Thomas James "T. J." Turner (May 16, 1963–August 24, 2009) was an American football

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...

 defensive end

Defensive end

Defensive end is the name of a defensive position in the sport of American and Canadian football.This position has designated the players at each end of the defensive line, but changes in formations have substantially changed how the position is played over the years...

 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...

 for the Miami Dolphins

Miami Dolphins

The Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...

. He played college football

College football

College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...

 for the University of Houston

University of Houston

The University of Houston is a state research university, and is the flagship institution of the University of Houston System. Founded in 1927, it is Texas's third-largest university with nearly 40,000 students. Its campus spans 667 acres in southeast Houston, and was known as University of...

. A 1981 Parade

Parade (magazine)

Parade is an American nationwide Sunday newspaper magazine, distributed in more than 500 newspapers in the United States. It was founded in 1941 and is owned by Advance Publications. The most widely read magazine in the U.S., Parade has a circulation of 32.2 million and a readership of nearly 70...

 All-American, he was considered to be the top defensive end prospect in the nation coming out of high school. At Houston, he had 30 sacks, and compiled 19 sacks and 180 tackles in his last two seasons. His 52 tackles in 1982 were the most by a freshman in Houston history. As a Dolphin, he was given the nickname "Wrong-Way T.J." after taking a wrong turn onto the Florida Turnpike, blaming the mistake on the confusing Golden Glades Interchange

Golden Glades Interchange

The Golden Glades Interchange, located in Miami Gardens and North Miami Beach, Florida, United States, is the confluence of five major roads serving eastern and southern Florida.-Description:The five highways the come together at the interchange are U.S...

. He drove 50 miles before attempting to turn around, at which point he flipped his truck and was cited for careless driving.

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