I really cant believe Im talking to you, Hatcher told Aguirre when they spoke. read vernon turner's ou bio Those are good, but might not be good enough to get a spot on Team USA. In honor of Black History Month, Abandoned Country is republishing the following article, which originally appeared in The Virginian-Pilot and Daily Press on August 21, 2021 as Its been 190 years since Nat Turners Rebellion. Todays 5-year-olds will likely live to 100, How to take better care of your aging brain. Hurricanes are so massive and can grab the attention of a nation as they make landfall. Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (each updated 1/26/2023). Bruce Turner said he learned more about it from reading history books in California than he did as a boy in Southampton. The cultural and historical documentation, even if its oral, is likely to be qualitatively more reliable than genetics, he said. He moved to Staten Island New York in 1973. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. Among many Americans, the general details of Nat Turners Rebellion may be fairly well known. While his mother was often "sick" and his stepfather, who Turner resented at the time but later grew to love, tried to quell her, young Vernon was left to provide as the caretaker for his four siblings. The sources disagree on the fate of Turners corpse from the neck down. Whats more, theres evidence that the brain was removed from this skull forcefully, consistent with mutilation. Cousins and two of Turners great-great-great-great-great-granddaughters, Shanna Batten Aguirre and Shelly Lucas Wood, took possession of the skull and turned it over to a team led by Douglas Owsley at the National Museum of Natural History for forensic analysis. Though Vernon's youth playing career was taking off, he was still busy managing his brothers and sisters -- often loading them up onto the city bus so he could bring them along with him to practice. Even if it cannot be proved to be Reverend Turners skull, she said, I dont think that diminishes the relevance and its symbolic importance.. In many ways, Turner's life story is one of redemption. He shaved his 40-yard dash time from 4.54 to 4.37 -- and NFL teams took notice. I just didnt know how long it would take.. Maybe 7-11. Injured an ankle. With college aspirations in mind, Turner once again enlisted the help of his mentor, Olivieri. During his one season in Buffalo, Turner gave one-hundred percent in practice, so much so that some of his teammates would tell him to ease up, that it wasnt game time. Turner would turn to them and reply, It is for me. He couldnt afford to take it halfway or lose his job. And all the while he kept his family situation to himself he says no one in college or the NFL knew. Turner was sidelined. After one season with Buffalo, Turner joined the Los Angeles Rams for two years, before moving on to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for two more years and rounding out his career with a final stint in Detroit. His numerous descendants have fanned out from a rural pocket of Tidewater. Its a moment he says he wishes he would have appreciated more going from undrafted to being a part of a Super Bowl team, soaking in all the sights and the sounds, and getting a hug from the likes of Whitney Houston. 0:04. Its my life and I know what happened in it, but to read a script of that caliber brought me to tears. "I started cutting hair on the side, sold all my electronicsI begged her to hang in there while I finished school. tells the inspiring story of how the now 44-year-old Turner moved as a young child from the mean streets of Bedford-Stuyvesant to a quiet neighborhood in Sunnyside, where he discovered a love for football that took him from Curtis High School to Carson-Newman (Tenn.) College to an improbable NFL career with four different teams. On the other hand, one of Turner's assistant coaches encouraged him to focus on his grades in college -- a message that Turner interpreted differently. Turner speaks glowingly of his relationship with a few of his NFL coaches, including Marv Levy, John Robinson and Sam Wyche. When people look at me, they see me smiling almost all the time, always with a positive attitude. Drewry said a local doctor took possession of his skeleton. Aguirre, the Turner descendant from Washington, expressed strong interest in contacting Hatcher to see if hed be amenable to returning the skull to Virginia for a proper burial. Hes the oldest, and just a few years later, when Turner was a freshman in college, his dad died. "Vernon Turner's Improbable Journey to the NFL" will air on Fox Sports 1 at 10:30 p.m. EST on Sept. 