COLUMBIA, Mo. — Trotter family football games must be hard-hitting endeavors. What else could backyard football look like in a household full of linebackers?
There’s Jeremiah Trotter Sr., who spent 11 years in the NFL, mostly with the Philadelphia Eagles, as the patriarch. He earned All-American honors twice at Stephen F. Austin and was twice an NFL All-Pro, making it into the Eagles’ Hall of Fame in 2016.
Jeremiah Jr., himself a two-time All-American at Clemson, is fresh off winning the Super Bowl in his rookie season, also with the Eagles.
And then there’s Josiah Trotter, Missouri’s new starting middle linebacker and the relative up-and-comer of his family.
He was a freshman All-American and the Big 12’s defensive freshman of the year in 2024 after posting 92 tackles and four tackles for a loss at West Virginia. Those are the kind of numbers that earn starting roles on Southeastern Conference defenses.
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But in the Trotter household, that’s just the baseline. Jeremiah Sr. finished his college career with 300 tackles. Jeremiah Jr. left Clemson with 202, 29 1/2 of which were for a loss.
So Josiah is just getting started.
“I think we’re bred and pretty much born to play linebacker at this point,†he said, “from mentality and a physical standpoint.â€
Trotter, wearing the same No. 40 jersey for Mizzou that his dad did at SFA, stepped into one of the Tigers’ deepest position groups and quickly grabbed hold of the open middle linebacker spot.
From that number choice to his 6-foot-2, 237-pound frame, Trotter is the unmissable newcomer at the heart of MU’s defense, in a way that can be seen and felt.
“Trotter is a hitter, man,†starting center Connor Tollison said. “He’s got some weight on.â€
And in a way that can be heard, apparently.
“It’s kind of hard not to see him because he’s always growling after he makes a play,†fellow linebacker Khalil Jacobs said. “It’s kind of weird, but he’s hungry.â€
Trotter laughed off his guttural celebrations.
“Maybe a growl, maybe a yell,†he called them.
If he plays at Missouri like he did at West Virginia, any sideways looks will go away quickly.
Trotter spent two years with the Mountaineers, signing out of St. Joseph’s Prep in Philadelphia as a three-star recruit. He was injured for his first season but broke out while starting in his second.
Playing in the middle of the West Virginia defense, Trotter became a do-everything player. He made 12 tackles in two separate games and pulled down an interception against Oklahoma State. He broke up another pass against Penn State, though it wasn’t against current MU quarterback Beau Pribula.
Yet finishing 6-7 overall and 5-4 in Big 12 play wasn’t what the WVU athletics department was looking for, and the school fired coach Neal Brown on Dec. 1.
Brown’s dismissal presented Trotter with the question floated in a well-known 1982 song by English punk-rock band The Clash: Should I stay or should I go?
“As things went along, you hear a little bit of chatter, whether or not your head coach or staff will be there,†Trotter said. “And then when everything broke out (and) the head coach got fired, kind of had to open up my options.
“But at the same time, I was still looking to stay at West Virginia — give West Virginia a chance to see who they brought in and what the situation would be like for me if I did stay. We broke it down and talked about it and figured I’d hit the transfer portal, see my options and go from there.â€
He had quite a few options. Washington and Mizzou brought him in for a visit. Florida State and Penn State were also interested, per 247ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ at the time.
Then a connection to Stephen F. Austin that predates Josiah came into play.
Jeremiah spent the 1995, 1996 and 1997 seasons there as a player. Just starting his coaching career as a graduate assistant and analyst at that time was Curtis Luper, who’s now the Mizzou running backs coach.
It had been a little while, but the trust was there. Josiah was headed to Columbia.
He’ll need to adjust to tackling SEC players and operating within the structure of a new defense, but preseason signs have been positive.
That keeps Trotter on track to continue following in his brother’s and dad’s linebacking footsteps, choosing to appreciate rather than resent the notion that he could be in their shadows.
“I’ve always had a chip on my shoulder to outwork everybody around me but also try to be better than what my dad and my brother were — and always embrace it,†Trotter said. “They always help me along the way, coaching me on little things, whatever it may be. But I just embrace it. What else can you do besides embrace it?â€
