Jeremiah Trotter Jr.: I don't feel pressure to live up to my father's legacy
The Eagles went into the draft with an eye on linebacker Jeremiah Trotter Jr. and General Manager Howie Roseman was able to snag the former Clemson star in the fifth round.
Roseman's interest was tied to Trotter's father, who is a member of the Eagles' Hall of Fame after spending eight years in Philadelphia during three different stints with the club. The younger Trotter wore his father's No. 54 while at Clemson and hopes to do the same with the Eagles, but he said he plays a different style and that he doesn't feel a burden to live up to his father's accomplishments in the NFL.
"Honestly, for me I didn't feel like there was any pressure," Trotter said after being drafted, via a transcript from the team. "My dad would always talk to me and say there is no pressure. ‘You're your own player, your own man. You have your own you journey.’ We're different, as far as how we play the game. And I just got to go out there and be me, use the tools that God blessed me with and use them to the best of my ability and try to be the best player I can be as an individual. I don't feel like there is any pressure to live up to his legacy or anything. I don't feel like there is a weight on my back. I’m just trying to get to work and just be the best I can be."
The Eagles have Nakobe Dean and Devin White at linebacker as well, so Trotter will have to earn a spot on defense before anyone will have to worry about whether he has the same kind of impact that his dad had for the team.