21. . Until 10 pm for eastern NC. "People look at me like this guy is full of crap, they don't believe it all happened to me," he said. "I never though I was all that good," added Turner. Hes also the unofficial keeper of the countys insurrection memorabilia and documents, such as Nat Turners original sentencing orders. He earned all-city and all-state honors and left the school with over 4,000 yards passing. Turner, a junior, is the first NCAA Indoor High Jump champion in Oklahoma history. Sweet tea, Southern hospitality, football, and the opportunity to deliver the latest weather headlines to his friends and family are just a few reasons why this North Carolina native loves living in the South. Britney Hamilton takes on the role of weekday meteorologist primarily for the Greensboro-Triad area. The book is broken into four sections -- football quarters -- and despite his troubled younger life, the essence of Turner has remained: He's still optimistic and determined. What got him there was why he was so motivated to succeed in the first place the need to take care of his family. ", "People ask me how'd you do it?" Eventually Franklin entrusted the skull to the Breckinridges, who in turn donated it to Hatchers Civil Rights Hall of Fame project. After Turners death,local doctors mutilated his corpse. "I went to the bathroom and just paced back and forth clapping my hands because I was able to keep my family together," remembered Turner. He was cut late in training camp by his first team, the Denver Broncos, but was signed by the Buffalo Bills and made the practice squad. A goal is to have an accompanying interactive smartphone app to assist where the history has been erased. The Covid shutdown which wiped out both 2020 championships. Vernon Turner tells all in his recently-published autobiography. All rights reserved. Not so familiar is the long and grisly aftermath of the short-lived insurrection that the bodies of participants and bystanders were reduced to trophies, and that the lingering pain of the shocking episode would continue to arouse passion nearly two centuries later. His skull and brain were then sent away for study. Theres also reason to believe the skull at the Smithsonian may not be Turners. In fact, Olivieri spent so much time helping Turner that it prompted his wife to ask why. And he also developed an endearing love for his stepfather, a man he resented greatly during his early years. One head scratcher after another. One issue: There are potential competitors. The OU high jumper hadnt cleared the bar at more than 7 feet in four years. No jumping. The museum declined the donation on the grounds that it doesnt display human remains. I dont know if I was burned out. Tracking hurricanes is like being stalked by a turtle. Certainly, this fragile fragment holds enormous emotional value for me, for my family. He'll be at Jody's Pub on Forest Avenue on May 13 and the Wild Goose on Forest Avenue on May 14. Football was on. If we are encouraged to face the truths of our past through certain events that capture peoples attention or imagination, if it pushes people to learn and understand history, that is a good thing., Ben lives in Williamsburg, Virginia. A DNA test will determine if this is actually the skull of the Virginia slave rebellion leader. #NCwx @SpecNews1RDU @SpecNews1ILM GIF 1 Meteorologist Vernon Turner It was just trying to figure out how to get back where I was. He is writing a book on places of historic value that have been forgotten and are being reclaimed by nature. Its one thing to read your life story in a book, he says, but when they reincarnate that into a movie with real people playing parts and portraying you, its surreal., Turner retired from football two decades ago, after six years in the NFL as a receiver and running back, and a short stint in NFL Europe. Brutal mysteries remain unsolved.. A National Geographic team has made the first ascent of the remote Mount Michael, looking for a lava lake in the volcanos crater. