PHILADELPHIA, PA — Jeremiah Trotter Jr., dressed in a sharp blue suit and Clemson orange flower on his left lapel, sat there last Friday night on a bean bag in the basement of his father’s South Jersey home looking casually looking down at his cell phone. The names of the second and third rounds of the 2024 NFL Draft were being called, and the 6-foot, 230-pound two-year starting inside linebacker at Clemson was hoping he would be among them. His father, beloved former Eagles’ linebacker Jeremiah Trotter Sr., was making the point to his guests that it does not matter where you are picked in the draft, as long as you are selected.
Then, Trotter Sr. stressed, it is time to go to work.
It took a few more rounds, with the No. 155th overall arriving in the fifth round, for Trotter Jr.’s name to be called by the Eagles. He was sitting in the back seat of his dad’s truck in Morgantown, West Virginia, just after watching his younger brother Josiah play in West Virginia’s spring game when he got the call from Howie Roseman on Saturday afternoon.
The first thing Trotter Sr. said to his son was “It’s time to go to work.”
Junior becomes an Eagle with some added motivation. He should have gone higher. And he knows it. He will not say it out of humility. He was projected to be a second- or third-round pick, based on his junior season when he led Clemson in tackles (88), tackles for loss (15.0) and was tied for the team lead with 5.5 sacks. It was his second consecutive season leading Clemson in tackles (92), tackles for loss (13.5), and sacks (6.5).
According to Pro Football Focus, Trotter Jr.’s 92.0 coverage grade since 2022 is the best among FBS linebackers with a minimum 600 coverage snaps. He was also one of three Power 5 players to have 10-plus sacks, 4-plus interceptions, 3-plus forced fumbles, and 2-plus pick-sixes in a two-season span since 1996 (UCLA’s Akeem Ayers and UNC’s Julius Peppers).
On Wednesday, Trotter Jr. embarked on his NFL career by reporting to the Eagles’ rookie minicamp.
The Eagles will be getting a fired-up rookie who they will have to kick off the practice field because he will want extra reps. His new Eagle coaches cannot wait to work with him. Junior did everything right from high school to the high college level.
When the draft came, for the first time in his life, he had NFL teams questioning his ability as a football player.
“I completely understand the why and what teams were looking for when drafting linebackers,” said Junior, a two-time second-team Associated Press All-American, a first-team all-ACC linebacker as a junior and was a finalist for the Butkus Award as one of the nation’s top linebackers. “Teams will always want to go for a guy who has the size whose game can translate to the next level. I completely understand it, and considering there is a lot of money that goes into things like this, it makes sense. I trusted in God and hoped for the opportunity to do that. I appreciate God for the chance.
“I will say that there is a built-in chip on your shoulder when people doubt you because of your size, but I will always be motivated internally. I do play with a little bit of a chip on my shoulder. I am going into this set to prove that I can really play in the NFL. When I was sitting there last Friday, I was sitting there waiting for the call. I knew some teams would not take me because of my size. Unfortunately, I did not get the call, but I did get the call the next day by a great team, a team I grew up rooting for. I cannot wait to get started.”
A tireless student of the game, Trotter Jr. immediately went to work pouring over game film and details of what new Eagles’ defensive coordinator Vic Fangio likes to do with his linebackers. For one, Trotter Jr. aligns perfectly with Fangio’s system of blitzing linebackers and dropping linebackers in coverage. He also mixes a man defense with zone.
There will be unfair comparisons between Junior and his dad. Jeremiah Sr., “The Axe Man,” was an 11-year pro who played eight years with the Eagles, though played in a different era than today. But Jeremiah Sr. is the first to admit “Junior is a lot better than me, far more knowledgeable than me, and a lot more athletic than me when I first came into the league. He would sit next to me breaking down game film when he was eight. Junior has been around the game his whole life. He knows where to be on the field, and when to be there, and I am not just saying that because I am his father. He has natural instincts to see the game. He does things you cannot teach. They come naturally to him. They always have.”
Trotter Jr. will be competing with Nakobe Dean and Devin White for a starter’s spot. And he will compete, considering how thin the Eagles are there. Dean has shown a penchant for not being healthy enough to stay on the field, and White, lately, has had a problem where to be when he is on the field, especially last season in Tampa Bay.
Andre Odom, Junior’s agent, is from Philadelphia. He attended Washington High School and Temple University. Personally, Odom could not have been happier Junior the Eagles took his client.
“Junior is special, he has always been special and the Eagles will get him the No. 54 jersey,” Odom said. “He wants to play. For myself as a fan, I am elated this happened. I grew up an Eagles’ fan and that remains consistent to this day. This is a kid that once you hit ‘play’ on the tape, he is constantly making plays. He stands out. You watch Clemson play defense last year, and you would see No. 54 everywhere. Jeremiah is a different animal and the Eagles will find that out. We got a steal in the fifth round. I say that because I am an Eagles’ fan. I feel great about Jeremiah’s situation. He does not recognize pressure. He wants to be on the field. The Eagles are getting a very motivated young man.”
After he grasps Fangio’s system, the only obstacle Junior will need to adjust to in the NFL is the speed of the game, which he has dealt with successfully at every level of football he has played.
“I want to come in and be the best player I can be, earn the respect of my teammates and my coaches, and do whatever I can to help my team win,” said Junior, who will bring his white Clemson Trotter’s Mom jersey with him to the NovaCare Complex. “I’m okay around the 228-230 range. I will see where they want me. I feel comfortable whatever weight they want me. I haven’t spoken to the Eagles about wearing No. 54, but it will be a priority. I feel pretty good the Eagles will let me wear my dad’s number. I want to wear 54. That’s the only number I have ever worn. I have not even thought about another option (laughs). I was playing quarterback and running back on my (pee-wee) team and wore 54.
“When a fan base like this fan base shows a lot of love for you, you play that much harder. The Eagles were the team I rooted for as a kid, and I am going to play harder for this fan base being from the area. I want to show this city and this team the love I have for them. I used to dream, honestly, about one day playing for the Eagles wearing the No. 54 one day. My dad, my sister, Josiah and my uncles told me how proud they were of me. I have a feeling I may be breaking down more film with my dad (laughs). I know how to be a professional and he trusts what I need to do. But he is my dad. He is always going to be my coach.”
Joseph Santoliquito is a hall of fame, award-winning sportswriter based in the Philadelphia area who has written feature stories for SI.com, ESPN.com, NFL.com, MLB.com, Deadspin and The Philadelphia Inquirer/Daily News. In 2006, he was nominated for an Emmy Award for a special project piece for ESPN.com called “Love at First Beep.” He is most noted for his award-winning ESPN.com feature on high school wrestler A.J. Detwiler in February 2006, which appeared on SportsCenter. In 2015, he was elected president of the Boxing Writers Association of America.
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