Jeremiah Trotter (born January 20, 1977 in Hooks, Texas) is an NFL defensive player. His career began in Hooks High School in Hooks, Texas where he was a three-time all district player and District MVP. 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 immedietly 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.
