI but were defeated by the Patriots 20–17, after kicker Adam Vinatieri made a game-winning 48-yard field goal as time expired.

Buffalo Bills

After 2001 season, Fletcher was signed by the Buffalo Bills and immediately made an impact on Bills defense, setting a career high and franchise record with 209 tackles, breaking the old mark of 206 set by Chris Spielman in 1996[1]. He also was selected as a Pro Bowl alternate eight times though he has never actually been a Pro Bowler[4]. Since 2002, Fletcher started all 16 regular season games for the Bills until his last season in 2006, when he Recorded a team-high 157 tackles, including nine for loss, set a career high with 14 deflections and tied a career high with four interceptions. On September 10, in the first regular season game, Fletcher scored his first career touchdown after recovering a fumble by patriots´Tom Brady and returning it five yards for a touchdown only 12 seconds into the game[5]. Fletcher was named a 2007 Pro Bowl alternate in his last season as a Bill.

Washington Redskins

On March 2, 2007, he signed with the Washington Redskins for five years and $25 million[6][7]. He currently serves as a captain for the defense. Fletcher was named to the NFC squad in the 2010 Pro Bowl after Jonathan Vilma's New Orleans Saints qualified for Super Bowl XLIV.[8] Fletcher was also one of three candidates for the 2009 Walter Payton Man of the Year Award, which was ultimately won by the Kansas City Chiefs's Brian Waters[9] He also finally made the 2010 Pro Bowl as a Washington Redskin, but only due to the other players ahead of his declining to go to the Pro Bowl.

  • Prior to the 2006 season, he adopted the "Baker" to his last name to honor his late grandmother.
  • Fletcher and his wife Charne have two children, a daughter who was born during the 2007 offseason and a son who was born in August 2008.[1].
  • in 2008, the Redskins nominated Fletcher as their Walter Payton Man of the Year Award representative[10].
  • In 2007, he was named co-winner of the B.J. Blanchard Award, along with quarterback Jason Campbell, an honor given annually to a Redskins player who best helps the local media do their jobs[1].
  • Has been named a Pro Bowl Alternate 9 times. He made his first Pro Bowl after the 2009 season via replacing Jonathan Vilma, due to prepping for the Super Bowl. Fletcher once considered himself the NFL version of Susan Lucci, who won a Daytime Emmy in 1999 in her 19th attempt.

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