Kyle Turley
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Provo, Utah, U.S.
 Turley in 2010 | |||||||||
| No. 68, 74 | |||||||||
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| Position | Offensive tackle | ||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||
| Born | September 24, 1975 Provo, Utah, U.S. | ||||||||
| Listed height | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) | ||||||||
| Listed weight | 309 lb (140 kg) | ||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||
| High school | Valley View (Moreno Valley, California) | ||||||||
| College | San Diego State | ||||||||
| NFL draft | 1998: 1st round, 7th overall pick | ||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||
| Awards and highlights | |||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||
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Kyle John Turley (born September 24, 1975) is an American former professional football player who was an offensive tackle for nine seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the San Diego State Aztecs and was selected seventh overall in the 1998 NFL draft. Turley played five seasons for the New Orleans Saints and a year with the St. Louis Rams before a serious back injury sidelined him for the 2004 and 2005 seasons. He returned to football in 2006 as a member of the Kansas City Chiefs, where he spent the last two years of his career before announcing his retirement in December 2007. Turley's high level of play earned him All-Pro honors for the 2000 season and a Pro Bowl invite following the 2001 season. His career is best remembered by many for a 2001 incident in which he ripped off an opposing player's helmet and tossed it downfield, playing a key factor in his team losing the game but also earning the respect of many Saints fans for his defense of the quarterback.
Following his retirement from football, Turley set out on a music career that included the release of several albums and the launch of his own record label. Playing his "power country" style of music, Turley opened for a number of well-known musical acts, including in 2010 when he went on tour with Hank Williams III. Turley has also been outspoken and involved in a number of player health issues post-retirement, particularly in regards to the neurological problems resulting from his football career (early onset Alzheimer's, CTE symptomatic, seizures, vertigo) and his use of cannabis as treatment. Turley is a board member and active supporter of the Gridiron Greats Assistance Fund, an organization providing medical care and other forms of assistance to retired NFL players in dire need.
Turley was born in Provo, Utah.[1] He lived in Utah as well as the state of Washington before moving to southern California at the age of 10.[2] Growing up Turley enjoyed surfing and skateboarding, and took an interest in music.[1][2]
Turley attended Valley View High School in Moreno Valley, California.[3] He played defensive end during his only season of football as a senior in 1992,[1] earning first-team all-league honors[3] and attracting athletic scholarship offers from several universities seeking to recruit him.[1] Turley also played baseball[4] and was recognized with all-state honors as a wrestler.[3]
College career
Turley played college football at San Diego State University, redshirting his first year in 1993.[1] During his time on the scout team he practiced on both the offensive and defensive line, and was given the choice afterwards of where he wanted to play.[1] Turley chose offensive line as it allowed him the opportunity to work with O-line coach Ed White,[5] a 17-year veteran of the NFL who played in four Super Bowls.[2] Turley's most notable achievements came his final season in 1997, earning first-team All-American honors and being named a semifinalist for the Lombardi Award and Outland Trophy.[6] He was also twice named All-Western Athletic Conference first-team during his time at SDSU.[7] Turley was inducted into the Aztec Hall of Fame in 2011.[7]
Professional career
| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20-yard shuttle | Vertical jump | Broad jump | Bench press |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 ft 4+7⁄8 in (1.95 m) | 309 lb (140 kg) | 35+1⁄8 in (0.89 m) | 9+1⁄2 in (0.24 m) | 4.95 s | 1.71 s | 2.89 s | 4.43 s | 32.0 in (0.81 m) | 9 ft 4 in (2.84 m) | 26 reps |
New Orleans Saints
Turley was selected in the first round with the seventh overall pick by the New Orleans Saints in the 1998 NFL draft.[8] Initially not projected as a high first round pick, Turley's draft stock rose dramatically after turning in a stellar 4.93 seconds for the 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine.[9] Turley's performance caught the eye of then-Saints coach Mike Ditka, and the team subsequently made him the first offensive linemen selected in the 1998 draft.[9] He signed a six-year contract on July 24, 1998.[3]
Turley played a total of five seasons for the Saints, making an immediate impact by starting 15 games his rookie season and earning all-rookie honors from Pro Football Weekly, Football News, and Football Digest.[3] A durable presence on the Saints offensive line, Turley missed only one game due to ankle injury during his five years in New Orleans.[10][11] Turley would prove to be a versatile player as well, starting mostly at left guard his rookie season, then moving to right tackle the next three seasons, and over to left tackle in 2002.[3] His strong play earned him first-team All-Pro honors following the 2000 season[3] and an invitation to the Pro Bowl as a substitute following the 2001 season.[12] He would turn down the Pro Bowl invite to serve as grand marshall of the Endymion Parade during Mardi Gras, however.[13]
