"I know you're frustrated. Turner also works as a personal trainer for aspiring young athletes and can be contacted at www.VernonTurner.com. Setting everything aside, putting myself first, has helped me accomplish the things I wanted to.. 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. The movie "Relentless", based on his life, is currently in pre-production thanks to investments from celebrities Gabrielle Union, Dwyane Wade, Russell Wilson, and Ciara. "I told him when I turn pro I'm going to buy you a car. "It was a major adjustment," said Turner. The Denver Broncos picked up the phone, and Turner was heading to Colorado to join the likes of John Elway and Shannon Sharpe. Those messed with me. Turner, a junior, is the first NCAA Indoor High Jump champion in Oklahoma history. Because I'm you, from the future. He knew at that point, he had to jump higher than 7-6 anyway, to win. 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. Beginning late on the night of Aug. 21, 1831, Nat Turner, a 30-year-old, literate, enslaved preacher, launched a rebellion in Southampton County, intending to strike a fatal blow to the institution of slavery. Facebook. 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. "I witnessed one of the best players on the planet and I wanted to be just like him. Turner had two jumps at 7-7. Covids return this winter, which caused Turner to miss multiple stretches of practice. At 5-foot-8, 180 pounds, Turner was severely undersized, but he. Nat Turner was an African-American slave preacher in Virginia who led the bloodiest slave rebellion in American history. "I would've made that team if not for that bad game," said Turner. | By Meteorologist Vernon Turner Turner broke the news to his siblings and they cried not because he had realized his goal of becoming a professional football player, but because they knew they were going to be taken care of and able to stay together. Aguirre and Wood, the guests of honor at the ceremony, shed tears of joy when they were handed what they believe are their ancestors remains. You can contact him at benswenson@cox.net. He has been credited as a progenitor of jump blues and of early rock and roll. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. He thought it was important that people would know who the skull belonged to.. 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. Vernon Turner tells all in his recently-published autobiography. But deep inside he felt that Turners remains should be reunited with his descendants. Only two men in the world this indoor season have gone so high. Langley recruited Turner out of Yukon and stayed with the program even after a head-coaching change, which helped persuade Turner to return to Norman. Hes gotten to the point where he's focusing again on technique, working again on fundamentals such as when to start his curve on his run up. Nat Turner organized and planned to overthrow a system that supported oppression, he said. The electrifying play was made even sweeter because it came against the Detroit Lions, coached by Fontes. Today, this is all that remains. He received a football scholarship to Carson-Newman, which gave him a chance to get an education, but the sport was never something he saw himself doing beyond college. Bruce Turner said many people sympathized with his ancestors motivations. Hes also the unofficial keeper of the countys insurrection memorabilia and documents, such as Nat Turners original sentencing orders. "God put 10 army men in front of me on that return," said Turner. Owsley confirmed that the institution retains possession of the skull but did not offer details on the progress of the forensic analysis or an estimated date of completion. For those of us who remember him, it comes as no surprise that life's bumps and bruises have not deterred him. But thanks to extraordinary circumstances a family seeking truth and science that can reach beyond the grave an ongoing forensic analysis may finally provide an answer. The final segment (The Fourth Quarter) enthusiastically records Turner's roller-coaster ride through the NFL. But Turner still got to experience the game from the sidelines. Decades ago in Southampton, few people brought up the insurrection in racially mixed company. Let's talk about the whole snake video while I have lunch and you enjoy breakfast. All rights reserved. It seems minor, but when you're launching your body over a bar that's more than a foot higher than your head, every detail is important. 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. No less certain is the fate of Turners skull. It was a book Turner felt he had to write, because he had been holding in a lot of angst and built up emotions for over 30 years. If it is confirmed as Turner's, it will be laid to rest alongside other descendants. Vernon would go on to amass more than 3,000 kick/punt return yards over the course of his six-year NFL career, and reached Super Bowl XXV with the Bills in 1990. Aguirre, Nat Turners fifth-great-granddaughter, said that examining history, uncomfortable as it may be, serves the common good. In other words, elite high jumpers must be strong and fast and possess impeccable technique. Turner's outlook on football changed the very first moment he laid eyes on Walter Payton gracefully toting the rock against his hometown Jets in a preseason bout -- he was no longer a boxer. Vernon Maurice Turner Position: WR-RB 5-8 , 185lb (173cm, 83kg) Born: January 6 in Brooklyn, NY (Age: 56-025d) College: Carson-Newman Weighted Career AV (100-95-. The legacy of Nat Turner has had