PHILADELPHIA -- Jeremiah Trotter Jr. is adapting to the NFL quite nicely. Rising up the Philadelphia Eagles depth chart, Trotter has made an impact when his number is called.
Trotter's good summer shouldn't be a surprise, given he is the offspring of Eagles legend Jeremiah Trotter Sr. The two talk every day, a benefit of the younger Trotter choosing to remain at home (he still sleeps in his own bed).
"I sit and watch film with my dad after practice," Trotter Jr. said. "He gives me tips, what he sees out there, so just like another coach that I have, another source of intel that I have.
"Also, just checking in as a dad, seeing how the day went. He's still my dad."
The film study with dad has paid off the two preseason contests Trotter Jr. played. Trotter has six tackles, a sack, and a quarterback hit in the preseason, while also recording a special teams tackle. He's finding ways to the football, helped by some pre-game prep with dad.
"When it comes to game day, we more try to focus on going out there, playing fast and not thinking," Trotter Jr. said. "We try to treat the week of practice like making the corrections, the technique corrections.
"And when it comes to game day, you don't want to think, you just want to trust your preparation, trust all the work you put in, and just go out there and fly around."
Mixing reps with the first-team defense has certainly helped Trotter's development. That may be the intent, but also shows what the Eagles have thought about his progress this summer.
"I definitely feel like with the veteran linebackers that I have, my coaches, we're coming out here every single day trying to correct mistakes," Trotter Jr. said. "I feel like my technique has definitely improved, and I feel like that's a testament to my coaches and all the knowledge that's getting poured into me.
"I want to get better in all areas. I want to get better at block destruction, blitzing, I want to get better in pass coverage. I just want to try to critique myself very harshly and get better in all areas of my game."
Being the son of Jeremiah Trotter Sr. doesn't appear to bug the younger Trotter. He embraces the knowledge his father is passing along to him.
Between Trotter Sr. and Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio, the younger Trotter is in good shape.
"We got a good relationship, more of a player-coach," Trotter Jr. said. "But I know if I need any questions, I can always go to Vic [Fangio]. He's a great defensive mind. He has a lot of knowledge about the game. He really pours that into the players as far as recognizing formations, keying in for what the offense could be giving you.
"I feel like out there on the field, that really helps out a lot when as players you can recognize it and play a lot faster."
