Chris Turner (American football)
Encyclopedia
Chris Turner is an American football
quarterback
. He played quarterback for the Maryland Terrapins
at the University of Maryland
from 2007 to 2009. Turner began his career at Maryland as a redshirt
in 2005 and then served as a reserve quarterback before he earned the starting position.
After a redshirt season in 2005, Turner saw no playing time as the third-string quarterback the following year. In 2007, he replaced the injured starter during the game against 10th-ranked Rutgers
and led the Terrapins to an upset victory. After that, he remained as the team's leader for the remainder of the season, and against eighth-ranked Boston College, engineered another upset victory. Turner also helped Maryland secure an appearance in the Emerald Bowl
. At the start of the 2008 season, he was relegated to backup status, but soon regained the starting position. That year, he led Maryland in wins over four of their five ranked opponents and to an appearance in the Humanitarian Bowl
. He returned as the starter for the 2009 season, but suffered a knee injury and was replaced by Jamarr Robinson.
to parents John and Grace Turner. His father was the original drummer of the hair-metal band Ratt
. Chris Turner attended high school at the Chaminade College Preparatory School
, where he was a three-year letterwinner and starting
quarterback in football and pitcher
in baseball. As a sophomore, he was on the junior varsity
football team until midseason when the varsity quarterback suffered an injury against Valencia High School, a regional powerhouse. Turner described the incident as the last time that he was nervous during a game and said, "It got pretty ugly to be honest. Ever since then, I've always thought to myself, 'It can't get worse than that.'"
At Chaminade, he led a pass
-oriented offense and, during his senior year, accumulated 139 completion
s on 265 attempts, 2,047 yards, 16 touchdown
s, and 11 interceptions. He was named to the All-California Interscholastic Federation
(CIF) second team as a senior and the All-Mission League team as both a junior and senior. SuperPrep picked him as a Far West all-region selection and PrepStar as an all-region selection. Turner was assessed as a Rivals.com
three-star and Scout.com
two-star recruit. He received scholarship offers
from Boise State
, Illinois
, Louisville
, Maryland
, Oregon
, Utah
, and UTEP
. Maryland offered him after another Californian recruit, Josh Portis
, chose Florida
instead—although Portis later transferred to Maryland and served as a backup alongside Turner. Turner ultimately chose Maryland, which is located just outside of Washington, D.C.
, partly due to his interest in politics
.
on redshirt
status. In 2006
, he served as the third-team quarterback behind starter Sam Hollenbach
and reserve Jordan Steffy, but Turner saw no playing time during that season.
, as the second-string quarterback, he saw his first action against when he was substituted for injured starter Jordan Steffy. Turner executed a scoring drive and completed four of six passes, but also threw two interceptions
. He sat out the next two games and then took one snap against Wake Forest
. When the unranked Terps faced 10th-ranked Rutgers
, Steffy suffered a concussion and Turner again filled in. He led drives for two touchdown
s and two field goals
in an upset of the Scarlet Knights, 34–24. About the then relatively unknown Turner, Rutgers head coach Greg Schiano
said, "I wish I would have seen this guy before." Turner started for the remaining eight games of the season. In his career-first start, he passed for 255 yards in a win against Georgia Tech
, 28–26. In the game, he threw a 78-yard touchdown pass, which was caught by tight end Jason Goode
rather than his intended receiver, Darrius Heyward-Bey
. After a three-game losing streak, Turner led another upset win over a top-ten team, this time against eighth-ranked Boston College, 42–35. In the 24–16 loss to Florida State
, Turner had his worst performance of the season. Late in the second quarter, he was benched and replaced by Steffy for two possessions. Turner said, "I didn't know that my leash was that short in the first place, to be honest. I didn't think it would come to this. I guess I should have." After an uneven performance by Steffy, Turner played the entire second half and showed improvement. The following week Maryland played their regular season finale against NC State
and both teams needed an additional win to attain bowl eligibility. Maryland led in the second quarter, 3–0, but was struggling offensively. Turner, a generally immobile pocket
quarterback, invigorated the offense when he executed a 41-yard option run
for a first down. He completed 19 of 24 passes for 206 yards and led a shutout
of NC State, 37–0. With the sixth win, Maryland was invited to the Emerald Bowl
, where they were beaten by Oregon State
, 21–14. Turner finished the season as the third-most efficient passer in the Atlantic Coast Conference
(ACC).
, Maryland hired a new offensive coordinator, James Franklin, who installed a West Coast offense
. That season started with some controversy when head coach Ralph Friedgen
initially selected senior Jordan Steffy as the starting quarterback. Turner considered returning home with a transfer to a Californian school, but ultimately decided against it. When Steffy was injured again in the season-opener against Delaware
, Turner was awarded the starting job for the rest of the season. After Maryland defeated 21st-ranked Wake Forest
, 26–0, Turner was voted the ACC Player of the Week and ESPN
named him an "On the Mark" quarterback. Against 16th-ranked North Carolina
, Turner's split-second decision to hold onto the ball
for a nine-yard run on fourth down and five put the team within range for the game-winning field goal, 17–15. For that, he was nominated for the week's Pontiac
Game Changing Performance. The win improved Maryland's record to 7–3 and reasserted control over their ACC championship
destiny, although they lost the next game against Florida State
, 37–3, which ended the Terrapins' title hopes. The following week against Boston College
, Turner set career highs with 33 completions, 57 attempts, and 360 passing yards, but the effort fell short and Maryland lost, 28–21. In the postseason, the Terrapins played Nevada
in the Humanitarian Bowl
where Turner threw for 198 yards, one interception, two touchdowns including a 59-yard long, and a two-point conversion
. At the end of the season, Maryland had beaten four out of their five Top 25-ranked opponents, a feat that was surpassed only by the teams in the BCS Championship Game
: Florida
and Oklahoma
.
