Jeremiah Trotter (born January 20, 1977) is an American former professional
football
Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...
player who was a
linebacker
Linebacker (LB) is a playing position in gridiron football. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage and the defensive linemen. They are the "middle ground" of defenders, p ...
in the
National Football League
The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ...
(NFL) for twelve seasons. He played
college football
College football (french: Football universitaire) refers to gridiron football played by teams of student athletes. It was through college football play that American football rules first gained popularity in the United States.
Unlike most ...
for the
Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks
The Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks and Ladyjacks are composed of 16 teams representing Stephen F. Austin State University (SFA) in intercollegiate athletics. Stephen F. Austin teams participate in the Division I as a member of the Western Athle ...
and was selected by the
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. The team plays ...
in the third round of the
1998 NFL Draft
The 1998 NFL draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 18–19, 1998, at the Theater at M ...
.
Trotter is one of just four linebackers in Eagles history to earn four or more
Pro Bowl
The National Football League All-Star Game (1939–1942), Pro Bowl (1951–2022), or Pro Bowl Games (starting in 2023) is an annual event held by the National Football League (NFL) featuring the league's star players.
The format has changed thro ...
invitations, joining
Chuck Bednarik
Charles Philip Bednarik (May 1, 1925 – March 21, 2015), nicknamed "Concrete Charlie", was an American professional football player in the National Football League (NFL). He has been ranked one of the hardest hitting tacklers in NFL history an ...
,
Maxie Baughan
Maxie Callaway Baughan Jr. (born August 3, 1938) is a former American football linebacker who played in the National Football League (NFL) for the Philadelphia Eagles, Los Angeles Rams, and the Washington Redskins. Baughan played college football ...
and
Bill Bergey
William Earl Bergey (born February 9, 1945) is a former American football linebacker who played professionally for 12 seasons, most notably with the Philadelphia Eagles of National Football League (NFL). He was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals ...
in that select group. Trotter has also been a member of the
Washington Redskins
The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) N ...
and
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football team based in Tampa, Florida. The Buccaneers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South divisio ...
.
Early years
Trotter attended
Hooks High School in
Hooks, Texas and was a
letterman
Letterman may refer to:
* Letterman (sports), a classification of high school or college athlete in the United States
People
* David Letterman (born 1947), American television talk show host
** ''Late Night with David Letterman'', talk show that ...
in
football
Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...
. In football, he was a three-time all district honoree and was named the District MVP as a senior.
Professional career
Philadelphia Eagles
Trotter was drafted by the
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. The team plays ...
in the third round of the
1998 NFL Draft
The 1998 NFL draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 18–19, 1998, at the Theater at M ...
. In his first year with the Eagles as a backup, he recorded only six tackles. In his second season, newly hired Head Coach
Andy Reid
Andrew Walter Reid (born March 19, 1958) is an American football coach who is the head coach for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League (NFL). Reid was previously head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles from 1999 to 2012. From 200 ...
named Trotter the
starting middle
linebacker
Linebacker (LB) is a playing position in gridiron football. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage and the defensive linemen. They are the "middle ground" of defenders, p ...
. Over the next three seasons, he led the team in tackles. In four seasons with the Eagles, he had accumulated 361 tackles, nine sacks, five interceptions and four forced fumbles. He also made two straight Pro Bowls in the
2000
File:2000 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Protests against Bush v. Gore after the 2000 United States presidential election; Heads of state meet for the Millennium Summit; The International Space Station in its infant form as seen from ...
and
2001
The September 11 attacks against the United States by Al-Qaeda, which Casualties of the September 11 attacks, killed 2,977 people and instigated the global war on terror, were a defining event of 2001. The United States led a Participants in ...
seasons.
Trotter and the Eagles defense ranked second in the NFL in 2001, earning them their first NFC East championship since 1988. The Eagles would go to the NFC Championship that year for the first time since 1980, but lost to the St. Louis Rams. Following the loss, Trotter became a free agent. He was designated with the franchise tag by the Eagles, but after failing to agree on a contract, became a free agent.
Washington Redskins
Trotter signed a seven-year, $36 million contract with the
Washington Redskins
The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) N ...
on April 19, 2002. On June 1, 2004, after just two seasons into his contract, Trotter was released. In his two seasons with the Redskins, Trotter recorded over 200 tackles and 1.5 sacks.
