Jeremiah Trotter Jr. discusses emotional call from Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie, how his late mother would've reacted
Jeremiah Trotter Jr. has the opportunity to play for the team that he grew up around, the Philadelphia Eagles after being selected in the fifth-round of the 2024 NFL Draft.
Trotter Jr. received the call from Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie while he was with his father, Jeremiah Trotter Sr. in a truck on the campus of West Virginia, where his other son, Josiah Trotter, wrapped up his spring game on Saturday.
During the conversation, Lurie asked Trotter Jr. how young he must have been the first time they met. 2 years old? Maybe 3 or 4? The longtime Eagles owner also expressed the love he had for their mother, Tammi, who died in 2023.
“[It was] definitely emotional. I can hear the emotion in his voice,” Trotter Jr. said during an appearance on SportsCenter on Sunday morning. “I know he, my dad, you know, my family they were close with everybody in the Eagles organization. With my mom passing away and having that that emotional moment — it looked like he was going to come to tears. It just shows the relationship he had with her and my dad and just our family in general.
“Definitely very emotional and I just appreciate them for giving me the opportunity to come back and play for them.”
Trotter Jr. believes that his mother would have dusted off his father’s old Eagles No. 54 jersey — which is open in Philadelphia currently. He knows that she’s looking down, smiling at him and cheering him on. His father believes her reaction would be a bit more animated, likely “running around half screaming and jumping up and down and crying all at the same time.”
With her son having the opportunity to return to the city that he grew up in and on the team that his father won a Super Bowl on all these years later, it undoubtedly would have been an emotional moment.
Jeremiah Trotter Jr. reveals advice father gave him after being drafted
Once the realization had set in the Trotter Jr. was the newest member of the Philadelphia Eagles organization, his father told him that it’s time to go to work.
“The first thing was just make the most of the opportunity,” Trotter Jr. said. “God blessed you with opportunity so make the most of it go. Work hard and you know do what you do.”
Making the most out of an opportunity is nothing new to Trotter Jr., who finished his time at Clemson with 192 total tackles, 113 solo tackles, 29.5 tackles for loss, 13 sacks, four interceptions, 10 pass deflections, three forced fumbles and two defensive touchdowns.
He had a career high 15 tackles for loss in 2023 and will look to continue that success at the professional level.