as the uncontested starter at quarterback for the first time in his career. He was backed-up by sophomore Jamarr Robinson and true freshmen C. J. Brown and Danny O'Brien
. Turner's seniority was called critical for the performance of the team's relatively youthful offensive line. Head coach Friedgen said, "If I had to choose between a veteran offensive line and an inexperienced quarterback, or an inexperienced line with a veteran quarterback, I think I'd go with the veteran quarterback." Upon the conclusion of preseason camp, the coaching staff praised his progress, particularly his game-planning, for which he had been criticized in the past. Turner said, "Mentally, I am way further ahead than where I was last year." Physically, he dropped 16 pounds by adding muscle and losing body fat, and weighed 220 pounds before the start of the season. Offensive coordinator Franklin said, "You look at him, he was kind of mushy last year. You look at him now and he's muscular and shaped. He looks more athletic."
Before the season, Turner was added to the watch list for the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award
, an annual honor bestowed upon the nation's top senior quarterback. At that time, he ranked as the school's fourth all-time quarterback in terms of completion percentage, fifth in completions, seventh in total offensive yards, and he is tied for 11th in number of touchdown passes. In June 2009, Turner stated that he wanted to leave a "legacy" at Maryland in his final season. He also expressed a desire to pursue a professional playing career in the National Football League
(NFL) if possible. The NFL Draft Scout assessed Turner as the 16th-ranked quarterback out of the 135 available for the 2010 NFL Draft
and projected him as a potential seventh-round selection.
noted that Turner's strengths were "poise, smarts, [and] toughness," while he had room for improvement in arm strength and mobility. Barker said, "He's a bit streaky—he calls himself a 'rhythm' passer ... But he doesn't quit when things go poorly. His coolness can be mistaken for apathy." Turner typically confines himself to the pocket
, as his ability to run the ball himself
is limited by his speed. He has made light of his own lack of quickness by saying that he runs a "flat 5.0"-second 40-yard dash. The CBS Sports
-affiliated NFL Draft Scout records his actual time as ranging from a low of 4.89 to a high of 5.16 seconds, while Scout.com
reports his 40-yard time as 4.8 seconds. Turner's supposedly one-dimensional nature, however, has occasionally allowed him to make unexpected plays with his feet. The most noteworthy of these were the momentum-changing 41-yard option run against NC State in 2007, and the fourth-down nine-yard scramble into field goal range against North Carolina in 2008.
Pundits and coaches sometimes characterized Turner as a quarterback who did not excel during practices, but executed well on game-day. Maryland head coach Ralph Friedgen said "He's pretty go-with-the-flow. And that's his greatest strength and maybe his greatest weakness. The bottom line is, he plays well in games." The Baltimore Sun wrote that he "seems to play his best when it counts—and his worst when it doesn't." Regarding the 2008 summer practices, offensive coordinator James Franklin said Turner ranked in the middle compared with Jordan Steffy and Josh Portis in terms of completion percentage, fewest interceptions, and "explosive" plays that gained 16 yards or more. Turner conceded that Steffy was a better game-planner during practices. Head coach Ralph Friedgen who had offered critical or subdued assessments of Turners' practice, said his intensity grew after losing the starting position to Steffy prior to the 2008 season. Turner said, "It lit a fire in me in the sense that I had to be ready."
Among his Maryland teammates and coaches, Turner earned a reputation as an archetypal "laid-back" Californian and for remaining calm under pressure. After the 2007 win over Rutgers, offensive tackle Scott Burley
described his roommate Turner as "real calm [in the huddle] . . . He would say, 'Guys, are you ready to score again? Are you ready to run the ball on these guys?' And we're like, 'Yeah, let's do that.'" Turner received the nicknames "Sunshine" and "Napoleon Dynamite", in reference to his similar appearance to the fictional characters in the films Remember the Titans
and Napoleon Dynamite
, respectively.
in government and politics
. His strong interest in politics factored into his decision on where to attend college. He chose the University of Maryland partly based on its close proximity to Washington, D.C.
Turner's political views are liberal
; he is registered as a Democrat
, and has described himself as an idealist
.
During the 2008 season, political discussions were common in the Maryland locker room because of the presidential election
. Turner and fellow quarterback Jordan Steffy, a conservative and supporter of presidential candidate Senator John McCain
, were the most frequent debaters, while defensive tackle Dean Muhtadi
was described as the primary instigator. During the summer of 2009, Turner held an internship on Capitol Hill
working for Democratic Representative Steny Hoyer
, the House Majority Leader
and Maryland's fifth district
congressman. Turner had previously considered volunteering for the presidential campaign
of Barack Obama
, which he said probably annoyed his conservative father, John Turner. Describing his experience during the internship, Turner said, "It's funny to compare how serious politics is and how serious football is. Depending on who you talk to, they're both pretty big deals . . . There's more to life than football."
