Jim Turner (placekicker)

Jim Turner
No. 11, 15
Position:Placekicker
Personal information
Born:(1941-03-28)March 28, 1941
Martinez, California, U.S.
Died:June 10, 2023(2023-06-10) (aged 82)
Arvada, Colorado, U.S.
Height:6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Weight:205 lb (93 kg)
Career information
High school:John Swett
(Crockett, California)
College:Utah State
NFL draft:1963 / round: 19 / pick: 259
Career history
Career highlights and awards
Career AFL/NFL statistics
Field goals attempted:488
Field goals made:304
Field goal percentage:62.3%
Longest field goal:53
Extra points attempted:543
Extra points made:521
Extra point percentage:95.9%
Points scored:1,439
Stats at Pro Football Reference

James Bayard Turner (March 28, 1941 – June 10, 2023) was an American professional football placekicker who played in the American Football League (AFL) and National Football League (NFL) for the New York Jets and Denver Broncos. He was a two-time Pro Bowl selection with the Jets and a member of their Super Bowl III championship team. Turner was chosen for the AFL All-Time Second-team and the Denver Broncos Ring of Fame.

Career

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Turner was born and raised in Martinez, California.[1][2] He graduated from John Swett High School in 1959. He played for the football team as a quarterback and was also a freestyle swimmer.[2] Turner attended Utah State University, where he played college football for the Utah State Aggies as both a quarterback and placekicker.[3]

The Washington Redskins of the National Football League (NFL) selected Turner in the 19th round of the 1963 NFL draft.[4] He signed with the Redskins,[5] but failed a tryout with the Redskins and was released. Turner signed with the New York Jets of the American Football League (AFL) as a free agent in 1964.[6] He set then-league records with single-season totals of 145 points and 34 field goals in 1968.[1][7][8] Turner kicked for nine points, making two of three field goals, in the AFL Championship Game win over the Oakland Raiders.[9][10] He had 10 points in the Jets' 16–7 defeat of the Baltimore Colts in Super Bowl III.[11][12] He was named to the Pro Bowl in 1968 and 1969.[13]

Following the 1970 season the Jets traded Turner to the Denver Broncos for Bobby Howfield.[8] He scored four points in the Broncos' losing effort in Super Bowl XII against the Dallas Cowboys, connecting on a 47-yard field goal and an extra point following a touchdown run by Rob Lytle.[14][15]

Turner finished his career with 304 of 488 (62%) field goals and 521 of 534 extra points, giving him 1,439 total points.[13] Upon his retirement, he ranked second in field goals in NFL history, with only a fellow AFL veteran in George Blanda having more; Turner now ranks in the top 35 for kickers four decades after his career ended.[16][17] He did not miss a game, playing in 228 consecutive contests.[11] His single-season scoring record was broken by Mark Moseley in 1983, and Ali Haji-Sheikh broke Turner's field goal record the same season.[1] He was inducted into the Denver Broncos Ring of Fame in 1988[18] and the Utah State University Athletics Hall of Fame in 2013.[3]

NFL career statistics

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Legend
Won the Super Bowl
Led the league
Bold Career high

Regular season

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Year Team GP Field Goals Extra Points Points
FGA FGM Lng Pct XPA XPM Pct
1964 NYJ 14 27 13 50 48.1 33 33 100.0 72
1965 NYJ 14 34 20 49 58.8 31 31 100.0 91
1966 NYJ 14 35 18 45 51.4 35 34 97.1 88
1967 NYJ 14 32 17 48 53.1 39 36 92.3 87
1968 NYJ 14 46 34 49 73.9 43 43 100.0 145
1969 NYJ 14 47 32 50 68.1 33 33 100.0 129
1970 NYJ 14 35 19 42 54.3 28 28 100.0 85
1971 DEN 14 38 25 49 65.8 18 18 100.0 93
1972 DEN 14 29 20 49 69.0 37 37 100.0 97
1973 DEN 14 33 22 50 66.7 40 40 100.0 106
1974 DEN 14 21 11 43 52.4 38 35 92.1 68
1975 DEN 14 28 21 53 75.0 26 23 88.5 86
1976 DEN 14 21 15 47 71.4 39 36 92.3 81
1977 DEN 14 19 13 48 68.4 34 31 91.2 70
1978 DEN 16 22 11 45 50.0 35 31 88.6 64
1979 DEN 16 21 13 49 61.9 34 32 94.1 71
Career 228 488 304 53 62.3 543 521 95.9 1,433

