By John Priestap
For D3football.com

On Sunday, when the world was focused on Drew Bledsoe versus Tom Brady and the Buffalo Bills vs. the New England Patriots, Division III had a battle of its own – the Bills' London Fletcher vs. the Patriots' Nick Caserio and Josh McDaniels. The three share more than their time at John Carroll; they're each trying to get another Super Bowl ring.

Fletcher, a middle linebacker, rewrote the JCU record books with 202 tackles in 1997. He had a record 29 of them his senior year against Ohio Northern. He was named the National Linebacker of the Year in Division III as well as being a Gagliardi Finalist – an award on whose voting committee he currently serves.

Caserio was the most prolific passer in John Carroll history before Tom Arth's arrival in 1999. Caserio was a four-year starter at quarterback and two-time captain for the Blue Streaks – his first captaincy was shared with Fletcher.

McDaniels went from being featured in Sports Illustrated as Canton McKinley (Ohio) High School's quarterback and kicker to one of the most efficient receivers and smartest football players to play for John Carroll.

On a cold November evening in Foxborough, Mass., last fall, the three laughed as they had on Wasmer Field in University Heights. Fletcher still had the world's biggest smile. Caserio laughed with his old teammate, always keeping one eye on the field. Typical Caserio. There is always work to be done, always a detail to close. McDaniels maintained his role as antagonist. Fletcher waited for McDaniels' prediction of a Partiot victory or a hint they (the Pats) may run right at him due to his size.

Foxboro Stadium hovered in the background. Reporters from ESPN prepped for the Sunday night showdown between Fletcher's Rams and Caserio and McDaniels' Patriots. The three seemed not to notice. The bright lights shown greatly as the trio reminisced about their college days. As Kurt Warner and Tom Brady warmed up behind them, there was a wonderful reality that, in very different ways, each of them was making their mark on our new American pastime.

Fletcher normally enjoys visits with Caserio and McDaniels. "I always enjoy seeing Nick and Josh. Other guys in the league have college teammates on other teams. Coming from (John) Carroll, I don't have any other guys like that. It's always good to see them," said Fletcher.

"I was excited to see him," said Caserio of Fletcher. "I am always happy for him and want him to succeed, but there was definitely tension because I want him to succeed, but our team to win."

"It's like a feather in your cap. Being able to tell other coaches that you played with that guy (Fletcher) is awesome. It's also a challenge to try and figure out a way to beat him because he's darn good," said McDaniels.

Fletcher, 5-9, 240 pounds, was 90 minutes away from a performance that would see him earn NFC Player of the Week honors by intercepting a Tom Brady pass, forcing a crucial fumble, and recording six tackles.

Caserio and McDaniels, both climbing members of the New England Patriots scouting staff, would be months away from their revenge. Caserio admitted the Super Bowl was not on his mind in November. "At that time, it was the farthest thing from my thoughts," he said.

"The Super Bowl wasn't even realistic," McDaniels agreed.

But the Patriots would use that game as a turning point. They lost that evening, but discovered they were more than competitive with the St. Louis Rams – the Super Bowl favorite St. Louis Rams. Many wins later, the Patriots earned a visit to the Super Bowl.

"It really didn't hit me until after we beat Pittsburgh and they told me I'd be making the trip to the game. That's when I felt like all the hard work was paying off," said Caserio.

"It was like, 'Can you believe what we just did?' I don't want to say I was surprised we beat Pittsburgh, but I wasn't expecting it," McDaniels agreed.

Always confident, Fletcher believed catching up with his former teammates at Super Bowl XXXVI in February would be no different. On the world's largest stage, in the country's wildest city, Fletcher was the one who left empty-handed.

Caserio and McDaniels received what Fletcher had just two seasons earlier – a Super Bowl Championship ring.

"The whole experience – the game, the aftermath, the ring – was amazing. I think, because it was the first time, I was just in awe of everything. Maybe next time, it would be a little more easy to comprehend," said McDaniels.

