Cecil Turner

Cecil Turner (born April 2, 1944) is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver for six seasons for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL). He went to the Pro Bowl after the 1970 season, when he tied a record (set in 1967 by Green Bay's Travis Williams) by returning four kickoffs for touchdowns,[1] a record that still stands.

Cecil Turner
Personal information
Born: (1944-04-02) April 2, 1944
Washington, D.C., U.S.
Career information
High school:Spingarn (Washington, D.C.)
College:Pratt
Cal Poly
Position:Wide receiver, return specialist
NFL Draft:1968 / Round: 5 / Pick: 127
Career history
Career highlights and awards

Early life

Turner graduated from Spingarn High School in Washington D.C.

College career

Turner started his college career as a track & field standout. Competing for Pratt College, he won the 1964 NJCAA 100-yard dash title, with a time of 9.5 seconds at the meet hosted in Big Spring, Texas.[2] He continued to excel in track after transferring to Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, bettering his time to 9.3 seconds and ultimately leading the Mustangs to the 1968 NCAA College Division outdoor track and field team national title.[3]

Midway through his senior football season for Cal Poly, Turner was hailed as "the fastest college football player in the nation,"[4] as he accumulated four touchdowns through the first four games of the year, but he missed most of the rest of the fall of 1967 due to injury.

Turner, whose top college football season as a junior included 16 catches for 366 yards (a 22.9-yard average) and two touchdown receptions (plus an 87-yard kickoff return for a TD) in 1966, was later elected to the Cal Poly Hall of Fame in 1989.[5]

Professional career

Turner was selected in the fifth round of the 1968 NFL/AFL Draft by the Chicago Bears.[6]

Larry Mayer ranked Turner as the seventh-greatest return specialist in Bears history on the team's official website, noting his 32.7-yard average for the 1970 season.[7] In 2010, Bleacher Report selected Turner as an honorable mention in the kickoff return position to their all-time Bears team, with the spot going to Gale Sayers.[8]

References
  1. "Ex-Poly gridder Turner to play in Pro Bowl". San Luis Obispo Telegram-Tribune. January 12, 1971. p. 6.
  2. Nettleship, Johnny (September 16, 1966). "Cal Poly's running game boosted by Ratley, Turner". San Luis Obispo Telegram-Tribune. p. 10.
  3. "Poly's Turner impressive in pro start with Bears". San Luis Obispo Telegram-Tribune. August 5, 1968. p. 8.
  4. "Mr. Swift". Mustang Daily. October 13, 1967. p. 4. Retrieved September 8, 2022.
  5. Wallner, Peter J. (September 30, 1989). "Cal Poly comes through for Turner". San Luis Obispo Telegram-Tribune. pp. B-1.
  6. Neel, Don (February 2, 1968). "Chicago Bears draft Cecil Turner". Mustang Daily. p. 4. Retrieved September 8, 2022.
  7. "Top 10: Bears return specialists". www.chicagobears.com. Retrieved 2022-09-09.
  8. Curts, Jeff. "Meet The All-Time Chicago Bears Team". Bleacher Report. Retrieved 2022-09-09.
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