Jeremiah Trotter

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Jeremiah Trotter

Jeremiah Trotter during his 2nd tenure with the Eagles.
Free AgentNo. 50
Linebacker
Date of birth: January 20, 1977 (1977-01-20) (age 31)
Place of birth: Texarkana, Texas
Height:ft 1 in (1.85 m) Weight: 262 lb (119 kg)
National Football League debut
1998 for the Philadelphia Eagles
Career history
College: Stephen F. Austin
NFL Draft: 1998 / Round: 3 / Pick: 72
 Teams:
Career highlights and awards
Stats at NFL.com

Jeremiah Trotter (born January 20, 1977 in Hooks, Texas) is an American football linebacker who is currently a free agent. He was originally drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the third round (72nd overall) of the 1998 NFL Draft. He played college football at Stephen F. Austin.

Contents

[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] 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."

Trotter tackling LaDainian Tomlinson at the 2006 Pro Bowl.
Trotter tackling LaDainian Tomlinson at the 2006 Pro Bowl.

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.

On August 21, 2007, the Philadelphia Eagles parted ways with the veteran linebacker, releasing him from the remainder of his second contract. Though many fans were upset about this move, Trotter was failing to perform in the '06-'07 season. He was a liability in pass coverage where many teams game planned to attack him. The position of middle linebacker was filled by two-year veteran Omar Gaither.

On September 3, 2007 the Tampa Bay Buccaneers signed Trotter to a 1-year deal.

[edit] Business Ventures

Trotter has been involved in various business ventures in addition to his football career. 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, and also owns two car washes in neighboring Voorhees. The car wash in Cherry Hill, New Jersey has since closed down. Trotter also has a shorehouse on the famous Ocean City boardwalk between 6th and 7th streets near the Wonderland Pier.

[edit] Name in Music

In 2007, On the first single entitled "Uh-Oh feat. Lil Wayne" off Ja Rule's new album, Trotter was mentioned in Wayne's verse saying "Run and I will hit you like Jeremiah Trotter"

[edit] External links

Preceded by
Mark Simoneau
Philadelphia Eagles Starting Middle linebacker
2004-2006
Succeeded by
Omar Gaither
Preceded by
Kevin Mitchell
Washington Redskins Starting Middle linebacker
2002-2003
Succeeded by
Antonio Pierce
Preceded by
James Darling
Philadelphia Eagles Starting Middle linebacker
1999-2001
Succeeded by
Levon Kirkland