enduring impact, not simply upon our family, but upon American history, Aguirre said. Like her at facebook.com/JenniCarlsonOK or follow her at twitter.com/jennicarlson_ok. ), For me, the skull in and of itself is a very symbolic and emotional reference point, said Aguirre, who like Wood lives in Maryland. ", Most of all, Turner wants to represent his three children - Ashley (30), Darris (29), and Liam (5) - the "right way. It was his stepfather who took him to his first NFL game -- they took the train to Shea Stadium -- at the age of "10 or 11" and he was mesmerized by the Joe Namath-led New York Jets. Many in the family would like to see the skull buried in Southampton. Brutal mysteries remain unsolved.. If I had to choose a few words to describe my story, they would have to be sadness, embarrassment, heartbreaking guilt, regret, anger, fear, determination, triumph and relief.". "He told me to have something to fall back on and I loved that coach," acknowledged Turner, who chose not to share the coach's name. During the process, Turner was writing letters to Walter Payton, who responded with some of his own workout regimens. MOUNT VERNON Herman Turner is still seeking answers, and justice, after his wife, Raynette Turner, was found dead in a police holding cell. After failing the SAT three times, Olivieri enrolled Turner in summer school at New Dorp HS, and eventually his grades were where they needed to be to move onto the next level. 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. HTML tags allowed in your comment:

. He had four other people counting on him. This skull is believed to have belonged to Nat Turner, who led a slave rebellion in 1831. "Coach stepped in and helped me," said Turner. Then he transferred to Arkansas. "He told he knew what I did and I said how coach?" I wouldnt put anything past him, Langford said. The very next day, the Buffalo Bills came calling while Vernon was at the dinner table with his family. A world contender. The nagging ankle injury that still hurts from time to time. When the Yukon High product went missing in 2019, the rumors started to swirl. But there were a few players on his teamwho were getting workouts from scouts. Certainly, this fragile fragment holds enormous emotional value for me, for my family. Turner was named an Advance All Star in 1984 and '85, and took home Fugazzi and Fabbri awards during his senior year. They received it from Bob Franklin of Elkhart, Indiana, who says the skull was passed down in his family for three generations. "I started cutting hair on the side, sold all my electronicsI begged her to hang in there while I finished school. He put on fifteen pounds of muscle and dropped his 40-yard dash time down from 4.5 to 4.3. And one day, sitting in his dorm room with his head hung low, Turner looked up at the television. Hayes was killed on May 18, and the next day (May 19), his . I've been through a lot. This memoir is a brutally honest and inspiring look back on the life of one of Staten Island's greatest football heroes. I became obsessed, forgot about boxing, all I cared about was footballand that's how my career started. Born in BedfordStuyvesant, a neighborhood in the central portion of the New York City borough of Brooklyn, Turner is the oldest of five children, with two brothers and two sisters. His deeds have proven to be an enduring episode that still stirs emotion. In a very tangible way, it asserts the humanity of people who were systemically dehumanized. But after another meeting with head coach Jim VanHootegem, Turner says he learned he wasnt going to get the scholarship boost. Well-armed militiamen arrived and within two days crushed the revolt. OU baseball rewind:David Sandlin's 'outstanding' outing highlights bounce-back week for Sooners. The filmmakers arranged the call. That went okay for a while. Been a long time. Marv [Levy] let us coach ourselves on the field during practice, and thats what made that group so special. "He took a special interest in me not only as an athlete, but also as a human being," wrote Turner of Olivieri. A road in Southampton County earned the name Blackhead Signpost Road. During his one season in Buffalo, Turner gave one-hundred percent in practice, so much so that some of his teammates would tell him to ease up, that it wasnt game time. Turner would turn to them and reply, It is for me. He couldnt afford to take it halfway or lose his job. said Turner. The 52-year-old former six-year NFL veteran is a successful father of three who resides in Houston, Tx. After going unselected in the 1990 NFL Draft, Turner was signed to a free agent contract with the Denver Broncos. Big Joe Turner, byname of Joseph Vernon Turner, (born May 18, 1911, Kansas City, Missouri, U.S.died November 24, 1985, Inglewood, California), American blues singer, or "shouter," whose music included jazz, rhythm and blues, and boogie-woogie. What is wind chill, and how does it affect your body? Explore a billion-year-old volcanic mystery on Lake Superior, A journey of the senses through Abu Dhabi, These Lake Superior islands are no place for amateurs. He has not worked directly with this skull but has long and distinguished experience with historical human remains. His action set off a massacre of up to 200 Black people and a new . My entire life has been one big arcade game, Turner laughs. However, after years spent chasing storms across the South, this NC State alum joined the Spectrum News team, chasing the opportunity to finally return to North Carolina. 