This past football season North Gwinnett Bulldogs started slow as they would come out with the #1 ranking and lose two games early in the season to Grayson and Dacula and they would lose them bad. The coaches regrouped and found that mojo again for the Bulldogs and made some key changes but one change they didn’t make and that was Safety DJ Turner in the secondary.
DJ was a flat out baller all year long for the Bulldogs as he patrolled in the secondary with his badge and nightstick ready to inform the rules of a “No Fly Zone”. It’s funny that his favorite college team is Alabama as he plays as if he already belongs in their secondary. You always know that an Alabama safety is going to be in position to make a play on the ball in the passing game and in the running game you know they are coming down hill like their hair is on fire to lay the wood to anything holding the ball or even near sometimes. If you ask DJ he has a simple philosophy when it comes to the run game. “I figure if I just run as fast as possible into the ball carrier then something good has to happen”…hmmm…well…yeah, I guess he is right.
DJ Turner is a great ballhawk when the ball is in the air as he is always where he needs to be in the secondary and what is probably more impressive about him is that when the ball is in the air he feels every right to it. Let me explain, as a wideout your mind set should be always to catch the ball no matter what. As a DB, usually their mind set is to not have any completions on them. For DJ he feels the ball is just as much his as it is the WR. Which makes him stand out and have awesome plays like the one he had against Grayson in the GFL Championship when he stripped the ball out of the WR hands. He would go on to have a great individual game with 8 tackles and a interception.
When asked DJ who he likes he instantly says Patrick Peterson because of how versatile his game is. Peterson can play man, zone, in the box, whatever it doesn’t matter and that is what DJ feels he can do as well and after watching this young man over the years we agree.
As for what is next, he has and his dad have a simple approach to do as many camps as they feel are needed and work on his football skills daily. With a great work ethic, high football IQ and will to win we know we will be hearing DJ name more as he now moves into high school.
See DJ Turner (#14 – Red) and his North Gwinnett teammates take on Grayson in the GFL Championship
You must be logged in to post a comment Login