When Thad Turner knocked Temple receiver Delano Green's helmet off last season, the cornerback showed how far he had come.
Green caught a pass over the middle of the field. Turner reacted perfectly on the play and put his helmet into Green's chest immediately as he caught the ball. The impact was so hard that Green's helmet flew off and landed in linebacker Lee Renfro's hands.
The play showed Turner's cover skills and willingness to hit. It also showed the extent of Turner's development from a 150-pound freshman receiver into a versatile NFL-quality cornerback.
When I got here
I wasn't even thinking about hitting and tackling Turner said. That play definitely sticks out in how much I've grown.
Now, Turner is going to the NFL as a cornerback. Turner signed with the Indianapolis Colts after the NFL Draft Saturday afternoon. The Colts had been in contact with Turner for most of the seventh round of the draft, and the two parties were able to reach an agreement just 10 minutes after the final round.
By the end of the draft I had around 10 teams contacting me about playing for them
Turner said. When it came down to it
I felt Indy was the best-case scenario.
Turner's contract is just below the pricerange of a seventh-round pick. The corner will receive a guaranteed signing bonus and will be paid about $335,000 during the first year of the five-year contract, Turner said. He will sign the contract when he arrives in Indianapolis today for the Colts' rookie camp.
The Colts run a Cover-2 scheme similar to what Ohio plays. The correspondence between the two systems was a big reason for his signing, Turner said.
Turner immediately began training for the draft following the Bobcats' season, during which he posted 60 tackles and one interception en route to second-team All-Mid-American Conference honors.
The cornerback trained with Tony Villani at XPE Sports in Boca Raton, Fl. Turner trained with some of the draft's top prospects, such as Eric Berry and Dan Williams from Tennessee, and Rolando McClain from Alabama.
Everybody thinks players like Eric Berry are super-humans
Turner said. But what really sets them apart is their incredible work ethic and good character.
The training focused on the combine drills Turner would perform at Ohio's Pro Day March 11.
The drills apparently worked as Turner ended up having arguably the best Pro Day of any Bobcat after he ran a 4.51 40-yard dash. The performance caught the attention of scouts and draft experts alike.
I'll admit
I was definitely scared before that workout in Athens
Turner said. The weather was supposed to be bad
which could have definitely hurt my numbers.
But
as you can see now
it all worked out.
Throughout the draft process, Turner received help from former Ohio and current NFL defensive backs Michael Mitchell and Mark Parson. The trio all started during the Bobcats' 2008 secondary.
Turner was in contact with Mitchell and Parson numerous times during the draft, getting opinions about what would be the best fit for Turner.
I was actually talking to both of them when I'd get a break between talking to teams
