Trotter making most of return to Philadelphia
Two seasons after signing with the Redskins and vowing to never play again for Philadelphia, Jeremiah Trotter will start at middle linebacker Sunday night ... for the Eagles.
BY RYAN O'HALLORAN
247-4964
Published December 10, 2004
ASHBURN -- Good thing for the Philadelphia Eagles that Jeremiah Trotter and Andy Reid have short memories.
After the 2001 season, Trotter signed with the Washington Redskins and blasted the Eagles for their lack of interest.
"I said I would never come back," Trotter recalled.
But following his release from the Redskins in June, Trotter - surprise, surprise - signed with Philadelphia, and will start at middle linebacker Sunday night when the Eagles (11-1) play the Redskins (4-8).
A messy divorce has turned into a beneficial reconciliation.
"I never thought in a million years I would be back," Trotter said. "I've learned never to say never."
Trotter, 27, started only one of Philadelphia's seven games but was inserted into the lineup after the Eagles were abused for 252 rushing yards by Pittsburgh Nov. 7.
In his four starts, the Eagles are 4-0 and have allowed only 83.3 rushing yards per game, compared to 116.1 yards in the first eight games.
"He's playing possessed," Redskins quarterback Patrick Ramsey said. "He's playing with a lot of emotion and I'm glad to see that out of him. Hopefully, he can falter a little bit on Sunday."
Said Reid: "I'm not going to sit here and compare him to what he was before, but he sure is playing good football now."
Trotter has 32 tackles the last four games and 55 for the season.
Trotter spent his first four seasons with Philadelphia, rising from a third-round draft choice to a Pro Bowl player in 2000 and '01, when he made 171 and 164 tackles.
Seizing on his first foray into free agency, Trotter found the perfect sucker in the Redskins, who gave him a 7-year, $35.5-million contract.
Of his bitterness toward the Eagles, Trotter said, "some of it was about the money and some of it was that I felt I had given everything to an organization and wasn't being treated fairly. I took things personally when I should have seen it was just a part of the business."
Trotter made 104 tackles in the Redskins' first 12 games of 2002 before sustaining a season ending ACL injury against Dallas. Days later, he received what he termed a "shocking" call: Reid phoned to extend best wishes during rehabilitation.
"It was an unexpected call from an unexpected person," Trotter said. "I called him back and apologized for the way things happened and to tell him how much it meant to me that he had called."
Last season, Trotter led the Redskins with 129 tackles despite playing at "65-70 percent" health. Joe Gibbs and Gregg Williams didn't think Trotter was a good fit for the Redskins' new defense and he was released June 1. His replacement - Mike Barrow - did not play in a game before being placed on injured reserve. Antonio Pierce took over for Trotter/Barrow and leads the Redskins with 124 tackles.
Trotter returned to Philadelphia on July 15 and for a base salary of $535,000. The Redskins are still paying, though - $1.162 million on the salary cap this year and $4.647 million next season.
"I was a little surprised," he said of his release. "When I'm healthy and on the top of my game, I'm one of the best in the NFL. I don't believe anybody can block me."
Trotter said he didn't regret signing with the Redskins, leaving a team that was coming off an NFC title game appearance for a team that had one playoff berth since 1993.
In Trotter's two seasons in Washington, the Redskins went 12-20; the Eagles were 24-8 and reached the NFC title game both years.
"I don't regret it because it was a great learning experience," he said. "It was tough because we weren't winning but I grew up a lot and it made me a better person and, ultimately, it's going to make me a better player."
Trotter said he doesn't have additional incentive to play well against the Redskins.
"I've learned to approach every game the same and not get too emotionally high or low," he said. "I'll prepare the same and fight just as hard." «
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and sucks in coverage.