Incidentally, Turner's favorite sport is soccer, not football. He is also interested in foreign cultures and expressed regret at being unable to spend a semester abroad
because of college football. Turner said that, dependent upon the outcome of his football career, he would like to attend the 2010 World Cup
in South Africa
.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
. He played quarterback for the Maryland Terrapins
Maryland Terrapins football
The Maryland Terrapins football team represents the University of Maryland in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision competition. The Terrapins compete within the Atlantic Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference...
at the University of Maryland
University of Maryland, College Park
The University of Maryland, College Park is a top-ranked public research university located in the city of College Park in Prince George's County, Maryland, just outside Washington, D.C...
from 2007 to 2009. Turner began his career at Maryland as a redshirt
Redshirt (college sports)
Redshirt is a term used in American college athletics that refers to a delay or suspension of an athlete's participation in order to lengthen his or her period of eligibility...
in 2005 and then served as a reserve quarterback before he earned the starting position.
After a redshirt season in 2005, Turner saw no playing time as the third-string quarterback the following year. In 2007, he replaced the injured starter during the game against 10th-ranked Rutgers
2007 Rutgers Scarlet Knights football team
For the first time in the history of Rutgers football, the team entered a season ranked - 16th in both the Associated Press and Coaches polls. The Scarlet Knights finished the season with an 8-5 record that included a 52-30 victory over the Ball State Cardinals in the 2008 International Bowl...
and led the Terrapins to an upset victory. After that, he remained as the team's leader for the remainder of the season, and against eighth-ranked Boston College, engineered another upset victory. Turner also helped Maryland secure an appearance in the Emerald Bowl
2007 Emerald Bowl
The 2007 Emerald Bowl, part of the 2007-08 NCAA football bowl games season, was played on December 27, 2007, at AT&T Park in San Francisco, California, with the Atlantic Coast Conference represented by the Maryland Terrapins against the Oregon State Beavers, representing the Pacific-10...
. At the start of the 2008 season, he was relegated to backup status, but soon regained the starting position. That year, he led Maryland in wins over four of their five ranked opponents and to an appearance in the Humanitarian Bowl
2008 Humanitarian Bowl
The 2008 Humanitarian Bowl was a postseason college football bowl game between the Maryland Terrapins and the Nevada Wolf Pack on December 30, 2008. It was the two teams' first meeting. The game featured two conference tie-ins: the University of Maryland represented the Atlantic Coast Conference ...
. He returned as the starter for the 2009 season, but suffered a knee injury and was replaced by Jamarr Robinson.
Early years
Turner was born on September 8, 1987 in Simi Valley, CaliforniaSimi Valley, California
-2010:The 2010 United States Census reported that Simi Valley had a population of 124,237. The population density was 2,940.8 people per square mile...
to parents John and Grace Turner. His father was the original drummer of the hair-metal band Ratt
Ratt
Ratt is an American heavy metal band that had significant commercial success in the 1980s. The band is best known for songs such as "Round and Round," "Wanted Man," "Lay It Down," "You're in Love", "Slip of the Lip", "Back For More", "Dance", "Body Talk", "I Want a Woman", and "Way Cool Jr." Ratt...
. Chris Turner attended high school at the Chaminade College Preparatory School
Chaminade College Preparatory School (California)
Chaminade College Preparatory is a private Catholic preparatory school with two campuses in the San Fernando Valley region of Los Angeles, California...
, where he was a three-year letterwinner and starting
Starting lineup
A starting lineup in sports is an official list of the set of players who will actively participate in the event when the game begins. The players in the starting lineup are commonly referred to as starters, whereas the others are substitutes or bench players.The starters are commonly the best...
quarterback in football and pitcher
Pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...
in baseball. As a sophomore, he was on the junior varsity
Junior varsity
Primarily in North America, junior varsity or JV players are the members of a team who are not the main players in a competition , usually at the high school and college levels in the United States and Canada. The main players comprise the varsity team...
football team until midseason when the varsity quarterback suffered an injury against Valencia High School, a regional powerhouse. Turner described the incident as the last time that he was nervous during a game and said, "It got pretty ugly to be honest. Ever since then, I've always thought to myself, 'It can't get worse than that.'"
At Chaminade, he led a pass
Forward pass
In several forms of football a forward pass is when the ball is thrown in the direction that the offensive team is trying to move, towards the defensive team's goal line...
-oriented offense and, during his senior year, accumulated 139 completion
Completion (American football)
A completion is a term used in American football when a receiver successfully catches a pass. The three possible outcomes of a pass thrown are completion, incompletion, and interception, respectively....
s on 265 attempts, 2,047 yards, 16 touchdown
Touchdown
A touchdown is a means of scoring in American and Canadian football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone.-Description:...
s, and 11 interceptions. He was named to the All-California Interscholastic Federation
California Interscholastic Federation
The California Interscholastic Federation is the governing body for high school sports in the state of California. It mirrors similar governing bodies in other states; however, it differs from some of the others in that it covers most high schools in the state of California, both public and...