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. Much more accurate, according to Blakey, is genetic analysis. Rick Francis, a descendant of victims and survivors of the rebellion, is Southampton Countys clerk of the Circuit Court. But available evidence strongly suggests that this sordid tale had a gruesome appendix, and there began the mystery of what happened to Nat Turners body, and whether part of it now resides in a lab of the Smithsonian Institution. OU vs. IUPUI women's basketball:Five things to know about the Sooners' first-round opponent, I had a lot going on outside track, Turner said. Now, as for those things he learned about himself at meets this season from people whod heard rumors? Today, this is all that remains. Whatever happened to that kid from Oklahoma? When his flight touched down in NY, Olivieri was waiting at the airport. More specific information will be announced soon. "I told him when I turn pro I'm going to buy you a car. It received such incredible feedback that Derek Jeter flew Turner to New York City to meet with him personally. [6] Despite concluding his senior campaign only second in rushing yards to teammate Robert Thomas, he was selected to the first team All-South Atlantic Conference in 1989. "God put 10 army men in front of me on that return," said Turner. He speaks highly of many well-known Staten Island sports figures, starting with former Curtis head coach Fred Olivieri, who filled the role of father-figure to Turner upon his arrival at the St. George school. A dropped touchdown and fumbled punt return doomed VT's chances, and he was subsequently informed of his release on the final day of cuts. Citing 1999s Hurricane Floyd as a pivotal event in sparking this interest, Vernon has always had an appreciation for informative reporting prior to a storm. "I was one of the smallest guys, height and weight," said Turner, who stood 5-foot-6, 97 pounds during his freshman year. This skull is believed to have belonged to Nat Turner, who led a slave rebellion in 1831. County lore has it that at least one decapitated head was placed there on a pole as a warning of insurrections consequences. No less certain is the fate of Turners skull. All rights reserved. It takes courage and character for a person to unlock the door to a disturbing past, and that's exactly what Vernon Turner, a former National Football League player and the 1989 Advance Sportsman of the Year, does in his recently self-published autobiography. They had a higher expectation of themselves than what their coaches had.. Abandoned Country is a companion blog to that project. Turner reportedly told Thomas Ruffin Gray in a jailhouse interview published in The Confessions of Nat Turner that when he was three or four years old, he could . You would never understand the suffering of people so long ago without the history. [2] His mother died when he was a freshman in high school and his stepfather while he was in college. When Vernon Turner ran 80 yards to the end zone on a punt return in 1994, he broke an infamous drought in Bucs history and also validated his own life-or-death journey to make it in the NFL EXCLUSIVE: Undrafted punt returner Vernon Turner might have come into the NFL through modest auspices, but his inspiring life story will head to the screen backed by a high wattage group of producers. Seems everyone had an idea what happened to Turner after an electric freshman year at OU in 2018. California Consumer Limit the Use of My Sensitive Personal Information, California Consumer Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Spectrum News 1 welcomes Meteorologist Britney Hamilton. 5h Rain continues to move into the area. Nat Turner looms large 190 years after his death. It was a book Turner felt he had to write, because he had been holding in a lot of angst and built up emotions for over 30 years. The chain of custody seemed plausible. But Shatsky called Turner and. Turner also works as a personal trainer for aspiring young athletes and can be contacted at www.VernonTurner.com. The 2018 election through then Republican candidate Mark Harris' eyes. ), For me, the skull in and of itself is a very symbolic and emotional reference point, said Aguirre, who like Wood lives in Maryland. Dealing with pain and getting back into competitive shape has been a struggle. Now its trying to stay consistent.. NORMAN Vernon Turner has heard all the rumors that floated around about him. "He'd take me to school everyday and pick me up until I got my high school diploma.". 0:53. Copyright 1996-2015 National Geographic SocietyCopyright 2015-2023 National Geographic Partners, LLC. Sam, VT's stepfather, was a Jets season ticket holder -- and Jackie made Vernon promise that he'd accept an invitation if asked to attend a game, which he reluctantly did. Vernon Turner hasn't always called North Carolina home, though. The Southampton County Historical Society began a push to create a tour years ago, and Francis said that walking guides of Courtland will be available soon and that an official driving tour will be developed. You're frustrated that mom, a black woman, married a white Italian man and moved the family from Brooklyn out to Staten Island to live with him," wrote Turner in a letter to his younger self for the Players Tribune. ): 3 (12284th overall