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Bishop's Gaiters receiver Turner garnering plenty of interest south of the border
By Dan Ralph (CP) – 15 hours ago
http://www.google.com/hostednews/canadianpress/article/ALeqM5iRUFwUB9eli7vZ_K9Vchpd9u230w
Steven Turner's sparkling performance at last month's CFL evaluation camp did more than just turn the heads of Canadian football officials.
It also caught the attention of teams south of the border.
Turner set a camp record with a 40-yard dash time of 4.31 seconds, shattering the previous mark of 4.39 seconds set last year by former Bishop's teammate Jamall Lee. Turner's blistering run came a day after the five-foot-nine, 185-pound Gaiters receiver posted a vertical leap of 43.5 inches - just a half-inch shy of Lee's '09 record jump - and a camp-best shuttle run of 4.03 seconds.
Turner's results certainly boosted his stock for the CFL's Canadian college draft, which will be held May 2. But they also put him in pretty good standing in comparison to the top prospects for this year's NFL draft.
His 40-yard-dash time would have placed him second at the NFL combine, behind only Clemson receiver Jacoby Ford (4.28 seconds) while Turner's vertical jump would've left him tied for second, less than an inch behind Fresno State cornerback A.J. Jefferson.
Turner, a Toronto native who grew up in Brampton, Ont., has already spoken to officials with both the Philadelphia Eagles and Indianapolis Colts. And Turner's agent Darren Gill says he's been busy taking calls from other NFL teams requesting information and film of his client.
"Steven has demonstrated that his athletic ability is on par with top NFL prospects at his position," Gill said. "As a result NFL teams have taken notice."
The NFL draft kicks off April 22 with the first round, following by the second and third rounds April 23 and concludes with the last four rounds April 24.
"Going into the CFL combine I was kind of under the radar and I never thought I'd be getting NFL looks," Turner said. "I thought I'd be going to put myself on the CFL radar at best.
"It's really unbelievable and breathtaking the feeling that I'm having right now."
Also, nfldraftscout.com, an online draft analysis site, has Turner projected as a high sixth-round selection, ranking him 68th among the available 335 receivers.
Heady stuff, indeed, considering Turner only took up football in high school.
"To know the opportunity is right there, just an arm's length away, it really motivates me to work harder and keep doing what I'm doing," Turner said. "I feel I have the potential to make it there especially going there and learning from veteran coaches.
"I'm a real good student, learning things isn't a big issue for me. I'm a coachable player and all I really need is a shot to get there and I can make things happen."
Turner had 11 catches for 207 yards and one TD last season with Bishop's but was also Canadian university football's top punt returner, averaging a stellar 20.4 yards per return. He took two back for touchdowns.
That versatility is attractive to CFL coaches, who can only dress 42 players per game so are always on the lookout for those who can perform multiple tasks.
Turner's speed, though, makes him appealing as a punt and kick returner in the NFL. And while Turner would love nothing more than to play in Canada with the hometown Toronto Argonauts, it would make much more economic sense for him to give the NFL a try.
As a CFL first-round pick, Turner could expect a five-figure signing bonus and a salary between $40,000 and $45,000, depending on where he was selected.
The minimum salary in the NFL this year will be US$325,000. Turner could receive slightly more than that as a late-round draft pick or even as an undrafted free agent if he was fortunate enough to have multiple teams bidding for his services.
Even if the NFL doesn't pan out for Turner, he will be in enviable position of having the CFL to fall back on. Should Turner sign an NFL deal, it will undoubtedly impact where he's taken in the CFL draft but not if as one of the eight Canadian teams will surely take a flyer on the speedy Bishop's star.
Turner says his four seasons at Bishop's, under head coach Leroy Blugh - who spent 13 seasons as a defensive lineman in the CFL - have helped prepare him to take the next step, both in football and life in general.
"Leroy Blugh has really set a stepping stone playing 13 years in the pros," Turner said. "He really knows what it was to get there and what it takes to get there.
"Being coached by him my four years at Bishop's was unbelievable. He has really matured me not only as a football player but as a person as well and showed me a lot of things in life that I don't think I would've learned anywhere else."
