Eric Turner (American football) facts for kids
Turner playing in college for UCLA
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| Position: | Safety | ||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||
| Born: | September 20, 1968 Ventura, California |
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| Died: | May 28, 2000 (aged 31) Thousand Oaks, California |
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| Height: | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | ||||||||
| Weight: | 215 lb (98 kg) | ||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||
| High school: | Ventura (CA) | ||||||||
| College: | UCLA | ||||||||
| NFL Draft: | 1991 / Round: 1 / Pick: 2 | ||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||
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| Player stats at PFR | |||||||||
Eric Ray Turner (born September 20, 1968 – died May 28, 2000) was an American professional football player. He played as a safety for three teams in the National Football League (NFL). These teams were the Cleveland Browns, Baltimore Ravens, and Oakland Raiders. Eric passed away at the age of 31 due to complications from a serious illness. He is buried in Ventura, California.
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Early Life and College Football
Eric Turner went to Ventura High School before playing college football for the UCLA Bruins. He was an amazing player and was named an All-American in 1990. His teammates called him "E-Rock." People even compared him to another great UCLA player, Don Rogers.
In the 1991 NFL Draft, Eric was chosen as the 2nd player overall. This was a very high pick for a defensive player in modern football history. It showed how talented he was.
Playing in the NFL
Eric Turner started his professional career with the Cleveland Browns. He signed a very large contract, which was a record for a rookie player at the time.
Best Season with the Browns
In 1994, Eric had his best season in the NFL. He led the league with 9 interceptions. An interception is when a defensive player catches a pass meant for an offensive player. Because of his great play, he was named First-team All-Pro. This means he was considered one of the best players in the league at his position.
One of his interceptions was a huge 93-yard return for a touchdown. This happened in a game where the Browns won 32–0. In another important game, Eric made a game-saving tackle. He stopped a player at the one-yard line on the very last play, helping his team win 19–14. Eric was a key part of the Browns' defense, which was ranked number one that year.
Moving to Baltimore and Oakland
In 1996, the Cleveland Browns team moved and became the Baltimore Ravens. Eric played one season for the Ravens. He was chosen for his second Pro Bowl, which is an all-star game for the best players. He also had 112 tackles and 5 interceptions for the Ravens.
After that season, Eric signed a new contract with the Oakland Raiders in 1997. He played for the Raiders until 1999. In his entire career, Eric had 30 interceptions in 109 games. He even had two interceptions that he returned for touchdowns, one for 93 yards and another for 94 yards.
Later Life and Legacy
In the year 2000, during the NFL off-season, Eric Turner started to lose a lot of weight. People began to worry about his health. He tried to keep his health private and said he was not gravely ill.
Sadly, on May 28, 2000, Eric was taken to the hospital. He passed away at the age of 31. The cause was listed as complications from a serious illness.
His teammates remembered him fondly. Napoleon Kaufman said Eric was "compassionate and a class act." Greg Biekert said Eric "always brought his competitive nature to the team."
In 2001, Eric Turner was honored by being named to the Ventura County Sports Hall of Fame. The football field at Ventura High School, where he played, is now named in his honor.
Images for kids
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Eric Turner plaque at Ventura High School
