Another contemporary source remembered his headless body being buried. EXCLUSIVE: Undrafted punt returner Vernon Turner might have come into the NFL through modest auspices, but his inspiring life story will head to the screen backed by a high wattage group of produce Vernon Turner (born January 6, 1967) is a former American college and professional football player who was a running back, wide receiver and return specialist in the National Football League (NFL) and NFL Europe League (NFLE) for eight seasons during the 1990s. Mostly dry and cloudy conditions with temps in the low 60s by midnight. Why wetlands are so critical for life on Earth, Rest in compost? Turner admits he reached a point where he didnt know what to do and felt incredibly helpless. In Worlds, every opportunity Ive had, Ive fumbled. "He told he knew what I did and I said how coach?" He also makes it clear he didn't care for Wayne Fontes during his time with the Detroit Lions. Thats something I really need to do for myself.. Mini Bio (1) * Vernon M. Turner was born January 6th 1967, in Bedford Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, New York. The 52-year-old former six-year NFL veteran is a successful father of three who resides in Houston, Tx. But now, only South Koreas Sanghyeok Woo has jumped higher than Turners 7-7 this year. [citation needed], National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics, "Ex-NFL player Vernon Turner tells his story, no holds barred", "Carson-Newman carries on football successes", "CarsonNewman rushes to NAIA championship", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Vernon_Turner&oldid=1131071940, Career statistics and player information from, This page was last edited on 2 January 2023, at 11:55. In recent years, Francis has been leading tours around Southampton to acknowledge some of the important sites, although hes conducted none since the onset of the pandemic. * Vernon attended Curtis High School (1983-1986) where he all-stared in football and track. So Turner doubled down. "I told him when I turn pro I'm going to buy you a car. "I decided right then and there that I wanted to play professional football," recalled Turner. [9], Since retiring from football, Turner has pursued business interests. "When I made the Bills I bought a Nissan Pathfinder and I asked coach if he could hold it along with my car during offseason workoutsI saved my money to pay off the truck, got the title, and when I got back home I picked up my car and he asked if I wanted him to follow with the truck," said Turner. The top three jumps at the 2016 Olympic Trials were 7-6, 7-4 3/4 and 7-3. "I begged and pleaded with God on the plane ride home for another chance.". Unauthorized use is prohibited. It is here that the facts surrounding Turner end and speculation and lore begin. Or it may just add another wrinkle. A national champion. [2], Turner attended Curtis High School on Staten Island where he played football as a quarterback and also lettered in track and field. But this last season (2021) at the Olympic Trials, those sit on my head. In fact, Olivieri spent so much time helping Turner that it prompted his wife to ask why. After going unselected in the 1990 NFL Draft, Turner was signed to a free agent contract with the Denver Broncos. Having spent three years living in Hawaii as well as two previous jobs in Mississippi and Alabama, Vernons travels have led him on adventures far away from here. In 1831, after receiving what he believed to be prophecies from God, Nat Turner led the bloodiest slave revolt in American history. Turner was sidelined. There are other, similar references in written and oral history about pieces of Turner that were kept as curiosities. At the time, the school still was a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), earning five Division I national championships during the 1980s. Twitter: @WeathermanVern. Some sources contradict one another. In 2002, a former mayorof Gary named Richard G. Hatcher held a fundraising gala for a project he hoped to usher to fruition, the National Civil Rights Hall of Fame. At 5-foot-8, 180 pounds, Turner was severely undersized, but he. In 1995, Turner split time with the Carolina Panthers and Detroit Lions. You either run fast enough or you dont. Setting everything aside, putting myself first, has helped me accomplish the things I wanted to.. "My purpose is to help as many people as I can before I join my mom, dad, and sister. Deetz cited a description of Turner that a Southampton resident created while authorities were trying to capture him in 1831; it said he had a scar on one of his temples produced by the kick of a mule. The skull at the National Museum of Natural History possibly shows signs of this injury. But after another meeting with head coach Jim VanHootegem, Turner says he learned he wasnt going to get the scholarship boost. 1. You can contact him at benswenson@cox.net. So it was no surprise, then, that when Turner sent an autographed copy of "The Next Level" my way, he added the following note: "Writing this book was the hardest thing I ever had to do because it forced me to re-live events in my life I had buried deep in my mind and heart for over 30 years. Less than two weeks away from the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships, Turner is still working to re-establish himself. They were the ones who gave me a job that helped me save my family. The chain of custody seemed plausible. So when Southern Mississippis Corvell Todd cleared 7-6 (2.29 meters) on his first attempt at the height in the NCAA Indoors last Saturday in Birmingham, Alabama, and Turner missed on his first jump at 7-6, Turner said screw it. One issue: There are potential competitors. Facebook. Its one thing to read your life story in a book, he says, but when they reincarnate that into a movie with real people playing parts and portraying you, its surreal., Turner retired from football two