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Athlete of the Decade #10 Jeremiah “The Axeman” Trotter
by Joseph Birmingham
What can be said about Jeremiah ? He is huge both on the field and off. Born in Texas in 1977, he joined the Eagles after being drafted in the third round in 1998. While a certified lumberjack at Stephen F Austin, it was his entry to the NFL that saw his maturation into “The Axeman” that he is today.
Jeremiah stands 6′ 2″ and weighs in at 262 pounds. He is known for his proficiency at stopping the run up the middle, but in the early years he had blazing speed and would frequently chase down wide receivers and running backs outside the hash marks, much to their surprise.
He seems to realize his destiny lies with this team, the only player drafted by the Eagles in team history to leave twice and return, most recently for this season when he returned to play a limited role in the middle. But what a job he has done !!
Critics say he has lost a step, and I am sure he has at age 32, but his impact remains enormous. His best seasons were earlier in the decade, as he had 361 tackles, nine sacks, five interceptions and four forced fumbles from 1998 to 2002 when he left for Washington. He also scored 2 defensive touchdowns.
In his second stint with the Eagles, Trotter accounted for 248 tackles, 2 sacks and 2 interceptions. More importantly he factored into a teamwide defensive improvement that returned the Eagles to the near elite in the league.
Without Trotter, the Eagles run defense slumped in 2003 and 2004, and Trotter’s return made enough of a difference that he was voted to the pro bowl in both 2005 and 2006. He actually caused the league to change one of their rules after an altercation with Kevin Mathis that occurred BEFORE a scheduled game against the Atlanta Falcons. It doesn’t matter to Trotter where he is or what time it is, once he puts on the pads and the Eagles Green he is fired up and ready to chop down some trees !!
Jeremiah now also contributes his name and time to a NCAA training camp at one of my alma maters. In 2010, Kutztown University is home to the Jeremiah Trotter camp. This central PA college has been hosting this educational program for lower level football players for 26 years now. Trotter is one of the more recent Eagles to lend his name to the program.
No matter how you cut it, Trotter is one of the best, most consistent and inspiring players to wear an Eagles uniform in the past ten years. You somehow get the feeling the team has more confidence when he is on the field. He is one of those rare players that, for the most part, shows up and does his job, with a minimum of fuss. It is only once he is gone, you realize what an impact he had. Even this year in his limited capacity, he has made a difference to many of the younger defensive players, especially in the vacuum created by the Brian Dawkins trade and the death of defensive coordinator Jim Johnson. When Trotter was re-signed he strengthened the backbone of this defense and made the entire unit harder to dominate. That leadership, more than any statistic is why he made the top ten of the decade list.
Here is hoping that he is able to help the team to earn Super Bowl rings in his final stint here. It is sure that he only has a few years left, and equally evident that his best chance to be a champion is in the here and now, with these 2009 Philadelphia Eagles; currently 10-4 and atop the NFC East at the time of this post. We are glad to have you back Axeman !! GO EAGLES !!
Athlete of the decade Introduction | Athlete of the decade #9 Bernard Hopkins
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8 Responses to “Athlete of the Decade #10 Jeremiah “The Axeman” Trotter”
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Wow, #10 guy was a two year starter before going to the Redskins, came back as a reserve in 2004 and was cut two years ago. Is Terrell Owens in the top 10 as well?
While I wasn’t a huge fan of the Eagles bringing back Trotter this year but there is no denying how grea he was for this team a few years ago. Teams didn’t want to run near Trotter because they knew pain would follow.
How quick we forget Greek. Those years Trotter spent in Philly the first go-around were dominant and unlike T.O he has always been welcomed back by the fans. Please name me a better linebacker for the Eagles over the last 10 years?
You can’t name a better linebacker in this era of Eagles football, because there isn’t one. That is why the man made our top ten. Check in tomorrow for #9 on our list, and keep those comments coming !!
First, two seasons of greatness doesn’t put a player in any kind of top 10 – second – Trotter was great because of the system he was in – he was awful when he was in Washington. I’ve always liked him, I just don’t agree that he’s a top 10 Philly player of the decade. He was an honorable mention on the list I submitted, and I think I said had he stayed with the Eagles I’d have had him on my list at #10.
[...] Back to #10 Jeremiah Trotter Tell Others: [...]
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