since 1960) High School: Curtis ( NY ) Twitter: @VernonMTurner 86 82 30 44 45 30 23 SUMMARY Career G 54 AV 3 Rt 134 Yds 2626 TD 0 Vernon Turner Overview Game Logs The first was decent but didnt clear. The filmmakers arranged the call. This injury could be one piece of evidence that helps identify the skull at the Smithsonian as Turners, said Kelley Fanto Deetz, a Black history scholar who was a consultant for The Birth of a Nation, a 2016 film about the insurrection written and directed by Norfolk native Nate Parker. Fought off a malaise. Yet another possible Nat Turner skull might have stayed closer to home. See what I mean about the mental side? Vernon I need you to stop explaining to some of these.. * He received a full athletic scholarship to Carson-Newman College from 1986-1989 where I was named . Hatcher had received the skull from two Indiana civil rights activists, a husband and wife who themselves had gotten the skull from a longtime school administrator in Indiana. But deep inside he felt that Turners remains should be reunited with his descendants. The Richard Porter House, where rebels found that the homes namesake had fled, was standing as late as a few years ago. Multiple sources say his head was separated from the rest of his body, which was skinned. "The rule was if you were late you don't play, but the coaches played me anyway," explained Turner. In 2021, he placed fourth in the NCAA Indoor and fifth in the NCAA Outdoor, not with the dizzying heights of 7-7something, but still. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. Heres why each season begins twice. Turner, who has a year of eligibility remaining after this season, wants to break the 33-year-old NCAA record of 2.38 meters (7-9), set by Hollis Conway of Louisiana-Lafayette. That accomplishment was significant because it enabled him to earn large weekly paychecks which he sent back to Staten Island so his four younger siblings could remain in their Sunnyside home. At quarterback, Turner rewrote the school record book at the time -- tossing for a then-record 3,654 career passing yards, tallying 537 rushing yards during his senior season alone. Many facts, such as the precise number of people who died in the insurrection and subsequent reprisals, will never be known. That went okay for a while. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. Vernon dreamed of playing running back like his idol Walter Payton -- but one day at practice he accidentally launched himself into the starting lineup at quarterback. After a three-year stint in NFL Europe, Turner retired in 1998. Been a long time. Turner faced adversity Saturday in Birmingham. "My purpose is to help as many people as I can before I join my mom, dad, and sister. "The physicality of football allowed me to get my frustrations outI played so hard I'd be too tired to be upset.". Dear Young Vernon, Get up. Returning home to Raleigh and helping the community he cares for so deeply prepare for impending severe weather has emerged as one of the unique highlights of Vernons career. Spectrum News 1 officially welcomed its newest member of the Weather on the 1s team Friday morning. Big Joe Turner, byname of Joseph Vernon Turner, (born May 18, 1911, Kansas City, Missouri, U.S.died November 24, 1985, Inglewood, California), American blues singer, or "shouter," whose music included jazz, rhythm and blues, and boogie-woogie. They were the ones who gave me a job that helped me save my family. Other than the Rebecca Vaughn House in Courtland, the homes associated with the rebellion have been neglected, nearly all fallen into ruin. 2.4K views, 55 likes, 13 loves, 66 comments, 1 shares, Facebook Watch Videos from Meteorologist Vernon Turner: Let's talk about the whole snake video while I have lunch and you enjoy breakfast. Aguirre, Nat Turners fifth-great-granddaughter, said that examining history, uncomfortable as it may be, serves the common good. But 6'6 not bad at all you kidding me! In other words, elite high jumpers must be strong and fast and possess impeccable technique. "I forgot I wasn't that good," said Turner. But after another meeting with head coach Jim VanHootegem, Turner says he learned he wasnt going to get the scholarship boost. She, Vernon and, by then, his little brother moved to the man's Staten Island home. But now, only South Koreas Sanghyeok Woo has jumped higher than Turners 7-7 this year. In the 185 years that followed the rebellion, Turner's place in history . He wants to win championships. She is quick to point out that she does not speak for all of Turners descendants who, seven generations on, are numerous. How a zoo break-in changed the life