Turner, Jim
From JetsWiki
Contents |
Background and college
Born March 28, 1941 in Martinez, California, graduating from John Swett High School in 1959. He was a football star during his four years as Indian, playing both quarterback and kicker. After his high school career, he was awarded a scholarship to Utah State by legendary coach John Ralston, where he also played quarterback and kicker. He graduated from Utah State in 1963.
NFL Career
Before the Jets
Originally, Turner was selected in the nineteenth round (257th overall) of the 1963 NFL draft by the Washington Redskins. However, things did not work out, and he returned to his high school to serve as an assistant football coach. Turner and his brother Jack Turner happened to attend a then AFL match-up between the Oakland Raiders and New York Jets. The Jets tried Jim out, and as a result, he was signed as a free-agent in 1964 by Jets head coach Weeb Ewbank.
As a Jet
As a member of the Jets, he was an integral member of the Super Bowl III Championship Squad. 1968 would be the highlight of his career. "Tank" kicked a then record 145 points in the 1968 regular season, with a professional football record 34 field goals, both still current records for the Jets. While many remember Joe Namath for his cocky guarantee that the AFL Jets would defeat the Baltimore Colts, it was Turner who accounted for 10 points in the 16-7 victory, one of the biggest upsets in sports history. Turner kicked an extra point in the second quarter after a Matt Snell touchdown run. In the third quarter, he kicked field goals of 32 and 30 yards, and finally, in the fourth quarter, he kicked a nine yard field goal. In the locker room after the game, on national television (NBC-TV), Turner shouted "Welcome to the AFL!" 1968 also saw him named to the AFL All-Star game. He was named to his second All-Star game 1969, kicking six field goals in the game.
After the Jets
Turner was traded to the Denver Broncos in 1971, and he finished his career there, retiring in 1980. He kicked four points in the Super Bowl XII loss to the Dallas Cowboys. At the time of his retirement, Turner was the 2nd leading scorer in NFL history (1,439 points). He never missed a game (228 straight). He had a streak of 221 consecutive extra points made, and was nearly 96% accurate over the course of his career (521 of 546 extra point attempts). In 1988, Turner was named a member of the Denver Bronco Ring of Fame.
Statistics
Regular season
| Season | FG/FGA | FG Pct | 1-19 | 20-29 | 30-39 | 40-49 | 50+ | Long | PAT | PAT Pct | Pts | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1964 | 13/27 | 48.1 | - | - | - | - | - | - | 33/33 | 100 | 72 | |
| 1965 | 20/34 | 58.8 | - | - | - | - | - | 50 | 31/31 | 100 | 91 | |
| 1966 | 18/35 | 51.4 | - | - | - | - | - | - | 34/35 | 97.1 | 88 | |
| 1967 | 17/32 | 53.1 | - | - | - | - | - | - | 36/39 | 92.3 | 87 | |
| 1968 | 34/46 | 73.9 | - | - | - | - | - | - | 43/43 | 100 | 145 | |
| 1969 | 32/47 | 68.1 | 10/11 | 7/8 | 7/10 | 7/15 | 1/3 | 50 | 33/33 | 100 | 129 | |
| 1970 | 19/35 | 54.3 | 2/2 | 8/9 | 7/11 | 2/10 | 0/3 | 42 | 28/28 | 100 | 85 | |
| Total | 153/256 | 59.8 | - | - | - | - | - | 50 | 238/242 | 98.3 | 697 | |
Playoffs
| Season | FG/FGA | FG Pct | 1-19 | 20-29 | 30-39 | 40-49 | 50+ | Long | PAT | PAT Pct | Pts | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1968 | 5 | - | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 36 | 4/4 | 100 | 19 | |
| 1969 | 2 | - | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 27 | 0/0 | 0 | 6 | |
| Total | 7 | - | 2 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 36 | 4/4 | 100 | 25 | |
After the NFL
Since his playing days, Jim Turner has served as a color commentator on NBC football games, and he did a long stint as a Sports Talk Radio Show Host in Denver, Colorado. He has been a motivational speaker and works with Colorado high schools to promote academic and athletic success with at-risk youth. Currently, Jim Turner lives in Arvada, Colorado with his wife Mary Kay.