Postseason

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Year Team GP Field Goals Extra Points Points
FGA FGM Pct XPA XPM Pct
1968 NYJ 2 8 5 62.5 4 4 100.0 19
1969 NYJ 1 2 2 100.0 – – – 6
1977 DEN 3 6 3 50.0 7 7 100.0 16
1978 DEN 1 2 1 50.0 1 1 100.0 4
1979 DEN 1 – – – 1 1 100.0 1
Career 8 18 11 61.1 13 13 100.0 46

Broadcasting career

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In 1981, Turner joined NBC Sports as a color commentary sportscaster.[19]

Personal life

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Turner's wife, Mary Kay, is from El Sobrante, California.[2] They had three daughters and lived in Arvada, Colorado.[17]

Turner died in Arvada, Colorado from heart failure on June 10, 2023, at the age of 82.[20][21]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c Traub, Alex (June 14, 2023). "Jim Turner, Who Kicked the Jets Into Super Bowl History, Dies at 82". The New York Times. Retrieved June 15, 2023.
  2. ^ a b c Staff, S. I. "THE FACE OF AN EDUCATED TOE". Sports Illustrated Vault | SI.com.
  3. ^ a b Denniston, Wade (September 9, 2013). "Turner humbled to be part of USU Hall of Fame". The Herald Journal.
  4. ^ Stann, Francis (December 7, 1962). "Snead Must Learn Boo Is A Misleading Word". The Evening Star. Retrieved June 14, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ "The News and Observer 23 May 1963, page 31". Newspapers.com. May 23, 1963. Retrieved June 13, 2023.
  6. ^ "Jets Sign Jim Turner As New Place-Kicker – The New York Times". The New York Times. March 24, 1964. Retrieved June 13, 2023.
  7. ^ "Former Utah State Player Unsung Hero For N.Y. Jets". Ogden Standard Examiner. UPI. October 26, 1969. p. 4C. Retrieved June 14, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ^ a b Anderson, Dave (January 28, 1971). "Jets Send Turner to Broncos for Howfield in Deal for Kicking Specialists – The New York Times". The New York Times. Retrieved June 13, 2023.
  9. ^ Lange, Randy (June 13, 2023). "Jets Super Bowl III Kicker Jim Turner Dies at 82". NewYorkJets.com. Retrieved June 14, 2023.
  10. ^ "1968 Game Log". Pro Football Reference. Retrieved June 14, 2023.
  11. ^ a b David, Michael (June 12, 2023). "Jim Turner, who kicked three field goals in Jets' Super Bowl III win, dies at 82 – ProFootballTalk". Profootballtalk.nbcsports.com. Retrieved June 13, 2023.
  12. ^ "Super Bowl III – New York Jets vs. Baltimore Colts – January 12th, 1969". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved June 6, 2018.
  13. ^ a b "Jim Turner Stats". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved June 6, 2018.
  14. ^ Moss, Irv (June 18, 2016). "Even loss to Cowboys didn't ruin Broncos initial trip to Super Bowl". Denver Post. Retrieved June 14, 2023.
  15. ^ "Super Bowl XII – Denver Broncos vs. Dallas Cowboys – January 15th, 1978". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved June 6, 2018.
  16. ^ "NFL Career Field Goals Made Leaders Through 1979". Pro-Football-Reference.com.
  17. ^ a b Walker, Bill (July 1, 1988). "A DIFFERENT KICK : Former NFL Placekicker Jim Turner Now Knocks Around a Racquetball". Los Angeles Times.
  18. ^ "Where Are They Now: Jim Turner". Denver Broncos. Archived from the original on December 9, 2017. Retrieved June 6, 2018.
  19. ^ Walz, Steve K. (November 1, 1981). "Broadcasting's a new kick for Turner". Wichita Falls Times. Sunday Magazine, p. 26. Retrieved June 14, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  20. ^ Traub, Alex (June 15, 2023). "Jim Turner, Who Kicked the Jets Into Super Bowl History, Dies at 82". The New York Times. Retrieved June 15, 2023.
  21. ^ "Broncos, Jets kicking great Jim Turner dies at 82". 9news.com. January 1, 1978. Retrieved June 13, 2023.
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