Funviralpark “I was in tears,” Turpin said of the call. “It’s been a long road for me to get into the NFL, and having that individual recognition has been a dream come true.
Making the Pro Bowl was just the final part of Turpin’s magical and sometimes tumultuous trip to the NFL. Signed during his camp in training after completing his MVP campaign with the USFL over the summer, Turpin is known for his sensational speed and ability to keep fans on the edge of their seats when he returns deep. It quickly became a fan favorite.
Of course, the road hasn’t always been easy. Talented enough to be drafted by TCU, an off-field issue forced Turpin to take a lesser path as he was unable to get a call on draft night.
That road continued into Atlanta and the fan-managed football league with the Glacier Boys before heading to Houston’s Sea Lions as part of the Spring League. Next, Turpin played his game internationally, with the Panthers he traveled to Wroclaw, Poland in the ELF. That landed him back in the states with the New Jersey Generals of the USFL, finally getting to where he worked so hard.
For a man who hasn’t taken football off in over two years, Tuesday night’s call from a Cowboys owner about his Pro Bowl selection was almost a sense of justification for Turpin, who nearly lost football for good.
“It’s been a long road,” said Turpin. “I came to the NFL my first year and made the Pro Bowl. I didn’t rest, I didn’t have time to get fit, I didn’t have time to recuperate other than to leave the USFL…it was awesome. It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience.”
Turpin said he probably didn’t realize Jones was getting emotional on the other end of the phone, but his level of excitement was absolutely “tears of joy”. Under the guise of keeping it in place, Turpin tried to keep it together.
“I kept it together,” he said. “It was basically my first time talking to him on the phone, so I tried to maintain a professional relationship with him. I really didn’t know what to expect from him. This is Jerry Jones. When you speak.” must be professional, the owner of the team.”
Nonetheless, the tears were well-earned, and the road to redemption that Turpin took and how much he deserved not only to join the NFL, but to be considered one of the best in his position right now. It reminds me of how hard I worked.
