Former Tide teammates have fond memories of Kevin Turner
Kevin Turner, a former University of Alabama and National Football League player from Prattville who became a nationally-known spokesperson for the battle against ALS, died of the disease Thursday in his Vestavia Hills home at age 46.
Turner, who played fullback at UA from 1988-91 and for eight seasons with the New England Patriots and Philadelphia Eagles, was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis — also known as Lou Gehrig's disease — in 2010.
"Just so sad, so sad. A very sad day," said Clemson coach Dabo Swinney, who was a teammate of Turner's at Alabama. "Something I knew was coming but doesn't make it any easier. It's also a great day because I know he's not suffering anymore."
Turner started the Kevin Turner Foundation to raise money for ALS after his diagnosis. He said in interviews that he believed football contributed to his condition.
Myron Pope, another former UA teammate who is now vice president for student affairs at Central Oklahoma University, still remembers collisions with Turner in practice.
"On the field, I've never been hit so hard in my life," Pope said. "He was very hard-nosed, and unfortunately that's probably, well, that had something to do with what happened with him."
Steve Webb, a former Holt High standout who played with Turner, said Thursday that he was still in shock over the news. He said five of the 19 players in his UA signing class have died.
"It hits home," he said. "I consider ourselves still young, all us guys all have kids and families. Dying at this young age is shocking. It kind of makes you look at the reality of how fragile our lives can be.
"Him having ALS, he'd been fighting that battle for a long time. If I'm correct, it's a disease where your whole body is breaking down and your mind is still sharp. Athletes, our mind set is we're invincible soldiers, we're warriors, and that is about the worst thing you can imagine. My emotions are running high thinking about it."
Those who knew Turner remembered him as someone who led by example, either on the field or in his battle with ALS.
"Oh man, tough, unselfish. Didn't say a lot but you heard him all the time through his actions," Swinney said. "You could just count on him: dependable, consistent. A great example of how to work in the offseason and bring it to the practice field every day.
"He was the epitome of what we all wanted to be, got the most out of his abilities. He was a leader, a captain for us. I'm so proud of him for the example that he set for his children, his family, so many people, that you never quit no matter what, you just never quit, and how to handle adversity. He took this horrible disease head-on, just like he did everything in his life."
Said Webb, "We called him the pretty boy from Prattville because he had this long, curly hair. Kevin was a very good athlete, very hard worker. He never stirred up anything, just did the job all the time. He was strong in the weight room, just hard-nosed, well-disciplined.
"He's a fullback and I'm an outside linebacker and of course his job was to block me in pass protection and my job was to get past him to get to the quarterback. We had quite a few battles. We always made each other better, and he and I always got along and always were good friends."
Pope remembers Turner taking him through his first summer workout when he arrived on campus.
"He was very encouraging throughout all of it," Pope said. "I thought I was in shape, but I wasn't. He was always very positive and upbeat.
"We went down to Coach (Gene) Stallings' ranch back in 2011 or so, he'd just been diagnosed. Even then he was still looking at the positive side and saying he was going to fight through it. It's just who he was."
Turner's battle with ALS was chronicled in the 2012 HBO documentary "American Man" and the Ty Herndon music video for the song "Journey On."
UA Director of Athletics Bill Battle issued a statement on Turner's passing: "The Crimson Tide family lost a true warrior today with the passing of Kevin Turner, our former fullback who was one of the captains of our football team in 1991. Kevin's spirit, his toughness, and his courage in life and on the football field inspired us all. Kevin and his family are in our thoughts and prayers on this sad day."
Turner is survived by wife Allison and children Nolan, 18, Natalie, 15, and Cole, 12. Nolan Turner has signed to play for Swinney at Clemson.
"(Kevin) was really a hero of mine, and I'm so thankful that I have an opportunity to coach his son and help him to continue to develop into the kind of man that Kevin wants him to be," Swinney said.
Reach Tommy Deas at tommy@tidesports.com or at 205-454-0117.