Growing up in Millville, N.J., about 45 miles outside of Philadelphia, the Trout children were raised to be diehard Eagles fans. Every Sunday, they’d gather around the TV; Dad would make meatballs, maybe some deer meat, and they’d invite over friends. At halftime, the kids would go outside in their Eagles jerseys to run around and play.
Only on special occasions would they actually go to games. Mom was a preschool teacher and Dad taught high school history, and tickets were expensive. But one trip stands out all these years later. Jeff Trout took his son Mike, who was maybe 11 at the time, to a game at Veterans Stadium.