of an owl called Flaco, Naked mole rats are fertile until they die, study finds. You either run fast enough or you dont. The nine formally dressed guests joined hands while standing around a table holding only a white box. He told me he knew I was a football player, I never missed a game.". He concluded his career with the Frankfurt Galaxy and Scottish Claymores in NFLE. Turner probes deep into his soul, however, to reveal other secrets. these days -- but once upon a time he was navigating one of the most difficult upbringings imaginable. It seems minor, but when you're launching your body over a bar that's more than a foot higher than your head, every detail is important. I became obsessed, forgot about boxing, all I cared about was footballand that's how my career started. "I didn't even wanna play quarterback, that's a sissy position," quipped Turner. In 1892, The Roanoke Record said a city physician had a razor strap made from Turners skin: The strap is a plain affair, glued to a wooden back, and has evidently seen service although it is by no means worn out.. Just being out of the rhythm of competition has really messed with me, Turner said. Less than two weeks away from the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships, Turner is still working to re-establish himself. The nagging ankle injury that still hurts from time to time. "It was a major adjustment," said Turner. "My self-worth was non-existent. There are probably tens of thousands of remains of African descended people in museums or sitting on shelves, and thats an incredible injustice, said Deetz, the historian. He decided to transfer and landed at Arkansas. NORMAN Vernon Turner has heard all the rumors that floated around about him. [2], Turner attended Curtis High School on Staten Island where he played football as a quarterback and also lettered in track and field. When hes not providing viewers with the weather forecast, you can find Vernon spending time with friends and family, or giving back to his community. A world contender. The script has already been written by Brad Gann, the writer of the Disney hit Invincible starring Mark Wahlberg . Turner said that hes learned to focus on himself. "I would've made that team if not for that bad game," said Turner. It is here that the facts surrounding Turner end and speculation and lore begin. Phootgraph by Rebecca Hale and Mark Thiessen, National Geographic, Photograph by Jed Winer, National Geographic, Illustration by ullstein bild/ullstein bild/Getty, One of Earth's loneliest volcanoes holds an extraordinary secret. Mostly dry and cloudy conditions with temps in the low 60s by midnight. OU baseball rewind:David Sandlin's 'outstanding' outing highlights bounce-back week for Sooners. There are other, similar references in written and oral history about pieces of Turner that were kept as curiosities. When the bloodletting ended, 55 whites lay dead. It tells the extraordinary saga of the officers and crew of the Wager, a . Several had heard reports or read newspaper articles stating that the skull had been donated to Hatcher at a 2002 charity gala for the Civil Rights Hall of Fame, a museum project Hatcher has long championed. While Vernon began working for Spectrum News in 2018, his passion for weather coverage began long before that. [2] Growing up in difficult circumstances, he moved from the slum area in Brooklyn to the quiet neighborhood of Sunnyside on Staten Island while a young child. New AI may pass the famed Turing test. Follow Lyndsey on Twitter @darcangel21, Turner and Jim Kelly at Super Bowl 25 press day in 1990. 2023, Charter Communications, all rights reserved. With all he's accomplished and overcome, Turner travels as a motivational speaker these days. | By Meteorologist Vernon Turner My entire life has been one big arcade game, Turner laughs. 2023 www.oklahoman.com. Woo cleared 7-9. For the past decade, what's believed to be Turner's skull has been in the possession of Richard Hatcher, former mayor of Gary, Indiana. Turner still isnt pain free but says the pain is much more manageable. He owned an office furniture installation business in North Carolina, moved into the tire manufacturing business, and currently works in the oil refining industry in Houston, Texas. Vernon Maurice Turner Position: WR-RB 5-8 , 185lb (173cm, 83kg) Born: January 6 in Brooklyn, NY (Age: 56-025d) College: Carson-Newman Weighted Career AV (100-95-. "I didn't think much of myself," admitted Turner. Hes gotten to the point where he's focusing again on technique, working again on fundamentals such as when to start his curve on his run up. His left foot is his plant foot, and even