Second stint with Eagles
Trotter returned to the Eagles for the
2004 season, signing a one-year contract worth the veteran minimum.
Prior to re-signing Trotter, the Eagles run defense was among the worst in the NFL. Trotter became the starter midway through the
2004 season, and immediately improved the defense. That year, the Eagles advanced to their first
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the annual final playoff game of the National Football League (NFL) to determine the league champion. It has served as the final game of every NFL season since 1966, replacing the NFL Championship Game. Since 2022, the game ...
since 1980, marking Trotter's first appearance in the championship game, though they would lose by a narrow margin to the defending champion
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East divisio ...
, 24-21. At the end of the season, Trotter re-signed with the Eagles to a five-year contract worth $15 million, opting to return despite a larger contract offer from Kansas City.
During the 2005 season opener, about 40 minutes before kickoff between the Eagles and
Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta. The Falcons compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. The Falcons joined th ...
, Trotter and Falcons' cornerback
Kevin Mathis
Kevin Bryant Mathis (born April 29, 1974) is a former American football cornerback in the National Football League (NFL) for the Dallas Cowboys, New Orleans Saints, and Atlanta Falcons. He played college football at Texas A&M University–Commer ...
got into a fight during pregame warmups. After officials reviewed video to see who instigated the fight, both Trotter and Mathis were ejected before kickoff.
Terry Bradshaw
Terry Paxton Bradshaw (born September 2, 1948) is an American former professional football player who was a quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers in the National Football League (NFL). Since 1994, he has been a television sports analyst an ...
said about the incident, "No one's been thrown out of a house that fast since my last divorce". The fight led to an NFL rules change where non-kickers cannot enter a
neutral zone between the 45-yard-lines prior to the game.
Trotter was voted to the
Pro Bowl
The National Football League All-Star Game (1939–1942), Pro Bowl (1951–2022), or Pro Bowl Games (starting in 2023) is an annual event held by the National Football League (NFL) featuring the league's star players.
The format has changed thro ...
in
2005
File:2005 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: Hurricane Katrina in the Gulf of Mexico; the Funeral of Pope John Paul II is held in Vatican City; "Me at the zoo", the first video ever to be uploaded to YouTube; Eris was discovered in ...
, being the only Eagle to be voted outright by the fans that season (Brian Dawkins was named to the Pro Bowl as an alternate). He was once again named to the Pro Bowl in
2006
File:2006 Events Collage V1.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2006 Winter Olympics open in Turin; Twitter is founded and launched by Jack Dorsey; The Nintendo Wii is released; Montenegro 2006 Montenegrin independence referendum, votes to declare ...
. On August 21, 2007, the
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. The team plays ...
released the
veteran
A veteran () is a person who has significant experience (and is usually adept and esteemed) and expertise in a particular occupation or field. A military veteran is a person who is no longer serving in a military.
A military veteran that has ...
linebacker
Linebacker (LB) is a playing position in gridiron football. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage and the defensive linemen. They are the "middle ground" of defenders, p ...
from the remainder of his second
contract
A contract is a legally enforceable agreement between two or more parties that creates, defines, and governs mutual rights and obligations between them. A contract typically involves the transfer of goods, services, money, or a promise to tran ...
. The position of
middle linebacker
Linebacker (LB) is a playing position in gridiron football. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage and the defensive linemen. They are the "middle ground" of defenders, ...
was filled by two-year veteran
Omar Gaither
Omar Thabiti Gaither (born March 18, 1984) is a former American football linebacker of the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the fifth round of the 2006 NFL Draft. He has played for the Philadelphia Ea ...
.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
On September 3, 2007 the
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football team based in Tampa, Florida. The Buccaneers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South divisio ...
signed Trotter to a one-year deal.