During his time in New Orleans, Turley became a fan favorite for his spirited style of play and colorful personality.[12] His popularity especially took off after the helmet tossing incident of 2001,[14] with many Saints fans lining up to buy his jersey afterwards.[12][15] Turley's antics were less well-received among team management however, particularly leading up to his March 2003 trade when Turley engaged in a public dispute with general manager Mickey Loomis.[16][17] Amongst players in the league, Turley came to be known by some as a dirty player due to his frequent use of cut blocks and ambushing of unsuspecting defenders.[12][18] Turley defended his use of the cut block, noting that it is a legal maneuver and that he is simply doing his job within the rules of the game.[18]
Turley's football career is best remembered by many for an on-field altercation that occurred in a game against the New York Jets on November 4, 2001. Trailing 16–9 in the final minute of the game, the Saints were driving deep into opposition territory with the ball at the 6-yard line on second-and-3.[19] After quarterback Aaron Brooks was tackled on a scramble to the 5-yard line, Jets safety Damien Robinson grabbed him by the facemask and bent his body backwards while twisting his head to the side.[15] Turley stepped in and separated the two, then picked up Robinson by the facemask and threw him to the ground as referees and players from both teams tried to break up the scrum.[15] Turley emerged from the pile with Robinson's helmet in hand and flung it across the field before making an obscene gesture.[19] Robinson and Turley received offsetting personal fouls for the initial incident, but Turley was assessed an additional personal foul and ejected from the game for the helmet toss and obscene gesture.[19] The penalty set the Saints back 15 yards and they ended up losing the game after failing to score on the drive. Saints head coach Jim Haslett said he initially considered cutting Turley before seeing a clearer view of the incident on film and discussing it with quarterback Aaron Brooks, who thought his neck had been broken at the time.[19] Turley was subsequently fined $25,000 by the Saints organization and requested to attend counseling for management of anger issues.[20] Many Saints fans applauded Turley's actions on the other hand, setting up a "Kyle Turley Defense Fund" to assist in payment of the fine[21] and putting up "Turley for mayor" signs around the city.[4] The incident occurred during a nationally televised game and received a significant amount of media attention afterwards, putting Turley's name in the national spotlight for the first time.[15]
St. Louis Rams
Turley was traded to the St. Louis Rams on March 21, 2003, in exchange for a 2nd round pick in the 2004 draft.[22] He was immediately signed to a 5-year, $26.5 million extension (in addition to the one year remaining on his contract),[23] making Turley the fourth-highest paid offensive lineman in the league.[24] With future hall-of-famer Orlando Pace already entrenched at the starting left tackle position, Turley moved to the right side and started all 16 regular games plus the single playoff game of the Rams 2003 season.[3] During week 7, Turley suffered a severe concussion after taking a knee to the back of the head,[25] but he was cleared for practice by mid-week and started the next game[26][27] (as Turley would later attest in a January 2010 congressional hearing on the NFL's handling of concussions).[28] In December 2003, Turley was featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated.[29]
Turley underwent surgery to repair a herniated disc in March 2004.[30] He re-aggravated the injury during training camp and was placed on injured reserve on August 28, ending his season.[31] Turley ruled out a second surgery on his back and opted for a long rehabilitation instead,[32] during which his weight dropped to 235 pounds from a normal playing weight of 310.[33] In December, he was involved in a heated exchange regarding the matter with head coach Mike Martz,[27] after which Martz filed a complaint with NFL security.[34] No disciplinary action was taken as a result,[35] but Turley admitted that hard feelings lingered.[36] Turley also harbored feelings of resentment leading up to the incident, believing that the organization acted recklessly and carelessly in pushing him to return from back surgery too soon and advising him to play through initial onset of the injury during the 2003 season.[4][34] During his continued rehabilitation in 2005, Turley suggested he may switch to the defensive end position to lessen the load on his back.[33][36] He was released by the Rams on June 6, 2005, however, after failing a physical.[37] He ended up spending the entire 2004 and 2005 seasons out of football, continuing his recovery and training for a return in 2006.[4]
Kansas City Chiefs
After a mini-camp tryout at tight end for the Miami Dolphins,[38] Turley signed a two-year contract with the Kansas City Chiefs on June 13, 2006, where he would compete for a starting job at the right tackle position.[39] He started the first two games of the season, but recurring back problems and a shoulder injury late in the season ended up limiting him to 7 starts in 7 games played.[3] He was also overpowered at times on the field due to playing below his normal weight from before his 2004 back surgery.[40]
Turley was released by the Chiefs in March 2007, but re-signed to a new one-year contract on July 26, 2007.[40] Having regained most of his normal playing weight in the offseason, Turley reported to training camp at 300 pounds.[41] Turley's health would again be an issue during the season, however, as he dealt with hamstring,[42] ankle,[43] and back problems.[44] He started 5 of 7 games played in and ended the season on injured reserve.[45] Turley announced his retirement from football on December 21, 2007.[45]