Antoine Winfield Jr. and Josiah Trotter already have a commonality that can help the rookie get off to a fast start with the Buccaneers
The Buccaneers are hoping Josiah Trotter can get off to a fast start and like Antoine Winfield Jr., he’s had an upfront perspective on how to make that happen.
Antoine Winfield Jr. was an immediate-impact player when the Tampa Bay Buccaneers drafted him in 2020 and his play helped key the team’s second Super Bowl run.
While a third Super Bowl trophy would be great, the Buccaneers are simply hoping rookie linebacker Josiah Trotter can be as impactful as Winfield Jr. was in an overall sense.
Meaning, he hits the ground running and instantly becomes one of the Buccaneers defense’s most important players. The defense is bound to recover if he does, especially the second level.
Well, there’s a similarity Winfield Jr. and Trotter both share and it’s not the fact they’re second round picks – they both have dads who had very successful NFL careers.
Obviously, there’s Antoine Winfield Sr., who was a three-time Pro Bowl cornerback and recorded 27 interceptions from 1999-2012. Then, there’s Jeremiah Trotter, a four-time Pro Bowl linebacker that terrorized opposing offenses over the course of 147 career games.
Jeremiah Trotter’s career stats
Trotter was one of the game’s scariest linebackers throughout the course of his NFL career. Below are some of the key stats and accolades he racked up during his time.
- Total tackles: 914
- Sacks: 12.5
- Interceptions: 9
- Tackles for loss: 69
- Pro Bowls: 4
- First team All-Pros: 1
- Games played: 147
It’s been well documented how Winfield Sr. how has helped his son become the player he is and the same will go for Trotter when it comes to his dad’s present, and future, assistance.
“Just being able to hear the stories and understand what it takes,” Buccaneers inside linebackers coach Mike Caldwell explained when asked how Trotter’s situation can help him. “Football players are different, they’re different. You grow up around that, and you’ve seen your dad do it, and you’ve seen other people do it, being in been in locker rooms, and understand what goes on in a locker room, being able to see guys work develop the work habits and the study habits…
“… When you have the instincts, you talk about instincts all the time, and what are instincts? Being able to see plays and recognize plays. If you grow up doing that, and you hear your dad talk about it over and over and over and over again, eventually it’s going to sink into you.”
Trotter’s also credited his dad for past help, too. If he can help his son reach the same heights he’s reached in the past, well, it’s safe to say the Buccaneers defense is in good shape at the linebacker position.
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