(CIF) second team as a senior and the All-Mission League team as both a junior and senior. SuperPrep picked him as a Far West all-region selection and PrepStar as an all-region selection. Turner was assessed as a Rivals.com
Rivals.com
Rivals.com is a network of websites that focus mainly on college football and basketball recruiting. The network was started in 1996 and currently employs more than 300 personnel.-Schools:The individual collegiate sites can be found...
three-star and Scout.com
Scout.com
Scout.com is an integrated sports publishing company that produces both an Internet and print product. Scout has more than 2.1 million visitors...
two-star recruit. He received scholarship offers
Athletic scholarship
An athletic scholarship is a form of scholarship to attend a college or university awarded to an individual based predominantly on his or her ability to play in a sport...
from Boise State
Boise State Broncos football
This page discusses the Boise State football program. For more Boise State athletics, see Boise State Broncos.The Boise State Broncos football program represents Boise State University in college football and compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision of Division I as a member of the Mountain West...
, Illinois
Illinois Fighting Illini football
The Illinois Fighting Illini are a major college football program, representing the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign. They compete in NCAA Division I-A and the Big Ten Conference.-Current staff:-All-time win/loss/tie record:*563-513-51...
, Louisville
Louisville Cardinals football
The Louisville Cardinals football team represents the University of Louisville in college football as a member of the Big East Conference. Howard Schnellenberger started the program's rise to relevancy after winning the Miami Hurricanes' first national championship...
, Maryland
Maryland Terrapins football
The Maryland Terrapins football team represents the University of Maryland in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision competition. The Terrapins compete within the Atlantic Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference...
, Oregon
Oregon Ducks football
The Oregon Ducks football program is the intercollegiate American football team for the University of Oregon located in the U.S. state of Oregon. The team competes at the NCAA Division I level in the Football Bowl Subdivision and is a member of the Pacific-12 Conference. Known as the Ducks, the...
, Utah
Utah Utes football
The Utah Utes football program is a college football team that currently competes in the Pacific-12 Conference of the Football Bowl Subdivision of NCAA Division I and represents the University of Utah. The Utah college football program began in 1892 and has played home games at Rice–Eccles...
, and UTEP
UTEP Miners football
The UTEP Miners football program is a college football team that represents the University of Texas at El Paso . With a history dating back to 1914, UTEP currently competes in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision as a member of Conference USA . UTEP currently plays their home games at the Sun Bowl...
. Maryland offered him after another Californian recruit, Josh Portis
Josh Portis
Josh Portis is an American football quarterback for the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League. He was signed by the Seahawks as an undrafted free agent in 2011. He was highly touted as one of the nation's top dual-threat quarterback prospects out of high school...
, chose Florida
Florida Gators football
The Florida Gators football team represents the University of Florida in the sport of American football. The Florida Gators compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletics Association and the Eastern Division of the Southeastern Conference...
instead—although Portis later transferred to Maryland and served as a backup alongside Turner. Turner ultimately chose Maryland, which is located just outside of Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, partly due to his interest in politics
Politics of the United States
The United States is a federal constitutional republic, in which the President of the United States , Congress, and judiciary share powers reserved to the national government, and the federal government shares sovereignty with the state governments.The executive branch is headed by the President...
.
Experience
Turner sat out his true freshman year during the 2005 season2005 Maryland Terrapins football team
The 2005 Maryland Terrapins football team represented the University of Maryland in the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision college football season. It was the Terrapins' 53rd season as a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference and its first within the...
on redshirt
Redshirt (college sports)
Redshirt is a term used in American college athletics that refers to a delay or suspension of an athlete's participation in order to lengthen his or her period of eligibility...
status. In 2006
2006 Maryland Terrapins football team
The 2006 Maryland Terrapins football team represented the University of Maryland in the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision college football season. It was the Terrapins' 54th season as a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference and its second within the...
, he served as the third-team quarterback behind starter Sam Hollenbach
Sam Hollenbach
Samuel Hollenbach is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent. He was signed by the Washington Redskins as an undrafted free agent in 2007...
and reserve Jordan Steffy, but Turner saw no playing time during that season.
2007 season
In 20072007 Maryland Terrapins football team
The 2007 Maryland Terrapins football team represented the University of Maryland in the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision college football season. It was the Terrapins' 55th season as a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference and its third within the...
, as the second-string quarterback, he saw his first action against when he was substituted for injured starter Jordan Steffy. Turner executed a scoring drive and completed four of six passes, but also threw two interceptions
Interception (football)
An interception, intercept or pick is a move in many forms of football, including Canadian and American football, as well as rugby league, rugby union, Australian rules football and Gaelic football, which involves a pass, either by foot or hand, being caught by an opposition player, who usually...
. He sat out the next two games and then took one snap against Wake Forest
2007 Wake Forest Demon Deacons football team
The 2007 Wake Forest Demon Deacons football team represented Wake Forest University during the 2007 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The team was coached by Jim Grobe in his seventh season at the school and played its home games at BB&T Field. The team began its season with an Atlantic Coast...
. When the unranked Terps faced 10th-ranked Rutgers
2007 Rutgers Scarlet Knights football team
For the first time in the history of Rutgers football, the team entered a season ranked - 16th in both the Associated Press and Coaches polls. The Scarlet Knights finished the season with an 8-5 record that included a 52-30 victory over the Ball State Cardinals in the 2008 International Bowl...
