Dane Fletcher

Dane Fletcher was signed by the New England Patriots as a rookie free agent on April 29th, 2010. Fletcher starred for the Montana State Bobcats where he was the 2009 Big Sky Defensive Player of the Year after finishing the season with 67 total tackles, seven sacks and two blocked kicks. After redshirting as a freshman in 2005, he played primarily on special teams as a freshman before topping the Big Sky Conference with 19 tackles for a loss in 2007 with 51 tackles and three sacks. In 2008, Fletcher had 6.5 sacks despite missing three games. Fletcher finished his college career with 162 tackles, 51 Tackles for a Loss and 16.5 sacks.

At 6’1” 245lbs, Fletcher had a spectacular workout at his pro day running the 40-yard dash in 4.61 seconds, doing the short shuttle in 4.35 seconds, and had a 6.93 time in the three-cone drill. His explosion was further illustrated with a 36-inch vertical leap to go along with a 9’3” broad jump. In such a compact frame, Fletcher also showcased above average strength benching 29 reps at 225lbs. on the bench press. These impressive numbers along with his non-stop motor and amazing level of production as the Big Sky Conference’s all-time leader in sacks makes Fletcher an ideal fit at linebacker for the Patriots.

Fletcher played in his first NFL game, seeing time on special teams against the Dolphins on October 4th, 2010. Two weeks later, Fletcher saw his first considerable action on defense as a reserve. The next week against the San Diego Chargers, Fletcher forced his first career fumble. With his great work ethic throughout his collegiate career the transition to becoming a dominant NFL player should be a breeze for this elite athlete.