Tampa Bay Buccaneers' rookie linebacker Josiah Trotter was just like any other sports-obsessed kid growing up: Catching every game he could, squeezing in extra reps after school and papering his bedroom walls with posters of the pros. Many kids would look up at those posters and dream of meeting their larger than life heroes. Few could say they actually ever got the chance to meet them. That was not the case for Trotter.
"My dad," responded Trotter when asked what athlete posters he had in his room. "I had my dad and that was about it."
Trotter has always been around NFL greatness. His father, Jeremiah Trotter, was an All-Pro linebacker and is a member of the Philadelphia Eagles' Hall of Fame. Josiah's older brother, Jeremiah Trotter Jr., was a fifth-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft and is now a Super Bowl champion with the Eagles.
After earning first-team All-SEC honors and becoming the highest-drafted Trotter yet, it's Josiah's turn to carry the family legacy forward. This time in Tampa Bay.
The Bucs spent the 46th overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft on the Missouri standout, praised for his downhill intensity and relentless motor. Since arriving at the AdventHealth Training Center, the rookie has built a strong reputation, earning the trust of coaches and teammates alike. When Tampa Bay's first team took the field for their second preseason matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs, Trotter ran out as a starting linebacker alongside Alex Anzalone. The rookie seems like a natural on the field and it's something he credits to his upbringing.
"I feel like the game has been slowing down pretty [quickly]," Trotter explained. "Football is football at the end of the day, especially when you have a brother and a dad that played, so [I am] just blessed to have them. It's just the detailed things, trying to be very detailed in your work. I feel like that's the biggest thing in the NFL that I've seen. It's just the little things between making a play and not making a play, little things like that."
Despite being the youngest player on the roster, the linebacker understands the weight of his role. The Buccaneers brought him in for a reason and he is not afraid to step up and lead.
"Everyone knows their role," Trotter said. "Even as a rookie, I still feel like I have a voice. I'm going to speak up if I need to speak up. You've got to make calls, be a middle linebacker. So, you've got to have something to you. You've got to say it and mean it."
Trotter recognizes he still has a lot to learn. The details matter and he is taking every opportunity to refine his craft, including learning everything he can from his veteran teammate Anzalone.
"It's a great blessing to have a guy like Alex," Trotter expressed. "A guy that has been a vet to other guys from when he was at Detroit or the Saints. To be able to talk to him, have him help me, coach me up, see things from a different perspective or when we're out there talking back and forth. I enjoy having him out there, being able to learn from him, ask questions and continue to grow."
Despite Trotter's pedigree, media pundits have questioned his ability to translate as a coverage linebacker at the next level, mainly because he wasn't asked to do much of that at Mizzou. During this week's joint practice against the Jacksonville Jaguars, he intercepted Trevor Lawrence in man-to-man coverage during a 7-on-7 drill. Trotter is more than confident in his abilities and ready to let his play silence the doubters.
"Coming in, I know there's outside noise," Trotter shared. "People saying [what] I could or could not [do], but I knew what I could do. I knew what God put inside of me. I wanted to come out here and show that I could not only just cover, I could blitz, pass rush and be everything that the Bucs need me to be for this organization.
"If there were five downs, I wish I could be on the field for five downs. Ultimately, I'm just trying to show the organization what I can do to be able to stay on the field."
