CHARLOTTE — For Josiah Trotter, the NFL is more than just a dream, a path, or even a sport.

"It's a family business," the pass-rusher said.

Trotter, the Missouri linebacker, is preparing to follow in the footsteps of his dad and brother. His father, Jeremiah Trotter, the four-time Pro Bowler and two-time All-Pro, spent 11 seasons in the league, the majority of them with the Philadelphia Eagles, and is now in the club's Hall of Fame.

His brother, Jeremiah Trotter Jr., was drafted by the Eagles in the fifth round of the 2024 NFL draft. He's played in 39 games over the last two years, winning a Super Bowl as a rookie.

"It was definitely an experience with him. Being the younger brother, sometimes you get beat up. Sometimes you win games, you lose games with him," Trotter laughed while telling the story at the NFL combine. "But it was fun. I love having him as an older brother. He's the reason I love playing football. Just watching him, he just means a lot to me. He's a big factor why I'm the player I am today.

"Just growing up, my dad coming through this, my brother, watching him. It's just fun to be able to carry that legacy, carry that last name, and just continue going. I enjoy that process of it."

Having a dad and a brother lay out this path for him has made the entire process easier for Trotter. After his one year at Missouri, the redshirt sophomore looked at his future and where it should go next. So he sat down with his father and considered all the options.

"It was really a big decision for me and my dad," Trotter explained. "We really wanted to pray about it first, do our due diligence, homework. My dad, just being a big factor in that, doing his homework, whether people reached out to him or he reached out to people, trying to figure out what was the best decision for me, and the opportunity.

"We took some weeks to really just think about it and make a decision before it was time."

And as he stepped onto the path to the draft, Trotter tapped into the wealth of knowledge his brother possessed thanks to having so gently gone through the same journey.

"Just continue to be patient, trust God," he said of what his brother told him. "Your time's going to come, and when you do get your time, take full advantage of it. Go out there and be the ballplayer that you are. Have fun with it. Whatever role you have, execute and dominate that role the best you can. That role may grow."

That role at the next level will look a little different than others in the family business. Both the senior and junior Jeremiah Trotters are middle linebackers. While Josiah spent most of his college career in the box as well (according to Pro Football Focus, he played there on 87 percent of his snaps in 2025), he is itching to get closer to the line of scrimmage.

"I just feel like, for me, from a young age, I always wanted to be the pass rusher and have that part of my game, whether it was blitzing, pass rushing against guards or centers," shared Trotter. "I feel like from that aspect of my game, I really take pride in it, and being able to really want to be that dude and dominate that side of it too, and be productive in that aspect of my game."

In his 12 starts in 2025 with the Tigers, Trotter had a team-high 84 tackles, including 13 for loss, with 2.0 sacks and a pass break-up. As he's learned to mold the pass-rush part of his game more (he took 53 snaps as a pass-rusher in 2025), Trotter has watched other Pennsylvania-based linebackers beyond his own family.

"There are a bunch of guys I would always watch, like Von Miller, Micah Parsons, especially (Parsons) was in PA," he said. "So I feel like those two guys, I would always watch for that aspect. I just like watching good pass rushers. I just like guys that emulate the moves that I like to use and kind of learning from them. Just asking around. I'm like a sponge when it comes to that, too. Trying to learn whatever way I can and grow my game."

Trotter will head to the NFL still relatively young. He turns 21 the week before the draft, on April 15, making him one of the younger prospects. It means he's still raw, but has the benefit of input and guidance from his family, and years of playing time still ahead of him.

"I feel like I'm very mature for my age. I have high upside," Trotter said. "Being 20 years old (at the Combine), I feel like my best ball is ahead of me.

"Coming in really young, and having people ahead of me like my brother and my dad who helped me along the way, through college and into the NFL. So I feel like I have high upside, being that I'm 20 years old and coming to the NFL. Just more years ahead of me for a lot of ball.

"I'm just grateful to be where my feet are, learning how to be where my feet are, and taking it one day at a time, continuing to grow and enjoy the experience of where I'm at. Not looking too far ahead, and not worrying about the past."