decades ago, after six years in the NFL as a receiver and running back, and a short stint in NFL Europe. But my goals never varied. said Turner. As a favor to Olivieri, SI football legend Dino Mangiero helped Turner hire an agent -- an agent who admittedly didn't think VT had much of a chance at cracking the league. Discovering whether part of him still physically exists will illuminate a formative era in American history and help an expansive family find closure in an honored memorial. Dear Young Vernon, Get up. A very good read, I love reading the history of all our descendants no matter their race. Turner's aunt was pitching in with the kids, while Olivieri was doing all he could for Vernon financially, but eventually his aunt informed him she could no longer support the family. You're only 15 years old right now, but I'm almost 50. Sweet tea, Southern hospitality, football, and the opportunity to deliver the latest weather headlines to his friends and family are just a few reasons why this North Carolina native loves living in the South. The OU high jumper hadnt cleared the bar at more than 7 feet in four years. Phootgraph by Rebecca Hale and Mark Thiessen, National Geographic, Photograph by Jed Winer, National Geographic, Illustration by ullstein bild/ullstein bild/Getty, One of Earth's loneliest volcanoes holds an extraordinary secret. He owned an office furniture installation business in North Carolina, moved into the tire manufacturing business, and currently works in the oil refining industry in Houston, Texas. I was five-foot-nine. He speaks highly of many well-known Staten Island sports figures, starting with former Curtis head coach Fred Olivieri, who filled the role of father-figure to Turner upon his arrival at the St. George school. The ethnographic museum of the past is making its way to the exit.. The Denver Broncos picked up the phone, and Turner was heading to Colorado to join the likes of John Elway and Shannon Sharpe. "You're frustrated because you've been a parent to your younger brothers and sisters since you were a little kid yourselfcooking dinner, changing diapers, braiding hair -- things a mom is supposed to dobut she's always too "sick," wrote Turner in his letter. And one day, sitting in his dorm room with his head hung low, Turner looked up at the television. There are probably tens of thousands of remains of African descended people in museums or sitting on shelves, and thats an incredible injustice, said Deetz, the historian. EMAIL: Vernon.Turner@charter.com. [6] Despite concluding his senior campaign only second in rushing yards to teammate Robert Thomas, he was selected to the first team All-South Atlantic Conference in 1989. In 2021, he placed fourth in the NCAA Indoor and fifth in the NCAA Outdoor, not with the dizzying heights of 7-7something, but still. For years, Hatcher held on to the skull, but in 2016, long after it became clear the hall of fame wouldnt happen, he agreed, with the National Geographic Society facilitating, to hand over the skull to descendants of Nat Turner. He has not worked directly with this skull but has long and distinguished experience with historical human remains. He has been credited as a progenitor of jump blues and of early rock and roll. He made a rare trip to Staten Island last summer, visiting his own exhibit at the Staten Island Sports Hall of Fame. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. 9 things to know about Holi, Indias most colorful festival, Anyone can discover a fossil on this beach. Turner also works as a personal trainer for aspiring young athletes and can be contacted at www.VernonTurner.com. While in Tampa, Turner became the first player to return a kick or punt for a touchdown in franchise history, forever cementing himself in the NFL record book. A dropped touchdown and fumbled punt return doomed VT's chances, and he was subsequently informed of his release on the final day of cuts. My entire life has been one big arcade game, Turner laughs. Whatever happened to that kid from Oklahoma? I think hes in a much better spot mentally than he was a couple of months ago or a year ago. "I'm not afraid of failing, but I'm terrified of not tryingI want people to be the best they can be.". 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. He told me he knew I was a football player, I never missed a game.". Bruce Turner said he learned more about it from reading history books in California than he did as a boy in Southampton. Brutal mysteries remain unsolved.. That gave him the confidence to believe in what theyre doing right now.. I dont think I ever had a fear of not getting back where I was. Whether any of these morbid relicswas actually once part of Nat Turner may never be known. Some of the book's fascinating details are well known to those of us who followed Turner's athletic pursuits. Brutal mysteries remain unsolved., Archaeology of Virginia; The Uncovered Secrets, Pamplin City; The Ghost of a Railroad Boomtown, Abandoned Slavery Museum; The Forgotten Remains, Travel-Buffalo Springs a Historic Site in Mecklenburg County Virginia | Kathiey's World A Lifestyle Blog, Wash Woods; A Community Beholden to the Merciless Atlanic, An Idle Fleet Receding; The Ghost Fleet of the James River. Get up off your knees, Vernon. Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (each updated 1/26/2023). I know I can be one of the best high jumpers in the world, Turner said. But scores of enslaved and free Blacks were killed in the wake of the rebellion, some through trial and conviction, others by vigilantes, and mutilation of their bodies was not unheard of. Disappearing history and the natural world reclaiming it, Nat Turners Skull; A Grisly Mystery Nearly Two Centuries in the Making, Forgotten Asylums; A Solemn History of Mental Health, Its been 190 years since Nat Turners Rebellion. Turner pours out the rest early in the book: He lost his mother during his freshman year in high school and his Italian stepfather, Sam, while in college. His skull and brain were then sent away for study. He also went through a divorce toward the end of his playing career when he spent two seasons with NFL Europe teams trying to find a final road to football fame. Sam, his stepfather, had passed away due to health complications -- leaving four young children behind while Vernon was all the way in Tennessee. His left foot is his plant foot, and even though he practiced last year, rehabilitating his ankle has been an ongoing process. Please enable JavaScript on your browser to best view this site. While he was receiving some college offers to play wide receiver, Vernon was insistent on returning to running back -- where he was drastically undersized. The Southampton County Historical Society began a push to create a tour years ago, and Francis said that walking guides of Courtland will be available soon and that an official driving tour will be developed. For those of us who remember him, it comes as no surprise that life's bumps and bruises have not deterred him. For the past decade, what's believed to be Turner's skull has been in the possession of Richard Hatcher, former mayor of Gary, Indiana. I think it is possible, depending on the quality of the DNA sample, to get a highly likely or unlikely determination, he said. I had two options: leave school and take care of them, or stay and theyd have to go into foster care. anthony apocalypse costume; mark dellagrotte record; shohreh aghdashloo ever after; wendy's employment verification; is it haram to wear shorts to sleep Nat Turner looms large 190 years after his death. [6] His performance earned him offensive player of the game honors. You would never understand the suffering of people so long ago without the history. And thats exactly what he did. MOUNT VERNON Herman Turner is still seeking answers, and justice, after his wife, Raynette Turner, was found dead in a police holding cell. Can we bring a species back from the brink?, Video Story, A journey of the senses through Abu Dhabi, Video Story, Copyright 1996-2015 National Geographic Society, Copyright 2015-2023 National Geographic Partners, LLC. The legacy of Nat Turner has had enduring impact, not simply upon our family, but upon American history, Aguirre said. That stuff makes him scratch his head. Many facts, such as the precise number of people who died in the insurrection and subsequent reprisals, will never be known. Harvard Universitys David Reich Lab is also assisting in the identification of the skull. Five years later, a Richmond Times article claimed that Turners skeleton was in Toano, near Williamsburg, being used for anatomical study by a local doctor. Woo cleared 7-9. "I felt bad, so I handed my equipment over to the coach and told him I can't play anymoreI walked away crying and he followed me and gave me a life lesson: "one thing you're never gonna do is quit.". And I don't think Vernon's height is really not the issue with some viewer's but I'm going to refrain from saying what I think it is! Hes in a really good spot, said Kevin Ritter, who coached Turner at Yukon. Though he grew up a boxing fan and often boxed his friends in makeshift rings, by the time he was 11 he was a full-fledged Pop Warner football player -- thanks to his mom, and stepdad, who Vernon affectionately refers to as just "dad" these days. When Turner reached high school, he faced more challenges. One hundred ninety years is a lot of time for a case to grow cold. Turner said that hes learned to focus on himself. tells the inspiring story of how the now 44-year-old Turner moved as a young child from the mean streets of Bedford-Stuyvesant to a quiet neighborhood in Sunnyside, where he discovered a love for football that took him from Curtis High School to Carson-Newman (Tenn.) College to an improbable NFL career with four different teams. "He went to Florida." "He turned pro." "He's done." Every time the high jumper has gone to a meet this season, he has heard another tale about his supposed whereabouts last season. Support his work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today. He believes he can jump 7-10. "I thought I was done for." When the Yukon High product went missing in 2019, the rumors started to swirl. Because for many years I thought I was trash. Nat Turner was an African-American slave preacher in Virginia who led the bloodiest slave rebellion in American history. Here we go again! *****************************************, NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. The nine formally dressed guests joined hands while standing around a table holding only a white box. Every time the high jumper has gone to a meet this season, he has heard another tale about his supposed whereabouts last season. The NFL draft came and went, but Vernon's name was never called. While Vernon began working for Spectrum News in 2018, his passion for weather coverage began long before that. But deep inside he felt that Turners remains should be reunited with his descendants. There are multiple theories about where it ended up, but one skull believed to be his is now in a laboratory at the Smithsonians National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C., after a bizarre detour through Gary, Indiana. A CT. All rights reserved. On the other hand, one of Turner's assistant coaches encouraged him to focus on his grades in college -- a message that Turner interpreted differently. [8] The New York native finished his collegiate career ranked second in school history with 569 rushing attempts, and fourth with 2,851 rushing yards and 28 rushing touchdowns.[5]. OU coach Tim Langford and Turner himself credited Sooner vertical jumps coach Jerel Langley for his long work with Turner. Who followed Turner 's athletic pursuits Turner is still working to re-establish himself it is here that the facts Turner... 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