London Fletcher, who authored one of the great stories and careers in the history of the John Carroll University football program, will be inducted tonight into the College Football Hall of Fame.

The National Football Foundation (NFF) & College Hall of Fame will host the 62nd NFF Annual Awards Dinner Presented by ETT, which will take place this evening at the New York Hilton Midtown. This event promises to be one of the most memorable in history as it adds to the yearlong celebration of the 150th anniversary of college football.

Fans can watch a live stream of the NFF Annual Awards Dinner, starting at 8:30 p.m. ET on ESPN3. BMG Productions will produce the Dinner and surrounding events under the direction of George Sechrist.

"Many people have come together to support this year's Annual Awards Dinner, and their efforts promise to make the event a celebration for the ages. We thank them all," said NFF President & CEO Steve Hatchell. "As a bridge between the regular season and the bowl season, the NFF Dinner provides a unique setting where we briefly set aside intense rivalries to join together to celebrate our sport, and this year's dinner is especially momentous as we celebrate the 150th anniversary of college football in 2019. If you're passionate about college football, there will be no better place to be on December 10."

Fletcher, from the class of 1997, will be the first graduate of John Carroll University to be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.
 
A two-time First Team All-American, Fletcher was the Football Gazette's 1997 Division III Linebacker of the Year. A team captain his senior season, he helped the 1997 JCU squad become the first team in school history to win a Division III playoff game as the Blue Streaks reached the quarterfinals. A two-time First Team All-Ohio Athletic Conference selection, Fletcher was named the OAC's Bill Edwards Most Outstanding Linebacker in 1997.
 
Fletcher recorded 202 tackles during his stellar final season in University Heights, which remains a single-season school record. That year, he also set the single-game record with 29 tackles against Ohio Northern. By the end of his Blue Streak career, Fletcher had tallied 386 tackles, 37 tackles for loss, 14 sacks and three interceptions. he also recorded two touchdowns - one on an interception return and one on a kickoff return.

His No. 3 jersey was retired by JCU in 2017 during a special 20-year celebration of the 1997 football team.
 
After going undrafted in 1998, Fletcher spent an impressive 16 seasons in the NFL with the St. Louis Rams, Buffalo Bills and Washington Redskins. He helped the Rams win Super Bowl XXXIV following the 1999 season, and he earned four Pro Bowl selections with the Redskins. Fletcher finished his NFL career with 215 consecutive games started, which are tied for the sixth most in league history and the most by a linebacker.
 
Off the field, he established the London's Bridge Foundation in 2003 to assist with inequalities facing underprivileged and underrepresented children through mentoring, charitable giving, life skills and community responsibility. Fletcher was the 2012 Athletes in Action Bart Starr Man of the Year and a finalist for the 2010 Walter Payton Man of the Year Award. The Cleveland native is currently an NFL analyst for the CBS Sports Network. 

"We are extremely proud to announce the 2019 College Football Hall of Fame Class," said Archie Manning, NFF Chairman and a 1989 College Football Hall of Famer from Mississippi. "Each of these men has established himself among the absolute best to have ever played or coached the game, and we look forward to immortalizing their incredible accomplishments. The Class will be part of a momentous year as we celebrate the 150th anniversary of college football this season."

Fletcher joins a class of players that includes Joe Thomas (Wisconsin), Troy Polamalu (USC), Vince Young (Texas), Raghib "Rocket" Ismail (Notre Dame), Terrell Buckley (Florida State), Rickey Dixon (Oklahoma), Jacob Green (Texas A&M), Torry Holt (NC State), Darren McFadden (Arkansas), Jake Plummer (Arizona State), Lorenzo White (Michigan State) and Patrick Willis (Mississippi). The coaches are Joe Taylor (Howard, Virginia Union, Hampton, Florida A&M) and Dennis Erickson (Idaho, Wyoming, Washington State, Miami Florida, Oregon State, Arizona State).

To be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame, a player must have received First Team All-America recognition by a selector organization that is recognized by the NCAA and utilized to comprise their consensus All-America teams.
 
A player becomes eligible for consideration by the Foundation's honors courts 10 full seasons after his final year of intercollegiate football played.
 
While each nominee's football achievements in college are of prime consideration, his post football record as a citizen is also weighed. He must have proven himself worthy as a citizen, carrying the ideals of football forward into his relations with his community and fellow man.