Preparation pays off big time for Bucs ILB Josiah Trotter.

Just by the way Bucs rookie inside linebacker Josiah Trotter played in his NFL debut in Cincinnati last week, you can tell, physically, he can hang with the big boys of the NFL.

But from what Joe has heard, including from Trotter himself, his success with 10 tackles, a sack and a pick-six was a result of homework and using his noggin.

Trotter told Joe in the locker room after the game that he had practiced defending the pass from Joe Burrow that eventually led to the pick-six.

But Joe was also speaking with Ted Hurst in the Bucs locker room this week and Hurst told Joe that Trotter may have called his own shot. That Trotter was expecting Burrow to call the play that Trotter picked and housed.

“I actually saw Trotter on the sidelines making adjustments,” Hurst told Joe. “‘Oh, he’s going to go right here,'” Hurst said he heard Trotter talking about Burrow.

“That was great seeing him make that adjustment and make the play of the game,” Hurst said. “Practice matters. The looks we get in practice and the attention to detail will [play out] in the game.

“Once you get your opportunity, you just make a play.”

And not only was Trotter prepped and ready for the pass, he also executed the play perfectly. So it appears that not only is Trotter a beastly physical player, he’s got the smarts too.