Dad wasn’t active until Week 7 of his rookie year. Jeremiah Trotter Jr. is hoping to make an impact right away.
Jeremiah Trotter, the Eagles’ 3rd-round pick in 1998, didn’t make his NFL debut until a game against the Chargers in San Diego in mid-October, and he wound up playing in only eight games as a rookie before settling in as a starter a year later, in Jim Johnson’s first year with the Eagles.
Trotter Jr., a 6th-round pick, is expected to be an immediate contributor on special teams starting Friday night against the Packers in Brazil. He should be a core special teamer, along with Kelee Ringo, Patrick Johnson, Will Shipley, Oren Burks, Eli Ricks, Jalyx Hunt and Ben VanSumeren.
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“Oh yeah, I definitely feel like that's gonna be a big part of my role and I'm gonna take it to heart and give 110 percent to make sure I'm doing what I'm supposed to do, doing my job, and I'm gonna be ready,” Trotter said Tuesday, before the Eagles left for São Paulo.
“I love this grind. I love football and I love all parts of it and at the end of the day it takes all three phases of the game, offense, defense, and special teams. So if you have that mentality as a team, that's going to really help us in the end.”
Trotter, 21, will become the first Eagles linebacker under 22 to play in a regular-season game since his dad, who was 14 days older than Trotter is now when he made his NFL debut in San Diego 26 years ago.
Young Trott quietly had a very good preseason, and he carries himself like a veteran.
NFL
Where does that come from?
“Really just the preparation I had throughout my whole career up to this point,” he said. “Make the most of any opportunity you get. Have a professional mindset. Work hard every single day. Get extra work in.
“That's something I just tried to work on and do throughout my whole career. … Something that was taught to me at a young age growing up. My dad, that's what he preached. And then also being around the NFL atmosphere, I saw guys work like that.”
So while most rookies are wide-eyed the first time they step on an NFL field for a game that counts, don’t expect that from Trotter.
He’s grown up around the game, he played college football at a very high level, and he acts like he’s been here before because he has.
He said he’s thought about what Friday will be like but thinks by the time kickoff rolls around he’ll be able to focus solely on football.
“I’ve definitely thought about it,” he said. “The atmosphere is going to be different. But at the end of the day, I try to make sure I have the mentality of, ‘It's just football.’ Just go out there, do your job, trust in the work and preparation you put in.
“That's something I try to work on. That's part of my mentality. I tried to work on that in high school and then college as well. It helps me prepare during the week and when it comes game time, not be out there thinking too much, just trust in what I prepared.”
Will there be a “wow” moment that most rookies experience?
Nope. Not for this rookie.
“For me, I mean probably when I first walk on the field,” he said. “I like to walk out on the field pregame, look around the stadium, then just settle down, put on my gospel music and I'm ready to go.”