| It’s never pleasant to report
someone’s death. But it’s just plain heartbreaking when the deceased is so young
and in the prime of life. Raiders S Eric Turner died Sunday. A medical examiner said the
cause of death was believed to be from complications of abdominal cancer.
It was no secret that Turner was ill. Just how ill was more of a secret. That’s
the way Turner wanted it. Just a couple of weeks ago, the first reports that Turner was
seriously ill began to circulate. Shortly thereafter, Turner released a statement denying
that he had lost 70 pounds and that he was near death. He also said he would comment later
when he and his family felt it was appropriate.
Turner never got a chance to comment publicly again.
A former standout safety at UCLA, Turner was the second overall pick of the 1991 draft.
He starred for the Cleveland Browns before the team was uprooted and moved to Baltimore.
After one season with the Ravens, he signed with the Raiders as a free agent. The 1999
season was his ninth and last NFL season.
What makes Turner’s death even harder to accept is that he was a good guy. A nice
guy off the field, but a hard-hitting safety between the sidelines. Ask the reporters who
had to deal with Turner, and many will speak of how easy he was to deal with. Ask this
writer about Turner and I will say the same.
There were only two occasions on which I spoke with him, but both were memorable. The
first time was in the spring of 1995, when I was working on a feature story identifying
the NFL’s next defensive superstars. A poll of 20 front-office executives from around
the league found DT Eric Swann to be the top vote-getter, but right behind Swann was
Turner, coming in second.
I phoned Turner to get some reaction to this finding and to talk about his on-the-field
style and accomplishments. He was thrilled, genuinely thankful for his place on the list.
Obviously I couldn’t see Turner’s face through the phone, but I remember feeling
his smile come through the telephone lines. He enthusiastically answered my questions and
then asked me questions about the poll. Most of the time, players can’t wait for an
interview to end. Turner was the one who kept this interview going.
Unlike many big-time NFL stars who could care less about what is written about them,
Turner took an interest in the story. He asked if I could mail him a copy of the finished
product. When the magazines came back from the printer, I shipped one off to Browns
headquarters.
Not long after, I got a real shock. As I sat in my office, the phone rang. I picked it
up, and on the other end was Eric Turner. He called to thank me for taking the time to
send the magazine to him and said that he really liked the story. He appreciated what was
said about and written about him.
Most reporters will tell you that it’s pretty rare when someone thanks you for
something you’ve written. NFL reporters will tell you that it’s very rare when a
rich and famous player thanks you for something you’ve written.
The one and only occasion a player has called to comment on a piece I’ve written
is when Turner did so. I don’t doubt that, with Turner now gone, it will be the only
occasion on which I hear from a player.
The loss of Eric Turner is a true tragedy. The only thing that can be said is that
sometimes life just isn’t fair. |