, Steffy suffered a concussion and Turner again filled in. He led drives for two touchdown
Touchdown
A touchdown is a means of scoring in American and Canadian football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone.-Description:...
s and two field goals
Field goal (football)
A field goal in American football and Canadian football is a goal that may be scored during general play . Field goals may be scored by a placekick or the now practically extinct drop kick.The drop kick fell out of favor in 1934 when the shape of the ball was changed...
in an upset of the Scarlet Knights, 34–24. About the then relatively unknown Turner, Rutgers head coach Greg Schiano
Greg Schiano
Gregory Edward Schiano is the head coach for the Rutgers University football team. He has held that position since 2001.-Early life and education:...
said, "I wish I would have seen this guy before." Turner started for the remaining eight games of the season. In his career-first start, he passed for 255 yards in a win against Georgia Tech
2007 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football team
The 2007 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football team represented the Georgia Institute of Technology in the college football season of 2007–2008. The team's coach was former Dallas Cowboys, Samford Bulldogs, and Troy Trojans coach Chan Gailey...
, 28–26. In the game, he threw a 78-yard touchdown pass, which was caught by tight end Jason Goode
Jason Goode
Jason Goode is an American football tight end for the Maryland Maniacs of the Indoor Football League. Goode has previously spent time with the Washington Redskins and the Carolina Panthers of the National Football League. He played college football at Maryland...
rather than his intended receiver, Darrius Heyward-Bey
Darrius Heyward-Bey
-Oakland Raiders:During Organized Team Activities following the draft, Heyward-Bey practiced early but was plagued by multiple hamstring injuries. On July 30, 2009, the Oakland Raiders agreed to terms on a five-year deal with Heyward-Bey.-External links:***...
. After a three-game losing streak, Turner led another upset win over a top-ten team, this time against eighth-ranked Boston College, 42–35. In the 24–16 loss to Florida State
2007 Florida State Seminoles football team
The 2007 Florida State Seminoles football team represented Florida State University during the 2007 college football season. Florida State entered the 2007 season coming off a 2006 that ended with an overall record of 7-6, which was head coach Bobby Bowden's worst record since going 6-5 in 1981,...
, Turner had his worst performance of the season. Late in the second quarter, he was benched and replaced by Steffy for two possessions. Turner said, "I didn't know that my leash was that short in the first place, to be honest. I didn't think it would come to this. I guess I should have." After an uneven performance by Steffy, Turner played the entire second half and showed improvement. The following week Maryland played their regular season finale against NC State
2007 NC State Wolfpack football team
The 2007 NC State Wolfpack football team represented North Carolina State University during the 2007 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The team's Head Coach was Tom O'Brien. N.C. State has been a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference since the league's inception in 1953, and has participated...
and both teams needed an additional win to attain bowl eligibility. Maryland led in the second quarter, 3–0, but was struggling offensively. Turner, a generally immobile pocket
Passing pocket
The passing pocket is a term used in American football to describe the area in the backfield that is created on a passing play where the offensive line forms a wall of protection around the quarterback to protect him...
quarterback, invigorated the offense when he executed a 41-yard option run
Option run
The option run or option is a designed play in American football and Canadian football. In the simplest version of this play, the quarterback receives the ball and runs either to the right or left, accompanied by an additional offensive player...
for a first down. He completed 19 of 24 passes for 206 yards and led a shutout
Shutout
In team sports, a shutout refers to a game in which one team prevents the opposing team from scoring. While possible in most major sports, they are highly improbable in some sports, such as basketball....
of NC State, 37–0. With the sixth win, Maryland was invited to the Emerald Bowl
2007 Emerald Bowl
The 2007 Emerald Bowl, part of the 2007-08 NCAA football bowl games season, was played on December 27, 2007, at AT&T Park in San Francisco, California, with the Atlantic Coast Conference represented by the Maryland Terrapins against the Oregon State Beavers, representing the Pacific-10...
, where they were beaten by Oregon State
2007 Oregon State Beavers football team
The 2007 Oregon State Beavers football team represented Oregon State University in the college football season of 2007-2008. The team's head coach is Mike Riley. Home games are played at Reser Stadium in Corvallis, Oregon.-Season notes:...
, 21–14. Turner finished the season as the third-most efficient passer in the Atlantic Coast Conference
Atlantic Coast Conference
The Atlantic Coast Conference is a collegiate athletic league in the United States. Founded in 1953 in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC sanctions competition in twenty-five sports in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association for its twelve member universities...
(ACC).
2008 season
In 20082008 Maryland Terrapins football team
The 2008 Maryland Terrapins football team represented the University of Maryland in the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision college football season...
, Maryland hired a new offensive coordinator, James Franklin, who installed a West Coast offense
West Coast offense
In American football, "West Coast Offense" refers to two similar but distinct offensive-strategic-systems of play: the "Air Coryell" system; or more commonly the pass play system popularized by Bill Walsh...
. That season started with some controversy when head coach Ralph Friedgen
Ralph Friedgen
Ralph Harry Friedgen is an American football coach. He was the head coach at the University of Maryland from 2001 to 2010. Friedgen was previously an offensive coordinator at Maryland, Georgia Tech, and in the National Football League with the San Diego Chargers...
initially selected senior Jordan Steffy as the starting quarterback. Turner considered returning home with a transfer to a Californian school, but ultimately decided against it. When Steffy was injured again in the season-opener against Delaware
2008 Delaware Fightin' Blue Hens football team
The 2008 Delaware Fightin' Blue Hens football team represented the University of Delaware in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Championship Subdivision college football in its eighth season as a member of the Colonial Athletic Association .K.C. Keeler served as head...
