What is your guiding force? For some, it’s their family, friends or maybe the thought of money. But junior cornerback Jarell Turner thanks his faith. “I gotta give glory to my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ,” Turner said. “He really guided me through the process. I worked and I worked, and I just kept working and praying. You know, He blessed me with opportunity.”
The opportunity is his two Division I offers from UNC Charlotte and Gardner-Webb University to play football. There are also other colleges interested.
Turner stands at 6 feet and 175 pounds. While he currently plays cornerback, this was not always the case. “At first I never really played corner. During my sophomore year, my coach called me over and he said he thought I’d be a good corner,” Turner said.
His teammates noticed this change as well. “He took it in stride, and he’s worked really, really hard to get to where he is. It’s all starting to pay off now with the offers coming,¨ junior wide receiver Blake Betette said. “He put in a lot of work behind the scenes, and that’s what a lot of people don’t see. He kept his head down, even when other people were getting offers. He didn’t get discouraged. And now it’s all, it’s all coming together.”
While there is significant improvement on the field for Turner, head football coach, Walter Wilson, has noticed personal growth as well. “When he [Turner] got here, he was kind of young. Now he’s taking responsibility and doing what he needs to do,” Wilson said.
Turner credits Wilson for his transformation. “I gotta give praise and all my credit to Coach Wilson. He’s been a great father figure and coach to me, you know, just taking me to camps and just having my back through thick and thin.”
A major part of playing college sports is more than just athletics, it’s also academics. “I call him walking money, and when I say that is, I think this kid is one of those kids that has a chance to go to the highest level,” Wilson said. “I want to see him go to school and have a chance to help his mom. By him going to school free that will help his mom the most.”
Colleges don’t just look at how good you are at your sport; they also consider academics before offering athletes. “It’s [academics] the main goal when it comes with these offers. So, yeah, I’m good academically. I take it seriously,” Turner said.
With multiple college choices, Turner has to figure out how he will choose where to go. “[I want to] go somewhere I can see myself outside of the school, a great environment, a great program to learn in,” said Turner.
He plans to major in business wherever he decides to go. On and off the field, Turner has put in the necessary work to not only receive athletic offers but also guarantee a next-level education. “It means a lot. Going to school for free, the opportunity to do that, and this is football, it’s what I love to do. So I feel like it’ll be a good thing to do,” Turner said.