Third stint with Eagles
After
Stewart Bradley
Stewart Harris Bradley (born November 2, 1983) is a former American football linebacker in the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the third round of the 2007 NFL Draft and also played for the Arizona Ca ...
tore his ACL during training camp, the Eagles needed an experienced
middle linebacker
Linebacker (LB) is a playing position in gridiron football. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage and the defensive linemen. They are the "middle ground" of defenders, ...
to take his place for the season. Trotter worked out on September 25, 2009 with the Eagles and signed a one-year contract. The following offseason, after allowing
Brian Dawkins
Brian Patrick Dawkins Sr. (born October 13, 1973) is an American former football safety who played 16 seasons in the National Football League (NFL), primarily with the Philadelphia Eagles. He played college football at Clemson and was drafted b ...
to leave via free agency, the Eagles cut ties with most of their NFC Championship squad, by trading
Donovan McNabb
Donovan Jamal McNabb (born November 25, 1976) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for thirteen seasons, primarily with the Philadelphia Eagles. Before his NFL career, he played football and b ...
, releasing
Brian Westbrook
Brian Collins Westbrook (born September 2, 1979) is a former American football running back who played for nine seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the third round of the 2002 NFL Draft af ...
, and not re-signing Trotter.
NFL statistics
Regular season
Postseason
Business ventures
Trotter has been involved in various business ventures in addition to his football career. In 2000, he opened a
salon
Salon may refer to:
Common meanings
* Beauty salon, a venue for cosmetic treatments
* French term for a drawing room, an architectural space in a home
* Salon (gathering), a meeting for learning or enjoyment
Arts and entertainment
* Salon (P ...
called T&I Unisex Salon, located in
Willingboro, New Jersey
Willingboro Township is a township in Burlington County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The township is a suburb of Philadelphia and part of the state's South Jersey region.
As of the 2020 census, the population was 31,889, an increase of ...
. In 2003, Trotter opened a
car wash
A car wash, carwash, or auto wash is a facility used to clean the exterior, and in some cases the interior of motor vehicles. Car washes can be self-service, full-service (with attendants who wash the vehicle), or fully automated (possi ...
business called Trott's Spot Car Wash, located in
Cherry Hill, New Jersey
Cherry Hill is a township within Camden County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the township had a population of 74,553, which reflected an increase of 3,508 (+4.94%) from the 71,045 counted in the 2010 census. , and he also owns two car washes in neighboring
Voorhees. The car wash in Cherry Hill, New Jersey has since closed down.
Personal life
Trotter is married to Tammi Trotter. The married couple have three children. Trotter is a
Christian
Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...
. While playing with the Eagles, Trotter was a resident of
Hainesport, New Jersey
Hainesport Township is a township in Burlington County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, the township's population was 6,035, a decline of 75 (-1.2%) from the 2010 census enumeration of 6,110, in turn reflecting ...
.
In September, 2019, Trotter's son
Jeremiah Trotter Jr., then a junior at
St. Joseph's Preparatory School in Philadelphia, announced his commitment to play for the
Clemson Tigers
The Clemson Tigers are the athletic teams that represent Clemson University, located in Clemson, South Carolina. They compete as a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I level (Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) ...
. Jeremiah Jr.'s younger brother Josiah also plays for Prep. Both boys, like their father, are linebackers.
Trotter was captain of the Philadelphia Benjamins dodgeball team on the 3rd season of GSN's Extreme Dodgeball. The Benjamins were runners-up as they fell short in the championship match at the hands of the New York Bling, who were led by female boxer Mia St. Jon. In addition, Trotter not only led his team in kills, but also led the league in Big Ball kills. Extreme Dodgeball is an American Sports Entertainment television show that debuted on Game Show Network in 2004. His nickname on the show was "The Axeman".
Trotter made his acting debut in 2013 in the independent film ''The North Star''.
Trotter was inducted into the Philadelphia Eagles Hall of Fame on November 28, 2016.
Trotter is the uncle of former
St. Louis Rams
The St. Louis Rams were a professional American football team of the National Football League (NFL). They played in St. Louis from 1995 to the 2015 season, before moving back to Los Angeles, where the team had played from 1946 to 1994.
The arr ...
running back
Terrance Ganaway.
References
External links
Current stats*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Trotter, Jeremiah
1977 births
Living people
People from Hooks, Texas
People from Hainesport Township, New Jersey
Players of American football from Texas
American football middle linebackers
National Conference Pro Bowl players
Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks football players
Washington Redskins players
Philadelphia Eagles players
Tampa Bay Buccaneers players