With winning comes movement. With four years in the NFL comes potential free agency. Caserio and McDaniels were rewarded for their hard work in the scouting department. McDaniels was tabbed a defensive assistant, while his former catch partner was named an offensive assistant. Fletcher's life would change more drastically.

When Fletcher walked off the field following the Super Bowl loss, he was wearing the Rams' Blue & Gold (similar to John Carroll's colors) for the last time. But Fletcher assured at least two visits this fall with Caserio and McDaniels when he signed with their conference rival, the Buffalo Bills.

Leaving his mark in St. Louis, where Fletcher stands as the Rams' franchise leader in tackles with 193 in 2000, he is hoping to be part of a new beginning in Buffalo.

"The future's great for us in Buffalo. We're a young team, so we're going to make mistakes, but there's so much upside. We're doing so much learning about what needs to be done to compete at a championship level."

And despite their school ties, Fletcher's optimistic outlook would not bode well for McDaniels and Caserio. Coaching jobs in the NFL do not come easily. Turnover is high and the pressure is intense. A conference championship for Fletcher and the Bills would mean consolation prizes for the Patriots. One thing is for certain, the three will not meet as foes at the Super Bowl this year.

"I'd like to think the chances for us (the Pats) to return are realistic, but the probability is slim. There's a lot of guys who've been coaching (in the NFL) 20-30 years who've never made it," said Caserio on the possibility of returning to the big game.

Caserio and McDaniels have visited the Super Bowl in their only full season on the staff in New England. Fletcher has been to the big game twice in his four full NFL seasons, but is not complacent.

"The Super Bowl is all I think about. You can't get enough of it. I don't start the season wanting to win eight, nine, or 10 games. I want to win the Super Bowl. Anything less is unsatisfactory," said Fletcher.

Sunday's game was more one-sided than the first two. Fletcher and the Bills' defense never solved the Patriots' offense. The 38-7 victory was the worst of the year for Fletcher. It was crucial for Caserio and McDaniel's team.

They spoke more seriously after the game this year. The three know they'll see each other soon. The laughs may become fewer and the conversations more hasty. The friends have become rivals through no fault of their own. McDaniels and Caserio have two victories in their three contests against Fletcher.

"It's not different that they're rivals," said Fletcher. "You want to beat them so bad because they're in the division, but I don't care if they're in the division or not. Mostly, I want to win because I'm 1-2 against those guys."

The rivalry will pass and the group will someday join their former teammates on campus to watch their alma mater at Don Shula Stadium. For now, the rivalry and the game remains their life and their livelihood. They have all worked too hard to have it any other way.

McDaniels spent one year as a graduate assistant at Michigan State before treading through corporate America and then landing squarely in the Patriots scouting department. After a successful start, they asked McDaniels if he knew anyone who would be capable of filling a similar role.

Caserio started as a financial adviser only to recognize the absence of football was too great. He spent two years as a graduate assistant at Saginaw Valley State where he earned his MBA before temporarily filling the same role at Central Michigan. Then, his friend called. McDaniels and Caserio have been working together since.

Fletcher went from undrafted free agent, to special teams hero, to starting middle linebacker in his first 16 games. He never looked back. As he plays his fifth year in the NFL, he is living proof that Division III football has its place in The League.

"The level of complexity in the NFL game is superior. All in all, though, if you don't prepare for the guy across from you, it doesn't matter if it's John Carroll or New England, you're going to get beat," said McDaniels.

"Any time you have played Division III football, you played for the love of the game. You're not going to be awed by the money, because you're still going to want to play the game. If I wasn't playing in the NFL, I'd probably be playing pick-up football games on the weekends with some friends. I love to practice. I love to play. That's the way it was at D-III and that's the way it is now. I just feel blessed," said Fletcher.

The fact that each of the three graduated might make news at higher levels, but this is Division III, so it's a given. Any school would be glad to claim them. And while they have no OAC rings, their Super Bowl Champion rings will have to suffice.