Copyright © 2010 The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.
By Dan Ralph (CP) – 15 hours ago
http://www.google.com/hostednews/canadianpress/article/ALeqM5iRUFwUB9eli7vZ_K9Vchpd9u230w
Steven Turner's sparkling performance at last month's CFL evaluation camp did more than just turn the heads of Canadian football officials.
It also caught the attention of teams south of the border.
Turner set a camp record with a 40-yard dash time of 4.31 seconds, shattering the previous mark of 4.39 seconds set last year by former Bishop's teammate Jamall Lee. Turner's blistering run came a day after the five-foot-nine, 185-pound Gaiters receiver posted a vertical leap of 43.5 inches - just a half-inch shy of Lee's '09 record jump - and a camp-best shuttle run of 4.03 seconds.
Turner's results certainly boosted his stock for the CFL's Canadian college draft, which will be held May 2. But they also put him in pretty good standing in comparison to the top prospects for this year's NFL draft.
His 40-yard-dash time would have placed him second at the NFL combine, behind only Clemson receiver Jacoby Ford (4.28 seconds) while Turner's vertical jump would've left him tied for second, less than an inch behind Fresno State cornerback A.J. Jefferson.
Turner, a Toronto native who grew up in Brampton, Ont., has already spoken to officials with both the Philadelphia Eagles and Indianapolis Colts. And Turner's agent Darren Gill says he's been busy taking calls from other NFL teams requesting information and film of his client.
"Steven has demonstrated that his athletic ability is on par with top NFL prospects at his position," Gill said. "As a result NFL teams have taken notice."
The NFL draft kicks off April 22 with the first round, following by the second and third rounds April 23 and concludes with the last four rounds April 24.
"Going into the CFL combine I was kind of under the radar and I never thought I'd be getting NFL looks," Turner said. "I thought I'd be going to put myself on the CFL radar at best.
"It's really unbelievable and breathtaking the feeling that I'm having right now."
Also, nfldraftscout.com, an online draft analysis site, has Turner projected as a high sixth-round selection, ranking him 68th among the available 335 receivers.
Heady stuff, indeed, considering Turner only took up football in high school.
"To know the opportunity is right there, just an arm's length away, it really motivates me to work harder and keep doing what I'm doing," Turner said. "I feel I have the potential to make it there especially going there and learning from veteran coaches.
"I'm a real good student, learning things isn't a big issue for me. I'm a coachable player and all I really need is a shot to get there and I can make things happen."
Turner had 11 catches for 207 yards and one TD last season with Bishop's but was also Canadian university football's top punt returner, averaging a stellar 20.4 yards per return. He took two back for touchdowns.
That versatility is attractive to CFL coaches, who can only dress 42 players per game so are always on the lookout for those who can perform multiple tasks.
Turner's speed, though, makes him appealing as a punt and kick returner in the NFL. And while Turner would love nothing more than to play in Canada with the hometown Toronto Argonauts, it would make much more economic sense for him to give the NFL a try.
As a CFL first-round pick, Turner could expect a five-figure signing bonus and a salary between $40,000 and $45,000, depending on where he was selected.
The minimum salary in the NFL this year will be US$325,000. Turner could receive slightly more than that as a late-round draft pick or even as an undrafted free agent if he was fortunate enough to have multiple teams bidding for his services.
Even if the NFL doesn't pan out for Turner, he will be in enviable position of having the CFL to fall back on. Should Turner sign an NFL deal, it will undoubtedly impact where he's taken in the CFL draft but not if as one of the eight Canadian teams will surely take a flyer on the speedy Bishop's star.
Turner says his four seasons at Bishop's, under head coach Leroy Blugh - who spent 13 seasons as a defensive lineman in the CFL - have helped prepare him to take the next step, both in football and life in general.
"Leroy Blugh has really set a stepping stone playing 13 years in the pros," Turner said. "He really knows what it was to get there and what it takes to get there.
"Being coached by him my four years at Bishop's was unbelievable. He has really matured me not only as a football player but as a person as well and showed me a lot of things in life that I don't think I would've learned anywhere else."
Copyright © 2010 The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.
DAL @ GB