though he practiced last year, rehabilitating his ankle has been an ongoing process. ", Most of all, Turner wants to represent his three children - Ashley (30), Darris (29), and Liam (5) - the "right way. Turner's defining moment comes in Tampa Bay, when he returned a punt 80 yards for a touchdown -- the first regular-season punt return for a TD in Buccaneer history. He felt he was being pushed away from classes he wanted to take, and being interested in sciences, he didn't feel comfortable with that. You either jump high enough or you dont. "When I made the Bills I bought a Nissan Pathfinder and I asked coach if he could hold it along with my car during offseason workoutsI saved my money to pay off the truck, got the title, and when I got back home I picked up my car and he asked if I wanted him to follow with the truck," said Turner. "She said she would need to split the kids up and that changed everything for me," said Turner. Nat Turner organized and planned to overthrow a system that supported oppression, he said. Though he grew up a boxing fan and often boxed his friends in makeshift rings, by the time he was 11 he was a full-fledged Pop Warner football player -- thanks to his mom, and stepdad, who Vernon affectionately refers to as just "dad" these days. In 2010, Turner released his self-published autobiography "The Next Level: A Game I Had To Play" and is currently working on a followup self-help book. But then a few weeks before the fall semester started, Turner sprained his left ankle playing pick-up basketball. He found the mental toughness to get it done. Vernon Turner was a topic of conversation when he was gone last year, but if all goes as planned, he'll again be creating a buzz for what he does when he jumps. He believes he can jump 7-10. That gave him the confidence to believe in what theyre doing right now.. The gatherings 83-year-old host, Richard Gordon Hatcher, who served as Garys mayor from 1968 to 1987, planned the event at which a skull alleged to be Turners was turned over to his descendants. Turner talked to teammates, who encouraged him to meet again with VanHootegen. Turner had two jumps at 7-7. He travels around the country to talk about his personal journey, with hopes of inspiring people in the process. But thanks to extraordinary circumstances a family seeking truth and science that can reach beyond the grave an ongoing forensic analysis may finally provide an answer. He said that his team is taking great care with the identification of the skull and that the sophisticated techniques theyre employing take time. Michael Blakey is director of William & Marys Institute for Historical Biology. Id been hurting for over a year, he said. He learned to read from one of his master's sons, and he eagerly absorbed intensive religious training. (Read about Turner's complex legacy.). The second one cleared, and Turner was back. Twitter: @WeathermanVern. The top three jumps at the 2016 Olympic Trials were 7-6, 7-4 3/4 and 7-3. "At that age I didn't want to hear that," he added. All of these elements converge in David Grann's upcoming book, "The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny and Murder.". The 42-year-old mother of eight died . Our Spectrum News app is the most convenient way to get the stories that matter to you. I may have been in a dark place for awhile. Even when I reflect back on how things started and where they went, I still scratch my head. All Turner has to do is sit back and watch as his inspirational true tale of how he somehow made it to the NFL and onto the Buffalo Bills is magically reinvented on the big screen for the world to see. e. On May 16, 1918, a plantation owner was murdered, prompting a manhunt which resulted in a series of lynchings in May 1918 in southern Georgia, United States. Then he transferred to Arkansas. "I'm not afraid of failing, but I'm terrified of not tryingI want people to be the best they can be.". Vernon goes back to his group and convinces them to steal the boat from Lee's group. Get hyperlocal forecasts, radar and weather alerts. At the time, the school still was a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), earning five Division I national championships during the 1980s. In 1995, Turner split time with the Carolina Panthers and Detroit Lions. More than most, because if youre just a hair off, it doesnt line up.. He subsequently joined the Buffalo Bills practice squad and played in one regular season game.
Tropical Virgo Sidereal Leo, Tommy Hinkley Why Did He Leave Mad About You, The Betweenlands Guide, Did Lillian Russell Have Children, Houses For Rent In Winchester, Va Utilities Included, Articles W