Veteran NFL reporter Jim Trotter has joined ESPN. His multi-platform role includes television appearances on Sunday NFL Countdown, NFL Insiders, SportsCenter and other programs, as well as writing for ESPN.com and ESPN The Magazine.
Trotter’s first ESPN.com story on the NFL Draft posted Monday night. He will make his television debut Monday, May 19, on NFL Insiders (3:30 p.m. ET, ESPN).
On NFL Insiders, Trotter will appear on the show alongside former front office executives and other industry-leading pro football reporters like Adam Schefter and Chris Mortensen. During the NFL season, Trotter will contribute features and reports for ESPN’s Sunday NFL Countdown pregame show. His work on ESPN’s digital and magazine platforms will include both short and long-format pieces.
“Jim is widely respected in NFL circles and will be a tremendous addition to our roster of ESPN experts,” said Seth Markman, senior coordinating producer for ESPN’s NFL studio shows. “His outstanding writing will elevate our coverage, in print as well as on television and other areas.”
Added Trotter: “I am honored and humbled to be working with so many talented and passionate people, and I look forward to the opportunities ahead at ESPN.”
Trotter previously worked at Sports Illustrated for six and half years as a senior writer (2007-14). Some of his most memorable stories included a 2012 piece on the Raiders following the death of longtime patriarch Al Davis; a 2007 story on the death of Sean Taylor; and a critical examination of San Diego’s Qualcomm Stadium in 2013. Prior to SI, Trotter spent nearly 18 years at the San Diego Union-Tribune, where he worked his way from preps reporter to lead NFL writer, including nine years covering the Chargers.
Trotter, who will continue to reside in San Diego, has appeared on a variety of national and local television and radio programs through the years, even working as an NFL contributor on ESPN’s First Take in the mid 2000’s. He also recently completed his first book, a biography of Junior Seau, tentatively scheduled for release in spring 2015.
Trotter is a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame selection committee, as well as the Pro Football Writers Association (PFWA) and the San Diego chapter of the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ). He graduated from Howard University in 1986 with a degree in broadcast journalism.