, Turner was awarded the starting job for the rest of the season. After Maryland defeated 21st-ranked Wake Forest
2008 Wake Forest Demon Deacons football team
The 2008 Wake Forest Demon Deacons football team represented Wake Forest University during the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision college football season. It was Wake Forest's 56th season as a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference .The Demon Deacons...
, 26–0, Turner was voted the ACC Player of the Week and ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
named him an "On the Mark" quarterback. Against 16th-ranked North Carolina
2008 North Carolina Tar Heels football team
The 2008 North Carolina Tar Heels football team began their season on August 30 against McNeese State at Kenan Memorial Stadium. The team originally went 4–4 in conference play and 8–5 overall, but in 2011, North Carolina vacated all its wins from the 2008 and 2009 seasons.-Recruiting:The Tar...
, Turner's split-second decision to hold onto the ball
Quarterback scramble
A quarterback scramble or scramble is an impromptu maneuver or run in American football and Canadian football by a quarterback. If a quarterback is under pressure by an opposing team's defense, he may run forward, backward, or laterally in an attempt to avoid being tackled behind the line of...
for a nine-yard run on fourth down and five put the team within range for the game-winning field goal, 17–15. For that, he was nominated for the week's Pontiac
Pontiac
Pontiac was an automobile brand that was established in 1926 as a companion make for General Motors' Oakland. Quickly overtaking its parent in popularity, it supplanted the Oakland brand entirely by 1933 and, for most of its life, became a companion make for Chevrolet. Pontiac was sold in the...
Game Changing Performance. The win improved Maryland's record to 7–3 and reasserted control over their ACC championship
ACC Championship Game
The Dr Pepper ACC Championship Game is an American college football game held on the first Saturday in December by the Atlantic Coast Conference each year to determine its football champion. The game pits the champion of the Coastal Division against the champion of the Atlantic Division in a game...
destiny, although they lost the next game against Florida State
2008 Florida State Seminoles football team
The 2008 Florida State Seminoles football team represented Florida State University during the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision college football season. It was Florida State's 17th season as a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference .The previous...
, 37–3, which ended the Terrapins' title hopes. The following week against Boston College
2008 Boston College Eagles football team
The 2008 Boston College Eagles football team represented Boston College during the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision college football season. It was Boston College's fourth season as a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference . The Eagles were led by...
, Turner set career highs with 33 completions, 57 attempts, and 360 passing yards, but the effort fell short and Maryland lost, 28–21. In the postseason, the Terrapins played Nevada
2008 Nevada Wolf Pack football team
The 2008 Nevada Wolf Pack football team represented the University of Nevada, Reno in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision college football during the 2008 season. Nevada competed as a member of the Western Athletic Conference .The team was led by...
in the Humanitarian Bowl
2008 Humanitarian Bowl
The 2008 Humanitarian Bowl was a postseason college football bowl game between the Maryland Terrapins and the Nevada Wolf Pack on December 30, 2008. It was the two teams' first meeting. The game featured two conference tie-ins: the University of Maryland represented the Atlantic Coast Conference ...
where Turner threw for 198 yards, one interception, two touchdowns including a 59-yard long, and a two-point conversion
Two-point conversion
In American and Canadian football, a two-point conversion is a play a team attempts instead of kicking a one-point convert immediately after it scores a touchdown...
. At the end of the season, Maryland had beaten four out of their five Top 25-ranked opponents, a feat that was surpassed only by the teams in the BCS Championship Game
2009 BCS National Championship Game
The 2009 BCS National Championship Game, sponsored by FedEx, was an American football game played at Dolphin Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida, on January 8, 2009. It was the national championship game for the 2008 college football season, and featured the second-ranked Florida Gators against the...
: Florida
2008 Florida Gators football team
The 2008 Florida Gators football team represented the University of Florida in the sport of American football during the 2008 college football season...
and Oklahoma
2008 Oklahoma Sooners football team
The 2008 Oklahoma Sooners football team represented the University of Oklahoma in the college football season of 2008-2009. It was the 114th year of season play for the Sooners. The team was led by head coach Bob Stoops, a two-time Walter Camp Coach of the Year award winner, who has a contract...
.
2009 season
Fifth-year senior Turner entered the 2009 season2009 Maryland Terrapins football team
The 2009 Maryland Terrapins football team represented the University of Maryland during its 57th season in the Atlantic Coast Conference. The Terrapins played in the Atlantic Division of the conference, and competed against all five divisional opponents, two Coastal Division opponents on a...
as the uncontested starter at quarterback for the first time in his career. He was backed-up by sophomore Jamarr Robinson and true freshmen C. J. Brown and Danny O'Brien
Danny O'Brien (American football)
Daniel Matthew "Danny" O'Brien is an American football quarterback for the Maryland Terrapins at the University of Maryland.-Early years:O'Brien was born in Saint Paul, Minnesota, and at the age of 12, moved to Kernersville, North Carolina, where he attended East Forsyth High School. During his...
