Where Are They Now: Vernon Turner was a long shot on and off the football field (2024)

Staten Island Advance

Triumph Tale

Vernon Turner's story and upbringing is one of the most powerful and inconceivable triumph tales ever told, and much of it took place right on Staten Island during his days as Curtis HS's star quarterback.

The 52-year-old former six-year NFL veteran is a successful father of three who resides in Houston, Tx. these days -- but once upon a time he was navigating one of the most difficult upbringings imaginable.

Born in Bed-Stuy, Turner, the oldest of five children, relocated along with his mother, Jackie, and stepfather, Sam, to Sunnyside just prior to his seventh birthday.

Though the shock of a culture change, moving from a predominantly African-American neighborhood into an almost exclusively white area, would rattle any young boy, it was what was going on under Vernon's own roof that would truly change his life forever.

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Shocking Truth

Turner's mother Jackie struggled mightily with opioid addiction, an ongoing problem that Vernon witnessed first-hand as a youth when he stumbled upon his mother shooting up in the bathroom of his family home.

"It was a major adjustment," said Turner. "I was scared, upset...reflecting back it's an amazing journey and all these changes I had to make and still I made it through.

"I know you're frustrated. You're frustrated that mom, a black woman, married a white Italian man and moved the family from Brooklyn out to Staten Island to live with him," wrote Turner in a letter to his younger self for the Players Tribune.

Turner came to learn that he was conceived when his mother was gang-raped and beaten as a teenager by a group of men in Brooklyn -- a badge of shame that he carried around throughout his youth, seeing himself as a daily reminder to his mother of the trauma she suffered.

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Sweetness

While his mother was often "sick" and his stepfather, who Turner resented at the time but later grew to love, tried to quell her, young Vernon was left to provide as the caretaker for his four siblings.

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.

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.

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.

"That was the second time my life changed," noted Turner. "I witnessed one of the best players on the planet and I wanted to be just like him. I became obsessed, forgot about boxing, all I cared about was football...and that's how my career started.

Staten Island Advance

Don't Quit

Though Vernon's youth playing career was taking off, he was still busy managing his brothers and sisters -- often loading them up onto the city bus so he could bring them along with him to practice.

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.

"You're frustrated because you've been a parent to your younger brothers and sisters since you were a little kid yourself...cooking dinner, changing diapers, braiding hair -- things a mom is supposed to do...but she's always too "sick," wrote Turner in his letter.

"The rule was if you were late you don't play, but the coaches played me anyway," explained Turner. "Sports is a brotherhood, I didn't want to lose their respect. They didn't know what I was going through...I saw the way they were looking at me and I didn't like how it felt, I cared.

"I felt bad, so I handed my equipment over to the coach and told him I can't play anymore...I walked away crying and he followed me and gave me a life lesson: "one thing you're never gonna do is quit."

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Struggles

He didn't quit, but he continued to struggle with his own self-esteem throughout his youth.

"I didn't think much of myself," admitted Turner. "My self-worth was non-existent. Knowing how I was conceived, I chose football because I didn't like people looking at me...I always had my helmet on.

"I never though I was all that good," added Turner. "The physicality of football allowed me to get my frustrations out...I played so hard I'd be too tired to be upset."

When Turner reached high school, he faced more challenges.

"I was one of the smallest guys, height and weight," said Turner, who stood 5-foot-6, 97 pounds during his freshman year. "I found a 10-pound weight in the weight room, unlaced my shoe, and tied it around my waist under my pants on weigh-in day."

Legendary Curtis coach Fred Olivieri knew exactly what Vernon had done -- and an eternal bond between player and coach was born.

"He told he knew what I did and I said how coach?" said Turner. "He told me it was either that or I was the most gifted 14-year-old he'd ever met. He told me he knew I was a football player, I never missed a game."

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Ups and Downs

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.

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.

"I didn't even wanna play quarterback, that's a sissy position," quipped Turner. "I threw the ball back to the quarterback in practice one day, and the next day they moved me to QB."

At quarterback, Turner rewrote the school record book at the time -- tossing for a then-record 3,654 career passing yards, tallying 537 rushing yards during his senior season alone.

Turner was named an Advance All Star in 1984 and '85, and took home Fugazzi and Fabbri awards during his senior year.

Despite all his success, Vernon didn't want to hear it.

"Even with all the accomplishments, I didn't take compliments well...I was trained that way by Coach Olivieri," said Turner.

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College Bound...?

With college aspirations in mind, Turner once again enlisted the help of his mentor, Olivieri.

While he was receiving some college offers to play wide receiver, Vernon was insistent on returning to running back -- where he was drastically undersized.

