Kevin Turner (NFL)

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This article is about the NFL fullback. For others with a similar name, see Kevin Turner (disambiguation).

Paul Kevin Turner (born June 12, 1969 in Prattville, Autauga County; died March 24, 2016 in Vestavia Hills) was a fullback for the NFL's New England Patriots and Philadelphia Eagles, and for the Alabama Crimson Tide.

Kevin was the son of Raymond and Myra Turner of Prattville. He attended Prattville High School and was a sophomore on the Lions' 1984 AHSAA state championship team. He graduated in 1987 and attended the University of Alabama on a football scholarship. He played two seasons for Bill Curry and two for Gene Stallings. Turner averaged 4.7 yards per carry and caught 95 passes for the Crimson Tide, while primarily serving as a blocker for running backs Siran Stacy and Bobby Humphrey.

Turner was selected by the New England Patriots with the 71st overall pick during the third round of the 1992 NFL Draft. He played there for three seasons before signing with the Eagles, where he played five more years. After his comeback from a knee injury in 1996 the NFL presented him with the Ed Block Courage Award. Over eight years, Turner amassed 635 rushing yards with an average of 4.0 yards per carry, and added 236 receptions for 2,015 yards and 11 touchdowns. A pair of neck injuries in 1999 led him to retire from the league. Turner estimated that he suffered more than 50 concussions during his playing career, twice losing consciousness.

Turner and John Palmer subsequently founded a construction firm in Birmingham. Turner also became involved in day trading, and lost much of his savings in the stock market and in real estate transactions, while also managing a dependence on painkillers.

In June 2010, Turner was diagnosed with chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). He was named as a lead plaintiff in a lawsuit filed by former NFL players against the league, citing their policies regarding the long-term health risks of concussions. He was later diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease) and participated in research to help establish links between CTE and higher risks of developing ALS. His Kevin Turner Foundation helped to raise funding for that research and for the ALS Therapy Alliance. Turner was profiled in the 2012 HBO documentary American Man: Kevin Turner's Price for Gridiron Glory. He and his sons also appeared in the music video for Ty Herndon's 2010 song "Journey On", the proceeds from which supported Turner's foundation.

Turner and his first wife, Joyce, had three children, Nolan, Natalie, and Cole. They divorced in 2010 and Turner filed for bankruptcy protection soon after. In 2013 the couple reunited and bought a house together, but a few months later they separated again and he moved out, with his parents, to his former home. During this time he was cultivating a romantic relationship with his visiting nurse, Allison Sanford

On March 9, 2015 Turner and Sanford were married. Shortly before his death, Turner made Allison, who also had three children from a previous marriage, the beneficiary of a trust which receives his NFL pension and 35% of the $5 million settlement from his class action suit against the league. Turner's family has since contested that bequest, on the basis that Turner was not fit to make clear decisions about his estate. The family also disputed the amount of the settlement claimed by Miami attorney Steven Marks who headed up the class action.

Turner died from complications of ALS in March 2016. His brain and spinal cord were donated for scientific research. Scientists from the Boston University Brain CTE Center were able to establish that his ALS symptoms were brought on by motor neuron cell death resulting from his stage IV chronic traumatic encephalopathy.

Turner is buried at Prattville Memorial Gardens. The football field at Prattville High School has been named in his honor. Turner was inducted into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame in 2017.

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