Robert Trotter Signs With Belhaven University!

    After a recruiting season that took him to South Carolina to Georgia to Florida to Michigan and to Mississippi, Robert Trotter of Fayette County’s McIntosh High School recently signed a Letter of Intent to play football at Belhaven University in Jackson, Mississippi of the Mid-South Conference.  After visiting the Belhaven campus and the city of Jackson, a city with nine colleges and universities  (including a law school and a medical school), Trotter decided that Belhaven was a natural fit for him.  Trotter said: “The coaches and the people associated with Belhaven are so friendly and caring that I just think that this is where I want to go to school.  Plus, Belhaven runs a wide-open offense, and this is any receiver’s dream.”  At this time, Trotter plans on majoring in Sports Administration with a coaching concentration.  Belhaven also has a Sports Medicine major.

     Belhaven was founded by the Presbyterian Church in 1883.  Across the street from Belhaven is Millsaps College, a Baptist institution.  Jackson State University with 8,500 students is also located in Jackson, Mississippi.  Jackson State is where Walter (Sweetness) Payton, the legendary NFL running back, carried the pigskin in college, and it also is the alma mater of Lem Barney, one of the greatest cornerbacks to ever grace the NFL.  Two Belhaven football players from the 2009 team signed NFL contracts, Tramaine Brock with the San Francisco 49ers and Jacob Phillips with Seattle Seahawks.  Cordario Calvin, a wide receiver with Belhaven’s 2010 class, is expected to also sign a contract with an NFL team this year.

     Robert Trotter played his first three years of varsity football at the Landmark Christian School which plays in the Georgia High School Association’s Single A division.  He led the team in receptions, reception yards, and total offense his junior year and was selected by the Region 5-A (now re-aligned) coaches as All Region (First Team) in three categories, Wide Receiver, Defensive Back, and Return Specialist.  When Trotter’s family moved next to McIntosh High, he transferred to McIntosh in January of 2010.  Trotter played his senior year for Coach Glenn Griffin of McIntosh and proceeded to lead the Chief in receptions, reception yards, and total offense as he did at Landmark, earning him honors on Fayette County’s All County Team (six teams) and on Region 3-AAAA’s All Sub-Region Team (eight teams).

     Durand Rice, one of Trotter’s coaches at Landmark, described Trotter as “an amazing athlete with a passion for the game  — and talents which make the game seem effortless.”  Coach Rice went on to say that Trotter’s “character off the field is just as impressive as his play on the  field.”  Coach J. C. Randall, one of Trotter’s former coaches who now works on the collegiate level, says that Trotter is “a gifted athlete” who has “an enormous competitive drive.”  Glenn Griffin who coached Trotter at McIntosh High noted that Trotter was a “special receiver” and “a valuable return specialist with great vision and the timing it takes to make big plays.”  Coach Griffin further states that Trotter is a “team man” who has “great character.”

     Coach Joe Thrasher returned to his alma mater to take over the head coaching job at Belhaven University in 2009.  His first Belhaven team finished with six wins and five defeats.  He red-shirted many players this past season who could have started or contributed heavily to the team, but he is building for the future like he did as the head coach at Bacone College in Muskogee, Oklahoma.  Prior to his coaching stint at Bacone College, Coach Thrasher won three straight National Deaf Championships at the Mississippi School for the Deaf in Jackson and was a two-time National Coach of the Year.