
'I SHOULD HAVE NEVER LEFT...'
July 15, 2004
By CHRIS McPHERSON
Trotter realized that he was wrong to leave Philadelphia.
The Eagles showed Thursday that the door to return home is always open.
After two years away from the nest, two-time Pro Bowl linebacker Jeremiah Trotter signed a one-year contract and admitted he should have never left Philadelphia in the first place.
"I should have never left in the first place," Trotter said in an early evening press conference. "I really bleed green and I still do."
Realizing that he made a mistake leaving the Eagles following the 2001 season, the 27-year-old Trotter became humbled while in Washington, where he played with the Redskins for two seasons.
"I have grown from it and have learned my lesson," Trotter said.
Trotter suffered a knee injury two years ago that prematurely ended his 2002 season. Trotter said that he is "100 percent" recovered from the injury and is still as good as his Pro Bowl season in 2001.
"I believe I still am the same player," he said. "I'm just ready to get with the guys, joking with the guys in the locker room. I went through two years where I didn't enjoy the game."
Last season, he led the Redskins with 129 tackles, but did so playing for a non-playoff team.
"Any time you're losing, everything gets magnified. I went in (to Washington) with my expectations so high and they didn't have anything I expected," Trotter said. "The money was there, but I didn't enjoy the game."
While many never imagined Trotter returning to the Eagles, head coach Andy Reid simply said that adding Trotter will make the Eagles better.
"We've always said we keep our eyes open for good football players to add to this team, and the signing of Jeremiah certainly does upgrade our team. He's been a very productive player in the National Football League," Reid said.
Reid reiterated that Trotter will not replace current starting linebacker Mark Simoneau.
"We feel very good about our starting middle linebacker Mark Simoneau and the rest of the linebackers on this team and the addition of Jeremiah makes that group that much better," Reid added.
Trotter was originally drafted by the Eagles in the third round in 1998. Trotter started in three of his four years in Philadelphia and went to the Pro Bowl after the 2000 and 2001 seasons.
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Press Conference Transcript:
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