Jeremiah Trotter
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Jeremiah Trotter | |
|---|---|
 Jeremiah Trotter as featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated |
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| Date of birth | January 20, 1977 |
| Place of birth | Hooks, TX |
| Position(s) | Middle Linebacker |
| College | Stephen F. Austin |
| NFL Draft | 1998 / Round 3/ Pick 72 |
| Pro Bowls | 2001, 2002, 2005, 2006 |
| Statistics | |
| Team(s) | |
| 1998-2001 2002-2003 2004-present |
Philadelphia Eagles Washington Redskins Philadelphia Eagles |
Jeremiah Trotter (born January 20, 1977 in Hooks, Texas) is an NFL defensive player. He is renowned for his unique combination of size and speed -- he is large even by the standards of an NFL linebacker at 265 pounds. He owes this unique physique to his habit of chopping wood from an early age in Hooks, Texas to help his family make ends meet; this is the basis of his nickname "the Axeman", as well as his personal "woodchop" celebration when he makes a big play.
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[edit] High School Years
Trotter attended Hooks High School in Hooks, Texas and was a letterman in football. In football, he was a three-time all district honoree and was named the District MVP as a senior.
[edit] College Years
Trotter attended Stephen F. Austin University and was a three-year letterman in football. He finished his college career with 7.5 sacks, 265 tackles, three interceptions, three forced fumbles, and four fumble recoveries.
[edit] National Football League Years
He was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the 3rd round of the 1998 NFL Draft. In his first year with the Eagles as a backup, he recorded only 6 tackles. After that year he got a starting job at middle linebacker. In the 1999 season he recorded a total of 174 tackles to lead the team. The next year he recorded 164 tackles and again led the team. After four years with the Eagles he had 361 tackles, 9 sacks, 5 interceptions and 4 forced fumbles.
Trotter was signed by the Washington Redskins in 2002 and played two seasons there. He returned to the Eagles for the 2004 season.
Prior to resigning Trotter, the Eagles run defense was amongst the worst in the NFL. Trotter's presence immediately improved the defense and he was voted to the Pro Bowl in 2005 and 2006.
Trotter also played for the Philadelphia Benjamins on Extreme Dodgeball, using the nickname "The Axeman." With throws usually at 95 mph, he was considered the most dangerous player in the league, unfortunately, he "showed off too much" and was forced to nurture a shoulder injury.
Jeremiah is now forever in NFL lore for being thrown out of a game before it even started. On September 12, 2005, about 40 minutes before kickoff, Trotter and Atlanta Falcons cornerback Kevin Mathis 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. The game was a rematch of their NFC Championship Game back in January 2005, in which the Eagles defeated the Falcons to get to Super Bowl XXXIX, where they would lose to the New England Patriots. The game, in which the Falcons got payback with a 14-10 victory, was also a Monday Night Football telecast. 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.
In addition to his football career, Trotter has been involved in various business ventures. In 2000, he opened a salon called T&I Unisex Salon, located in Willingboro, New Jersey. In 2003, Trotter opened a car wash business called Trott's Spot Car Wash, located in Cherry Hill, New Jersey. Trotter also has a shorehouse on the famous Ocean City boardwalk between 6th and 7th streets near the Wonderland Pier.