2023, Charter Communications, all rights reserved. A National Geographic team has made the first ascent of the remote Mount Michael, looking for a lava lake in the volcanos crater. The Journal of Negro History article said Turners ear was kept as a curiosity somewhere in Virginia. He was unable to attend his induction in 2001. I was 160-something pounds. But 6'6 not bad at all you kidding me! Nat Turner looms large 190 years after his death. Woo cleared 7-9. Sam, VT's stepfather, was a Jets season ticket holder -- and Jackie made Vernon promise that he'd accept an invitation if asked to attend a game, which he reluctantly did. I went to a small [Division II] school. Some sources contradict one another. "I thought I was done for." I dont know where theyre getting their information from, he said. More specific information will be announced soon. Amid the Black Lives Matter protests of 2020, activists saw inspiration in Nat Turners Rebellion. The administrators family had kept it in a closet for decades. A small group gathered last week in a hotel suite on the outskirts of Gary, Indiana. Sam, his stepfather, had passed away due to health complications -- leaving four young children behind while Vernon was all the way in Tennessee. It was Olivieri who spearheaded Turner's decision to attend tiny Carson-Newman, an NAIA school which won a national championship during Turner's stay and also produced a handful of NFL players. The Denver Broncos picked up the phone, and Turner was heading to Colorado to join the likes of John Elway and Shannon Sharpe. (Read about Turner's complex legacy.). You see it slowly approaching and all you can do in the meantime is prepare and figure out how strong it will be once it arrives. OU coach Tim Langford and Turner himself credited Sooner vertical jumps coach Jerel Langley for his long work with Turner. Those goals are clear. In many ways, Turner's life story is one of redemption. One head scratcher after another. [5] During the championship game in December 1988, the running back helped to lead CarsonNewman to a 5617 victory over Adams State University of Colorado while rushing for 189 yards and three touchdowns. 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 Not so familiar is the long and grisly aftermath of the short-lived insurrection that the bodies of participants and bystanders were reduced to trophies, and that the lingering pain of the shocking episode would continue to arouse passion nearly two centuries later. Turner faced adversity Saturday in Birmingham. 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. The exit to Arkansas. Craniopagus twins, joined at the head, are a rarity one in 2.5 million. Turner still isnt pain free but says the pain is much more manageable. 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. Hes humble from the get, saying he had no business ever playing in the NFL at all because it wasnt talent that got him there. Library of Congress After Turner's death, local doctors mutilated his corpse. What if we could clean them out? Cant seem to pull it together at the Trials. Then Turner won the Big 12 Indoor in late February with a leap of 7-3. He earned all-city and all-state honors and left the school with over 4,000 yards passing. 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. When Turner was 6, an Italian-American customer of his mother's asked her to marry him and she accepted. He moved to Staten Island New York in 1973. My mom died when I was a sophomore in high school. Turner hadnt been working much with trainers or coaches as he tried to figure out where to transfer, and it left him in lots of pain when he tried to jump. Accompanied by a small army of his brethren, the group fought their way through the countryside of Southampton County, Virginia, with hopes of ending the scourge of slavery. said Turner. When does spring start? EMAIL: Vernon.Turner@charter.com. And the Smithsonian scientists arent saying what theyve found so far. When hes not providing viewers with the weather forecast, you can find Vernon spending time with friends and family, or giving back to his community. The cast is almost set. Although Owsley and his team are not talking publicly about their progress, it is possible to speak generally about the processes used to glean identifying information from human bones. Turner's mother Jackie finally succumbed to her addiction during his freshman year -- though football kept Vernon going and his only two goals from that point forward were to play ball and keep his family together. "I'm not afraid of failing, but I'm terrified of not tryingI want people to be the best they can be.". 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. Thats not to say the past should be forgotten. A DNA test will determine if this is actually the skull of the Virginia slave rebellion leader. After one season with Buffalo, Turner joined the Los Angeles Rams for two years, before moving on to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for two more years and rounding out his career with a final stint in Detroit. Oklahoma's Vernon Turner is the NCAA high jump champion after clearing 7-7.25 on Saturday at the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships in Birmingham, Alabama. Aguirre, the Turner descendant from Washington, expressed strong interest in contacting Hatcher to see if hed be amenable to returning the skull to Virginia for a proper burial. The 42-year-old mother of eight died . "Coach Olivieri drove this green Chevy Nova, it was a little piece of crap," remembered Turner. 