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Overview
Alex Fletcher is a retired former center at Stanford University, where he played for four seasons. A fixture for the Cardinal at right guard and at center, Fletcher was the anchor of an offensive line that made way for the best season-long rushing output in Stanford history. After exhausting his eligibility at Stanford, Fletcher went undrafted in the 2009 NFL Draft. He briefly signed with the New Orleans Saints, but a kidney problem forced him to retire before his first training camp.
Prep Career
Alex Fletcher attended St. Anthony's High School in Old Brookville, NY. Fletcher transferred to St. Anthony's after spending his freshman year at North Shore High. He was named first-team All State in his junior and senior seasons, and was a consensus high school All-American. Fletcher was also a member of the National Honor Society, and was named a U.S. Army Scholar-Athlete. Coming out of high school, Alex Fletcher was ranked the No. 3 offensive line prospect in the country by Rivals.com. He chose to attend Stanford over conference rival USC.
Freshman Year
Fletcher redshirted in 2004, but became the only member of Stanford's offensive line to start all 11 games in the subsequent season. As a freshman, Fletcher split his time between right guard and center. He earned honorable mention freshman All-America honors and first-team All-Conference honors in 2005.
Sophomore Year
As a sophomore, Fletcher moved to center full-time due to an injury suffered by teammate Tim Mattran. Back spasms forced him to miss the final three games of the 2006 season, ending Fletcher's streak of 20 consecutive starts for the Cardinal.
Junior Year
Fletcher went back to right guard as a junior, starting all 12 of the Cardinal's games at that position. In 2007, Fletcher played in the game he would later cite as the highlight of his collegiate career, Stanford's 24-23 upset of then-No. 2 USC at the Coliseum.
Senior Year
As a senior, Fletcher switched back to playing center to improve his prospects in the NFL Draft. Fletcher started 2008 on the watch lists for the Outland and Rimington Trophies, and the Lombardi Award. A team captain, Fletcher anchored a line that paved the way for Cardinal running backs to rush for a school-record 2,395 yards.
Professional Career
Fletcher was eligible to be selected in the 2009 NFL Draft, but went undrafted. He signed a free-agent contract with the New Orleans Saints, but was forced to retire on June 15, 2009, due to what the team called a life-threatening kidney issue.
Personal
Fletcher graduated from Stanford in March 2008 with a degree in science, technology and society. He also worked for private equity firm Golden Gate Consulting, doing due diligence for corporate acquisitions. Alex's father, Steven, played football for Princeton University from 1973-76. Alex's brother, Austen, is an offensive lineman at Dartmouth.
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