Trai Turner

Not to be confused with Trea Turner.

Trai Turner

refer to caption Turner in Super Bowl 50
No. 70 Carolina Panthers
Position:	Guard
Personal information
Date of birth:	(1993-06-14) June 14, 1993
Place of birth:	New Orleans, Louisiana
Height:
Weight:
Career information
High school:	New Orleans (LA) St. Augustine
College:	LSU
NFL draft:	2014 / Round: 3 / Pick: 92
Career history
Carolina Panthers (2014–present)
Roster status:	Active
Career highlights and awards
Pro Bowl (2015) Sports Illustrated All-Rookie Team (2014) Second-team All-SEC (2013)
Career NFL statistics as of Week 17, 2015
Games played: 29 Games started: 25 Player stats at NFL.com

Trai Denzell Turner (born June 14, 1993) is an American football guard for the Carolina Panthers of the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted by the Panthers in the third round of the 2014 NFL Draft. He played college football at Louisiana State University.

High School

Turner attended St. Augustine High School in New Orleans, Louisiana. He played offensive tackle in high school but was projected to play offensive guard in college. He helped St. Augustine average over 300 yards rushing a game and was selected for the 2011 PrepStar All-American team. He was also a member of The Times-Picayune's Blue Chip list and was selected to play in the 2010 Darren Sharper Lake Pontchartrain All-Star Football Classic.

He was rated as a four-star recruit by Rivals.com and the 14th best offensive guard in the country.

Name	Home town	High school / college	Height	Weight	40‡	Commit date
Trai Turner OG	New Orleans, LA	St. Augustine	6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)	345 lb (156 kg)	5.10	Feb 2, 2011
	Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports:    ESPN grade: 76
Overall recruiting rankings: Scout: 16 (OG)   Rivals: 14 (OG), 13 (LA)  ESPN: 49 (DE)
‡ Refers to 40 yard dash Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height, weight and 40 time. In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale. Sources:

College career

Turner attended Louisiana State University (LSU) from 2011 to 2013. After redshirting as a freshman in 2011, he played in 12 games and made seven starts as a redshirt freshman. He made his first start at right guard in a win over number 3 ranked South Carolina. In 559 snaps, Turner finished 2nd on the team with 51 pancake blocks. LSU had a 100-yard rusher from four of the seven games in which Turner started. In his redshirt sophomore year, Turner started and played in all 13 games. In 857 snaps, he recorded 64 pancake blocks and in his final collegiate game at the 2014 Outback Bowl, Turner registered a season-high 10 pancake blocks and helped pave the way for 220 rushing yards against Iowa in a win. For his career, Turner played a total of 1,416 snaps with 115 pancake blocks.

He opted to forgo final two years of eligibility at LSU and entered into the 2014 NFL Draft after his sophomore season.

Professional career

2014 NFL Draft

Turner surprised many with his decision to enter the 2014 NFL Draft as he only had 20 career college starts. While he was highly regarded within NFL draft circles, many believed that by spending another year in school, Turner could have solidified himself as a first round draft pick in the 2015 NFL Draft. His power as a run blocker, mean streak, and length drew comparisons to Marshall Yanda. At the 2014 NFL combine, Turner surprised many analysts with his speed and athleticism, recording the fastest 40 yard dash among offensive guards. Dallas Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones noted after the 2014 NFL Draft that had the Cowboys not traded the number 78 overall selection in a deal to move up to select Boise State defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence, they would have used that pick to draft Turner, who they regarded as an immediate starter.

Turner was drafted in the 3rd round (92nd overall) by the Carolina Panthers in the 2014 NFL Draft.

Pre-draft measurables

Ht	Wt	Arm length	Hand size	40-yd dash	10-yd split	20-yd split	20-ss	3-cone	Vert	Broad	BP
6 ft 3 in	0 lb	34 in	​9 1⁄2 in	4.91 s	1.73 s	2.81 s	4.77 s	8.16 s	​27 1⁄2 in	8 ft 6 in	25 reps
All values from NFL Combine or LSU Pro Day

Carolina Panthers

2014: rookie season

On June 4, 2014, Turner signed a four-year contract. As a rookie, during the preseason, Turner won the starting right guard position on the Panther offensive line over veteran Chris Scott. Turner made his NFL debut on September 7, 2014 in Carolina's 20-14 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Turner made his first NFL start during the Panthers week 5 victory over the Chicago Bears. His emergence into the starting lineup helped the Panthers rank seventh in the NFL in rushing, including a league-leading 975 yards over the last five games. On December 23, 2014, Turner was named to Sports Illustrated All-Rookie Team. Through 618 snaps in the season, Turner did not allow a single sack and Turner surrendered just 11 QB disruptions.

2015 NFL season

Turner picked up where he left off from his strong rookie season. Through the first three games, he did not allow a sack and surrendered just 3 QB disruptions. Turner had not allowed a sack for the past 627 snaps, the 3rd longest streak in the NFL at Left Guard. Through 6 games, Turner allowed just 8 hurries as a pass protector and as a run blocker, he rated as PFF's 4th best run blocker in the NFL. Further, through 9 weeks, Turner ranked as PFF's 4th best guard in the NFL. Turner was selected for his first career Pro Bowl during the season. Turner could not play in the Pro Bowl due to the Panthers appearance in Super Bowl 50. For the season, Turner allowed just one sack all season despite a passing attack that held the ball longer than most and targeted downfield often. According to PFF, Turner also had the seventh-highest pass-blocking efficiency among guards.

External links

• LSU Tigers bio