1. "People look at me like this guy is full of crap, they don't believe it all happened to me," he said. The skull has been in the museums custody for more than 4 years. The Richard Porter House, where rebels found that the homes namesake had fled, was standing as late as a few years ago. "I didn't even wanna play quarterback, that's a sissy position," quipped Turner. But available evidence strongly suggests that this sordid tale had a gruesome appendix, and there began the mystery of what happened to Nat Turners body, and whether part of it now resides in a lab of the Smithsonian Institution. The uncertain identity of those remains invites reflection on the historical mistreatment of human lives and bodies. "No one will ever understand the pain and regret I have inside due to my past things that will haunt me until the day I die. Vernon dreamed of playing running back like his idol Walter Payton -- but one day at practice he accidentally launched himself into the starting lineup at quarterback. Dealing with pain and getting back into competitive shape has been a struggle. Michael Blakey is director of William & Marys Institute for Historical Biology. Turner admits he reached a point where he didnt know what to do and felt incredibly helpless. The sources disagree on the fate of Turners corpse from the neck down. In fact, Olivieri spent so much time helping Turner that it prompted his wife to ask why. But Blakey cautions that scientific analysis should not stand alone. [6] His performance earned him offensive player of the game honors. Comparing that to DNA of descendants should be able to provide an answer, and can typically be done within months. Several versions claim that he was flayed, quartered, and decapitated before his torso was finally buried in the local paupers cemetery. Because for many years I thought I was trash. Singing in his youth in church choirs and informally for tips . Vernon Turner Meteorologist at Spectrum Raleigh, North Carolina, United States 2K followers 500+ connections Join to follow Spectrum North Carolina State University Activity On this Thursday I'm. But what people don't see is the bad dreams I still have to this day due to events that occurred while I was growing up. After being released, he played the last game of the season for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and was Tampa's primary return specialist during the 1994 season. After a three-year stint in NFL Europe, Turner retired in 1998. Why wetlands are so critical for life on Earth, Rest in compost? I think hes in a much better spot mentally than he was a couple of months ago or a year ago. "I was one of the smallest guys, height and weight," said Turner, who stood 5-foot-6, 97 pounds during his freshman year. [6] He scored his first six points on an 80-yards run in the game's first play from scrimmage. Just the players I came across and learned from Jim Kelly, Thurman Thomas, Andre Reed, Cornelius Bennett, Daryl Talley, Bruce Smith, Don Beebe. One of his patients was the daughter of a physician who was present when Turners body was cut up. They were the ones who gave me a job that helped me save my family. We'll continue with the possibility of scattered showers and storms until 8 pm for central NC. Vernon Turner hasn't always called North Carolina home, though. He ordered the bar raised to 2.32 meters; 7-7. Turner played college football for CarsonNewman College, and then professionally for the Buffalo Bills, Los Angeles Rams, Detroit Lions and Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the NFL. The ethnographic museum of the past is making its way to the exit.. She is quick to point out that she does not speak for all of Turners descendants who, seven generations on, are numerous. Still, the skulls potential identification comes at a time of change. That stuff makes him scratch his head. Get hyperlocal forecasts, radar and weather alerts. The guests of honor, Shanna Batten Aguirre and Shelly Lucas Wood, both descendants of Turner, flew in from Washington, D.C., to accept the remains. Hes the oldest, and just a few years later, when Turner was a freshman in college, his dad died. The daily chores of caring for four young children as a pre-teen while his mother continued to struggle and his father was busy taking care of her routinely caused Vernon to arrive late to practice -- a problem that teammates, who didn't understand his situation, took issue with. "He'd take me to school everyday and pick me up until I got my high school diploma.". His skull and brain were then sent away for study. "I threw the ball back to the quarterback in practice one day, and the next day they moved me to QB.". Bats and agaves make tequila possibleand theyre both at risk, The new year once started in Marchhere's why, Jimmy Carter on the greatest challenges of the 21st century, This ancient Greek warship ruled the Mediterranean, 3 ways Jimmy Carter changed the world for the better, The meaning of the cross of ashes on Ash Wednesday, This disease often goes under-diagnosedunless youre white, The groundbreaking promise of cellular housekeeping. Two years ago, the Players Tribune approached Turner and asked him if hed like to write something for their media platform. "The rule was if you were late you don't play, but the coaches played me anyway," explained Turner. Alarm spread through the countryside, and the rebels lost the element of surprise. His siblings whom he remains close to all these years later, though the youngest passed away in 2015 at the age of 38 were 16, 12, 11 and 8 at the time of his fathers death. 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.
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