. Turner's seniority was called critical for the performance of the team's relatively youthful offensive line. Head coach Friedgen said, "If I had to choose between a veteran offensive line and an inexperienced quarterback, or an inexperienced line with a veteran quarterback, I think I'd go with the veteran quarterback." Upon the conclusion of preseason camp, the coaching staff praised his progress, particularly his game-planning, for which he had been criticized in the past. Turner said, "Mentally, I am way further ahead than where I was last year." Physically, he dropped 16 pounds by adding muscle and losing body fat, and weighed 220 pounds before the start of the season. Offensive coordinator Franklin said, "You look at him, he was kind of mushy last year. You look at him now and he's muscular and shaped. He looks more athletic."
Before the season, Turner was added to the watch list for the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award
Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award
The Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award is given annually in the United States to the nation's outstanding senior quarterback in college football. It was established in 1987 by a foundation named for Johnny Unitas , the Hall of Fame quarterback who played his college career at the University of...
, an annual honor bestowed upon the nation's top senior quarterback. At that time, he ranked as the school's fourth all-time quarterback in terms of completion percentage, fifth in completions, seventh in total offensive yards, and he is tied for 11th in number of touchdown passes. In June 2009, Turner stated that he wanted to leave a "legacy" at Maryland in his final season. He also expressed a desire to pursue a professional playing career in the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
(NFL) if possible. The NFL Draft Scout assessed Turner as the 16th-ranked quarterback out of the 135 available for the 2010 NFL Draft
2010 NFL Draft
The 2010 NFL Draft was the 75th annual meeting of National Football League franchises to select newly eligible football players. Unlike previous years, the 2010 draft took place over three days, at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, with the first round on Thursday, April 22, 2010, at 7:30 pm...
and projected him as a potential seventh-round selection.
Playing style and personality
Prior to his senior year, Jeff Barker of The Baltimore SunThe Baltimore Sun
The Baltimore Sun is the U.S. state of Maryland’s largest general circulation daily newspaper and provides coverage of local and regional news, events, issues, people, and industries....
noted that Turner's strengths were "poise, smarts, [and] toughness," while he had room for improvement in arm strength and mobility. Barker said, "He's a bit streaky—he calls himself a 'rhythm' passer ... But he doesn't quit when things go poorly. His coolness can be mistaken for apathy." Turner typically confines himself to the pocket
Passing pocket
The passing pocket is a term used in American football to describe the area in the backfield that is created on a passing play where the offensive line forms a wall of protection around the quarterback to protect him...
, as his ability to run the ball himself
Quarterback keeper
A quarterback keeper or keeper in American football is a designed play in which the quarterback does not pass or hand off the ball to another player and instead rushes forward with it in an effort to gain yardage...
is limited by his speed. He has made light of his own lack of quickness by saying that he runs a "flat 5.0"-second 40-yard dash. The CBS Sports
CBS Sports
CBS Sports is a division of CBS Broadcasting which airs sporting events on the American television network. Its headquarters are in the CBS Building on West 52nd Street in midtown Manhattan, New York City, with programs produced out of Studio 43 at the CBS Broadcast Center on West 57th Street.CBS...
-affiliated NFL Draft Scout records his actual time as ranging from a low of 4.89 to a high of 5.16 seconds, while Scout.com
Scout.com
Scout.com is an integrated sports publishing company that produces both an Internet and print product. Scout has more than 2.1 million visitors...
reports his 40-yard time as 4.8 seconds. Turner's supposedly one-dimensional nature, however, has occasionally allowed him to make unexpected plays with his feet. The most noteworthy of these were the momentum-changing 41-yard option run against NC State in 2007, and the fourth-down nine-yard scramble into field goal range against North Carolina in 2008.
Pundits and coaches sometimes characterized Turner as a quarterback who did not excel during practices, but executed well on game-day. Maryland head coach Ralph Friedgen said "He's pretty go-with-the-flow. And that's his greatest strength and maybe his greatest weakness. The bottom line is, he plays well in games." The Baltimore Sun wrote that he "seems to play his best when it counts—and his worst when it doesn't." Regarding the 2008 summer practices, offensive coordinator James Franklin said Turner ranked in the middle compared with Jordan Steffy and Josh Portis in terms of completion percentage, fewest interceptions, and "explosive" plays that gained 16 yards or more. Turner conceded that Steffy was a better game-planner during practices. Head coach Ralph Friedgen who had offered critical or subdued assessments of Turners' practice, said his intensity grew after losing the starting position to Steffy prior to the 2008 season. Turner said, "It lit a fire in me in the sense that I had to be ready."
Among his Maryland teammates and coaches, Turner earned a reputation as an archetypal "laid-back" Californian and for remaining calm under pressure. After the 2007 win over Rutgers, offensive tackle Scott Burley
Scott Burley
Scott Burley is an American football offensive lineman for the Washington Redskins. He played college football for the Maryland Terrapins at the University of Maryland.-Early years:...
described his roommate Turner as "real calm [in the huddle] . . . He would say, 'Guys, are you ready to score again? Are you ready to run the ball on these guys?' And we're like, 'Yeah, let's do that.'" Turner received the nicknames "Sunshine" and "Napoleon Dynamite", in reference to his similar appearance to the fictional characters in the films Remember the Titans
Remember the Titans
Remember the Titans is a 2000 American sports film produced by Jerry Bruckheimer and directed by Boaz Yakin. Inspired by real events, the plot was conceived from a screenplay written by Gregory Allen Howard. The film starts as a new coach of the Titans, a football team previously coached by the...
and Napoleon Dynamite
Napoleon Dynamite
Napoleon Dynamite is a 2004 comedy film co-written and directed by Jared Hess and Jerusha Hess and stars Jon Heder as Napoleon Dynamite. The film was Jared Hess' first full-length feature and is partially adapted from his earlier short film, Peluca....
