One of the main reasons the Eagles parted ways with veteran middle linebacker Jeremiah Trotter was their belief that second-year player Omar Gaither was ready for a larger role.
One might think Gaither would've been excited about the decision, but in fact, he may have been as upset as anyone on the team. Certainly more than quarterback Donovan McNabb, who used the moment to land some melodramatic jabs over something completely unrelated to Trotter's release, the drafting of Kevin Kolb.
Gaither idolized Trotter. He used to stay after practice to watch film of him, and hung on his every word. Trotter, though, handled his release in such a professional manner that it made the transition easier on everyone.
"When it happened, he was the first one consoling me," Gaither told me Friday. "He didn't have to do that. If he'd been upset, I'm sure some guys may have resented me. But that's just not his style."
Gaither called Trotter several times before he caught on with Tampa Bay. And when Trotter signed with the Bucs, he gave Gaither a call to share the moment with him. It's natural that everyone will compare Gaither to Trotter, but it's not necessarily accurate. Trotter was an inside linebacker trapped in a defensive end's body. He used his size to create havoc on blitzes straight over the center.
Centers always had their heads on a swivel because Trotter wasn't the type of player who went around people. At 6-1, 235, Gaither's much smaller than Trotter. He also has more speed, which the Eagles were craving. The NFC East is loaded at tight end with Jeremy Shockey, Jason Witten and Chris "Captain Chaos Cooley. Gaither and linebacker Chris Gocong have the speed to at least compete with those players in space.
A Charlotte, N.C. native, Gaither grew up watching Panthers linebackers Lamar Lathon and Sam Mills. He said watching Mills convinced him that you don't have to be a huge linebacker to have success.
Off the field, Gaither leads a pretty simple life. He does, however, have a passion for Papa John's pizza that borders on obsession. He said he averages at least four or five Papa John's pizzas per week. When he's in the mood for something special, he goes with the spinach and chicken. Otherwise, he's fine with sausage and pepperoni. He usually finishes off a large thick crust followed by a medium thin.
"I can usually kill that large pretty quickly," Gaither said.
He said it will be more important than ever to pressure the quarterback tonight since Jason Campbell is relatively inexperienced.
