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![]() I have coached Travis Prentice, the MACs all-time leading rusher. I was at Miami when Deland McCullough played and have defended many of the other great runningbacks the MAC has had to offer. I would have to say that Michael Turner is one of the top three backs I have seen come through the MAC. Terry Hoeppner, Miami (OH) head coach ![]() |
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Back to Profile > Q&A with Michael Turner > Testimonials of Michael Turner Testimonials Michael Turner will come into this season with as much hype out of the Mid-American Conference as Byron Leftwich did last year. He is that good of a football player and Northern Illinois is a good team. Turner will need to be the difference maker for the Huskies, and he has the tools to be one of the most productive backs in college this year. He definitely has the ability to move on to the next level. Mel Kiper, ESPN The guy I compare him to is Bo Jackson. He's (Turner) not a little scatback. He's not a big, lumbering fullback. The hype arond him and the Heisman Trophy is legitimate. He's got power, speed, strength, and good eyes, everything you want in a runningback." Joe Kines, Alabama defensive coordinator He (Turner) is a big back, six feet, 228 pounds, and runs a :04.4. This guy will be playing on Sundays. Their offense revolves around giving him the football. They play action fake off of him and get some really big plays. Most teams have to put an extra guy in the box to stop him, but they still have trouble stopping him with eight or nine people in the box. That is how good he is." -Ralph Friedgen, University of Maryland head football coach "He (Turner) can break it. But the thing you see over and over and over is how many...physical runs he makes in that tackle box area. That's always a mark of a great back." -Dan McCarney, Iowa State head football coach Last year, talented RB Michael Turner rushed for more than 200 yards in five games, all against MAC opposition. While he didn't reach that plateau on Saturday, he proved to the NFL brass on hand that he should be a definite first-day selection, possibly figuring as early as Round 2." Mel Kiper, ESPN.com The honors that Michael has started to receive are well-deserved. This past season was as good a rushing performance as Ive been around. Hes a bull. And I still say that Michael is a work in progress. Hes only going to get better. Joe Novak, Northern Illinois head coach We needed 15 guys to stop Turner. Eleven wasnt enough. Tom Amstutz, Toledo head coach I have coached Travis Prentice, the MACs all-time leading rusher. I was at Miami when Deland McCullough played and have defended many of the other great runningbacks the MAC has had to offer. I would have to say that Michael Turner is one of the top three backs I have seen come through the MAC. Terry Hoeppner, Miami (OH) head coach The Burner has home-run potential every time he touches the ball. Preview Sports College Football "..He (Turner) turned Alabama's defense into the Crimson Wide, helping the Huskies pull a Tuscaloosa shocker." Bob Asmussen, Champaign News-Gazette football writer Most explosive player in the MAC. Lindys Big Ten I really respect Turner. The problem is, you contain him outside and hell cut it back on you. Dean Pees, Kent State head coach Oh, were just totally different. If you go by boxing terms, Im more of a slugger. Hes more of a finesse fighter. Thomas Hammock, Northern Illinois TB (1999-2002) ""He's (Turner) definitely a power back. Once he finds a hole, he's probably going to bust through a few guys who try to arm tackle him." -Jordan Carstens, Iowa State defensive tackle You just hold your breath when he carries the ball because you hope you have him bottled up on every play. Don Patterson, Western Illinois head coach "We put a lot of guys in the box. We did everything we could to stop the run. No. 32 (Turner) got some hard-earned yards. I don't know if you can stop that kid." Brian Knorr, Ohio Head Football Coach "(Michael) Turner is a good football player. He's quicker than I thought. We knew he would be strong and break tackles, but he had more speed than I thought." -Mike Hennigan, Tennessee Tech head football coach |
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