, respectively.
Personal life
Turner graduated from the University of Maryland in May 2009 with a bachelor's degreeBachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
in government and politics
Political science
Political Science is a social science discipline concerned with the study of the state, government and politics. Aristotle defined it as the study of the state. It deals extensively with the theory and practice of politics, and the analysis of political systems and political behavior...
. His strong interest in politics factored into his decision on where to attend college. He chose the University of Maryland partly based on its close proximity to Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
Turner's political views are liberal
Liberalism in the United States
Liberalism in the United States is a broad political philosophy centered on the unalienable rights of the individual. The fundamental liberal ideals of freedom of speech, freedom of the press, freedom of religion for all belief systems, and the separation of church and state, right to due process...
; he is registered as a Democrat
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
, and has described himself as an idealist
Idealism
In philosophy, idealism is the family of views which assert that reality, or reality as we can know it, is fundamentally mental, mentally constructed, or otherwise immaterial. Epistemologically, idealism manifests as a skepticism about the possibility of knowing any mind-independent thing...
.
During the 2008 season, political discussions were common in the Maryland locker room because of the presidential election
United States presidential election, 2008
The United States presidential election of 2008 was the 56th quadrennial presidential election. It was held on November 4, 2008. Democrat Barack Obama, then the junior United States Senator from Illinois, defeated Republican John McCain, the senior U.S. Senator from Arizona. Obama received 365...
. Turner and fellow quarterback Jordan Steffy, a conservative and supporter of presidential candidate Senator John McCain
John McCain
John Sidney McCain III is the senior United States Senator from Arizona. He was the Republican nominee for president in the 2008 United States election....
, were the most frequent debaters, while defensive tackle Dean Muhtadi
Dean Muhtadi
Dean Muhtadi is an American football defensive tackle who was most recently on the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League. He was signed by the Green Bay Packers as an undrafted free agent in 2009...
was described as the primary instigator. During the summer of 2009, Turner held an internship on Capitol Hill
Capitol Hill, Washington, D.C.
Capitol Hill, aside from being a metonym for the United States Congress, is the largest historic residential neighborhood in Washington D.C., stretching easterly in front of the United States Capitol along wide avenues...
working for Democratic Representative Steny Hoyer
Steny Hoyer
Steny Hamilton Hoyer is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1981. The district includes a large swath of rural and suburban territory southeast of Washington, D.C.. He is a member of the Democratic Party....
, the House Majority Leader
Party leaders of the United States House of Representatives
Party leaders of the United States House of Representatives are elected by their respective parties in a closed-door caucus by secret ballot and are also known as floor leaders. The U.S. House of Representatives does not officially use the term "Minority Leader", although the media frequently does...
and Maryland's fifth district
Maryland's 5th congressional district
Maryland's 5th congressional district comprises all of Charles, St. Mary's, and Calvert Counties, as well as portions of Prince George's and Anne Arundel Counties. The district is currently represented by Democrat Steny Hoyer, the House Minority Whip....
congressman. Turner had previously considered volunteering for the presidential campaign
Barack Obama presidential campaign, 2008
Barack Obama, then junior United States Senator from Illinois, announced his candidacy for the presidency of the United States in Springfield, Illinois, on February 10, 2007. On August 27, 2008, he was declared nominee of the Democratic Party for the 2008 presidential election...
of Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
, which he said probably annoyed his conservative father, John Turner. Describing his experience during the internship, Turner said, "It's funny to compare how serious politics is and how serious football is. Depending on who you talk to, they're both pretty big deals . . . There's more to life than football."
Incidentally, Turner's favorite sport is soccer, not football. He is also interested in foreign cultures and expressed regret at being unable to spend a semester abroad
Student exchange program
A student exchange program generally could be defined as a program where students from secondary school or university choose to study abroad in partner institutions...
because of college football. Turner said that, dependent upon the outcome of his football career, he would like to attend the 2010 World Cup
2010 FIFA World Cup
The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010...
in South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
.
Statistics
| Maryland | Passing | Rushing | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | GP | GS | Rating | Att | Cmp | % | Yds | Lng | TD | Int | Att | Sack | Yds | Lng | TD | ||
| 2007 | 11 | 8 | 135.50 | 241 | 153 | 63.5 | 1,958 | 78 | 7 | 7 | 44 | 21 | −26 | 41 | 0 | ||
| 2008 | 13 | 12 | 119.31 | 374 | 214 | 57.2 | 2,516 | 80 | 13 | 11 | 43 | 27 | −154 | 13 | 1 | ||
| 2009 | 10 | 10 | 121.05 | 303 | 180 | 59.4 | 2,069 | 67 | 10 | 10 | 84 | 25 | 22 | 15 | 2 | ||
| Totals | 34 | 30 | 124.15 | 918 | 547 | 59.6 | 6,544 | 80 | 30 | 28 | 171 | 73 | −158 | 41 | 3 | ||
External links
- Chris Turner on TwitterTwitterTwitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...