Nevertheless, he told Olivieri his intentions, and his coach went to work for him -- spending countless hours creating highlight tapes and petitioning schools with letters and phone calls.

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.

"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. "But that translated to me as he's telling me you don't have a chance.

"At that age I didn't want to hear that," he added. "I was an "oh yeah?" guy...I'll show you."

Staten Island Advance

I Owe Him

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.

"Coach stepped in and helped me," said Turner. "He'd take me to school everyday and pick me up until I got my high school diploma."

In fact, Olivieri spent so much time helping Turner that it prompted his wife to ask why.

"I owe him, he gave me everything he had," Turner says Olivieri told his wife.

"I can never repay that man for what he's done for me and my family...he's my everything," added Turner of Olivieri.

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Problems At Home

Though offers were scarce, Turner found himself playing running back at Carson-Newman College in Tennessee, where he'd only go on to guide the football team to three NAIA championships, garnering first-team all-conference honors along the way.

He piled up 1,257 yards during the 1988 season, capturing championship game MVP honors -- Turner finished his career fourth in school history in rushing yards.

However, Turner's senior year, like the rest of his upbringing, was far from rosy.

Sam, his stepfather, had passed away due to health complications -- leaving four young children behind while Vernon was all the way in Tennessee.

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.

"She said she would need to split the kids up and that changed everything for me," said Turner. "I started cutting hair on the side, sold all my electronics...I begged her to hang in there while I finished school.

"I knew I had limited time, so I had to make something happen fast," he added.

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Relentless

The NFL draft came and went, but Vernon's name was never called.

With no money to his name, Turner once again sought out Olivieri -- seeking help to try out for the NFL.

"I forgot I wasn't that good," said Turner. "But football was the only thing I wanted to give my heart and soul to."

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.

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Getting A Shot

During the process, Turner was writing letters to Walter Payton, who responded with some of his own workout regimens.

"I was working out three times a day, six days a week for eight weeks straight...I put my body through hell," said Turner.

He shaved his 40-yard dash time from 4.54 to 4.37 -- and NFL teams took notice.

The Denver Broncos picked up the phone, and Turner was heading to Colorado to join the likes of John Elway and Shannon Sharpe.

At 5-foot-8, 180 pounds, Turner was severely undersized, but he posted solid preseason numbers...up until the final game.

Staten Island Advance

It Ain't Over

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.

"I would've made that team if not for that bad game," said Turner. "I begged and pleaded with God on the plane ride home for another chance."

When his flight touched down in NY, Olivieri was waiting at the airport.

"You did your best," he told him.

"It ain't over!" Vernon screamed back.

Staten Island Advance

I Made It

The very next day, the Buffalo Bills came calling while Vernon was at the dinner table with his family.

"I went to the bathroom and just paced back and forth clapping my hands because I was able to keep my family together," remembered Turner.

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.

But after signing with Buffalo, he had a promise to fulfill.

Staten Island Advance

A Promise To Keep

"Coach Olivieri drove this green Chevy Nova, it was a little piece of crap," remembered Turner. "I told him when I turn pro I'm going to buy you a car.

"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 workouts...I 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.

But the truck was Olivieri's

"I couldn't help but cry and thank him...I just love that guy, no one will ever understand what that man means to me," he added.

Staten Island Advance

An Unbelievable Journey

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.

While with Tampa in 1994, Turner made history -- becoming the first Bucs player to return a punt for a touchdown...against one of his former teams, the Lions.

"God put 10 army men in front of me on that return," said Turner. "I was so grateful, to do it against the Bills who cut me the year before...it was the exclamation point on an unbelievable journey."

With all he's accomplished and overcome, Turner travels as a motivational speaker these days.

"People look at me like this guy is full of crap, they don't believe it all happened to me," he said.

He's worked as a manager at a tire manufacturing facility and an office installation company, but is currently managing an oil refinery.

Staten Island Advance

How'd You Do It?

Unfortunately, his younger sister Ellen passed away a few years ago.

In 2010, Turner released his self-published autobiography "The Next Level: A Game I Had To Play" and is currently working on a followup self-help book.

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'm so blessed and grateful just to be on this Earth and be able to pay it forward...I'm not worthy of this," said Turner. "My purpose is to help as many people as I can before I join my mom, dad, and sister."

Most of all, Turner wants to represent his three children - Ashley (30), Darris (29), and Liam (5) - the "right way."

"People ask me how'd you do it?" said Turner. "I'm not afraid of failing, but I'm terrified of not trying...I want people to be the best they can be."