Southern Arkansas University Athletics

Trotter, a multi-year NAIA Track & Field All-American from Le Marque, Texas, was a true standout for Southern State College, leaving his mark in both Mulerider Track & Field and Football. Known for his versatility and relentless drive, Trotter excelled in multiple arenas, making history and setting records that would stand the test of time. 

On the track, he was part of record-breaking relay teams that set the Arkansas Intercollegiate Conference on fire, contributing to back-to-back conference championships. Off the track, Trotter's football skills as a talented tailback helped seal key victories. 

Trotter's involvement with the Mulerider Track & Field team is one for the books, as the relay athlete was part of record-setting teams for the Arkansas Intercollegiate Conference. Trotter and his mile relay and 440-yard relay squads set both conference records in 1967, with Trotter being the first leg in both.  

The relay team, which was composed of multiple SAU Sports Hall of Famers, recorded a time of 3:16.0 in the mile and 41.6 in the 440-yard relays. Both records ended up being reset the next season, but both by Southern State College teams, with Trotter on the 1968 440-yard relay squad. In that same season, Trotter and his 1600-meter medley relay teammates set the event's record at 3:25.50, which still stands today as a program record.  

Not only were records broken during Trotter's years at SSC, but the Texas native was also a key part of the 1966 and 1967 Mulerider Track and Field squads that claimed the program's first and second Arkansas Intercollegiate Conference titles with back-to-back years of dominance.  

While Trotter was dominant on the track, he also proved to be a talented tailback for Head Coach Auburn Smith on the Mulerider Football team. The Mulerider halfback had a standout game himself during the 1967 campaign contest with the Livingston State Tigers, now the West Alabama Tigers. Trotter put the final nail in the coffin against the Tigers with the Muleriders' final score of the evening coming on a 5-yard run for the score and the 25-0 lead. Southern State College went on to win that contest 25-7.