Sam Houston QB eludes foes, remembers lost family

[Nexus]

Imagine a plastic bag on the freeway and the Cirque-du-Soleil motions it performs as it weaves its way through oncoming traffic.

 

Rarely does that bag end up caught on the front end of a vehicle. It almost always gets whisked away to repeat its act down the road.

 

To opposing defenses, Arlington Sam Houston senior quarterback Jamal Turner is like that plastic bag on an extremely windy day. The moment it looks as though defenders have him in their grasp, head-on collision imminent, he makes like an And1 Mixtape legend and leaves a trail of hurt ankles and egos in his wake as he jets toward the end zone."I think that's what makes me go harder," said Turner, who stands 6-foot-1, 175 pounds. "If I'm going and I shake a guy at the line of scrimmage it builds your confidence as you are running. It's going to be worse for the next guy."

 

He's like a CD stuck on repeat in that sense. Every week for the past three seasons, defenses have tried everything they could to contain him. Yet he still succeeds in contorting his body in such ways to avoid defenders that one truly has to wonder how he keeps going on a week-to-week basis.

 

"I've had so many ankle injuries it doesn't even make sense," said Turner, who admits most of them are from his own doing, cutting too hard at outrageous angles.

 

As it turns out, there's already a life's worth of motivation seeping through the skin of this future Nebraska Cornhusker, who, as a junior in 2009, became the first player in Arlington school district history to rush for 2,000 yards and pass for 2,000 yards in the same season.

 

Aug. 26, 2010

 

The day started off just like any other for Turner. The first school bell coincided with the start of the athletic period for Sam Houston's football team.

 

Turner, who was named first-team quarterback of Dave Campbell's Texas Football Super Team before the season, was outside tossing the ball around with teammates as they prepared to kick off the season the next day at Crowley when the school's police officer approached him.

 

"He asked me if my mom's name was Rusty Turner," he said. "I said 'Yes sir.' And he said 'I'm sorry, but she passed away.' I kind of went black for a minute."

 

Rusty Turner died at 41 after a near decade-long battle with multiple sclerosis.

 

"I kind of saw the [disease] wearing on her," he said. "But she never wanted me to see her like that. Every time I came around she wanted to make it seem like she was OK. But I knew my mom was sick. It killed me."

 

The passing of one of Jamal's immediate family members was something he'd already been through. Three years ago Jamal's brother, Richard Williams, was killed at 21 in a motorcycle accident in Arlington.

 

"I looked up to this guy like a god," Turner said. "I was going to go to Arlington Bowie, but he talked me into going to Sam Houston. He never got to see me play one down of high school football."

 

Turner thought briefly about not playing on Aug. 27, but he knew his mother would have wanted him to play. So he did.

 

 

Turner rushed 39 times for 298 yards and five touchdowns, and threw for 114 yards and a score in the Texans' 51-48 victory over the Eagles.

 

"I had to play," he said. "I probably would have cried that whole day, and the next day, and the next day if I didn't.

 

"Playing made me feel so much better. After we won that game it was like God telling me that everything was OK, that my mom was in a better place."

 

Sam Houston coach Danny Edelman shook his head in astonishment when asked to describe Turner's performance.

 

"I think there was some added emotion tied in there," Edelman said. "He naturally plays that way anyway.

 

"Naturally we are all going to face some adverse situations. He's been one of those young men that have turned it into a strength."

 

That game kick-started what is shaping up to be another season for the record books for this charismatic and humble young man. He's already rushed for 699 yards on 83 carries (8.4 average) and 10 touchdowns to go along with 418 yards passing and two scores for the Texans (1-2).

 

Last season's record-breaking campaign saw him pass for 2,049 yards and rush for 2,009 yards in only 10 games as the Texans didn't make the playoffs.

 

Off to Lincoln

 

His cellphone continues to ring beyond belief. Sometimes he'll answer out of kindness. Other times he won't even bother.

 

Colleges still think there's a chance that Turner might have a change of heart.

 

But the non-binding commitment Turner gave Nebraska on Jan. 28 is as solid as his weekly stat line. He's so eager to become a Cornhusker that he took a full load of summer school to make sure he stays on track to enroll at mid-term, just in time for spring ball.

 

"I get goose bumps thinking about it," Turner said.

 

He's already a celebrity in Lincoln, Neb., where he signed autographs for fans at this year's spring game. Edelman's mailbox occasionally gets flooded with handwritten notes from fans hoping to get Turner's signature on a picture.

 

"They even have the return envelope ready," Turner laughed.

 

Turner, ranked by Rivals.com as the sixth-best dual-threat quarterback in the nation, was the first quarterback to commit to the Cornhuskers for the class of 2011. Bubba Starling of Gardner Edgerton (Kan.) High School has since joined him. Rivals ranks him as the fifth-best dual-threat QB.

 

Huskers Illustrated's John Talman doesn't think Turner has anything to worry about.

 

"I just think he is the perfect fit for what Nebraska wants to do," Talman said. "Nebraska's priority this year was to find a quarterback who can obviously throw the ball, but it is important that they are athletic as well. With the commitment of Turner, he is that guy. He is an instant highlight reel."

 

Talman pointed out that Starling might not ever make it to Nebraska depending on how high he gets drafted in the next Major League Baseball draft. He is expected to go somewhere in the first few rounds.

 

Regardless, Turner isn't one to back away from a challenge and looks forward to any healthy competition he'll have in Lincoln.

 

"I just feel like I can beat out any quarterback if I put my mind to it," he said.

 

Do you doubt him?

 

LINK

[typ3kal]

Jamal Turner is all class.

 

I'm precipitously predicting he will be my favorite Husker since Suh.

 

One thing about Jamal is he can actually give engaging and thoughtful press interviews unlike a few of our current players

[whateveritis1224]

I'd really like to see Turner get on the field in any way possible. Maybe if Martinez is still the starter put him in a type of Percy Harvin role, but with a greater chance for him to take a snap and throw. Have him line up in the backfield with Martinez, Burkhead, and Aaron Green (knocking on wood), and people won't know what to do on defense. I'm really excited to see him come up here.

[typ3kal]

I'd really like to see Turner get on the field in any way possible. Maybe if Martinez is still the starter put him in a type of Percy Harvin role, but with a greater chance for him to take a snap and throw. Have him line up in the backfield with Martinez, Burkhead, and Aaron Green (knocking on wood), and people won't know what to do on defense. I'm really excited to see him come up here.

 

With the quality of recruits we have coming into next year's class. I really hope we can red shirt nearly the entire class.. Then we'll have 4 years of complete world wide domination.

[whateveritis1224]

Of course I want him to compete for the QB job, but I'm saying the loser between him and T-Mart move over and produce in a Percy Harvin type roll.

[I AM FOOT FOOT]

i cant wait to see this kid play, possibly our best qb group ever in a few years

[dylan]

i cant wait to see this kid play, possibly our best qb group ever in a few years

 

let me know when they surpass frazier, berringer and frost (or even frost, crouch and newcombe). i'm as excited about our young QB's as anyone, but let's not get too crazy.