Jamel Turner

Everybody who follows recruiting closely in Ohio has to remember the 23-sack video on ScoutingOhio.com of Jamel Turner from his sophomore season at Ursuline (see below).

Well that same Jamel Turner helped Ursuline get to two state championship football games in his sophomore and junior seasons, the Irish won the 2008 state title with Turner, and that same Jamel Turner verbally committed to Ohio State on Dec. 16, 2008, less than three weeks after Ursuline won their first of two state titles, 21-0 over Liberty-Benton.

That same Jamel Turner also got kicked off the basketball team not long after he committed to OSU and that same Jamel Turner was later ruled academically ineligible to compete in sports sanctioned by the OHSAA.

But with the help of guys like Dan Reardon and Keith Gunther, his head football and basketball coaches at Ursuline, respectively, that same Jamel Turner enrolled at Fork Union (Va.) Military Academy to help him change the direction of his of his downhill-spiraling life.

Mission accomplished.

He’s still the same Jamel Turner but, on the eve of him signing a national letter-of-intent to Ohio State, it certainly sounded like he has a new outlook on life.

“It means a new chapter of my life, that’s for sure,” said Turner when he was asked what national signing day means to him. “It’s going to be an exciting day for me and it means that I’m going to be doing what I always inspired to do, the reason I’m playing football, and that’s playing for Ohio State in the future.”

But it was indeed an arduous journey for Turner just to make it to signing day.

“It definitely makes the road I’ve taken and the things that have happened well worth it,” Turner said. “I set out early in my career as a football player to go to Ohio State and tomorrow is the day I’ll accomplish that. So I can’t ask for anything more. It will probably be one of the best things that’s happened to me to date in my life.”

FUMA obviously gets a major assist in helping Turner achieve his most-proud accomplishment.

“Fork Union definitely helped me out as far as grades-wise and school and they also helped me out in putting me in an environment to where I can focus in on the things I have to do in the real world,” Turner said. “Fork Union brought a lot of the real world characteristics into my life because next year I’ll have to be doing a lot studying and getting used to a whole new life on campus that I’ve never experienced before. Fork Union is just a small preview of that.

“Fork Union is probably one of the best decisions that I’ve made with regard to trying to get used to what the rest of my next four years is going to be like.”

He’s still the same Jamel Turner but he’s different.

“I’ll always be Jamel Turner but I’m different as far as my outlook on life and my priorities and things like that,” he said. “I know what I really want to do in my life and what it takes to do it now.”

And he’s not mad at himself for having to take a detour through FUMA in any way.

“Oh no, not at all. I’m only a teenager and we all make mistakes, but some are more fatal than others,” Turner said. “I made a couple of mistakes and I did what I had to do to redeem myself. And that was coming to Fork Union. I don’t blame myself or beat myself up one minute about it. Not at all.”

That fact that he missed out on winning another state title at Ursuline can be considered a small consequence in the big picture of life for Turner now.

“Yeah it’s disappointing but I got one and I’m happy for that,” he said. “And I’m happy that they got to get two in a row. All the power to them and I’m happy for them and everything. But it’s God’s will and everything happens for a reason.”

And, one could argue, it’s obviously God’s will that Jim Tressel and Ohio State stayed the course with Turner.

“That just goes to show the type of man that Coach Tressel is being that he stuck with me through the whole situation, good and bad alike,” Turner said. “And that makes me want to go there all the more just knowing that I’m going to be delivering to the hands of such a good man.”

Such was the case at FUMA, where Turner was fortunate to have another good man watching over him.

“Our athletic director and head coach, Micky Sullivan, has had an impact on me,” Turner said. “He’s been with me through the rough times down here, he’s seen to it that I’ve taken the classes I’ve needed to take, he’s seen to it that I was able to communicate with Coach Gunther and everything back at home. Anything I really needed, he’s seen to it that it was done. He’s earned my trust and my appreciation, too.”

And, fortunately, Sullivan also helped him continue his development as a football player.

“Being down here was a different type of football, but it was still football,” Turner said. “The same rules applied. You got to hit, you got to be fast and you got to play hard.”

At 6-3 and 220 pounds, Turner certainly held his own.

“We ran a 4-4 down here and I played the strong safety position,” Turner said. “Sometimes I was at a 10-yard distance and sometimes I was only at a four-yard distance, like a linebacker position. It was different for me, the scheme of the defense and everything like that, but I think I handled it pretty well for a quick switch. I’ll have a highlight tape on the Internet pretty soon so people will be able to look at it and see how they think I did for themselves.”

A hurdler at Ursuline, he finished second in the 110 meter hurdles in his sophomore year at the D-III state meet, Turner has the athletic ability to play a number of different positions at the collegiate level.

“I’ve got good instincts when it comes to football and I think I can play any position on the defensive field when it comes down to it,” Turner said. “You tell me what to do and I’m coachable enough to get it done.”

Fast forward to Ohio State, Turner is initially slated to play on the defensive line for the Buckeyes.

“Most likely I’ll be coming in playing that same position that Thaddeus Gibson played which is the Leo position. That’s going to be the position that they’re looking at me for more than anything,” Turner said. “My plan or my personal goal is that I’m not coming in for a redshirt year, I’m coming in to be a competitor and to actually play. So my plans are to actually start as a freshman and be as much of a help as I can to the team, and be a good teammate in whatever way I can.”

For now Turner will continue his somewhat regimented lifestyle as he prepares to take the next step beyond FUMC.

“It’s not hard. When I first got down here it was but then after it wasn’t,” Turner said. “Once you get accustomed to it, you get used to it, it’s just like a breeze. It’s your lifestyle and you get used to it. We get up at 6 every morning and on the weekends we get up at 7. You start early and you don’t go to sleep till 10.”

It’s just what the doctor ordered for Turner. It’s allowed him to dream big things at night now.

“When I close my eyes I just dream of success. People often don’t understand what success is or just don’t even know what it is,” Turner said. “To me success is just being able to live comfortably and live happy and be happy in everything you do and that’s what I dream of when I go to sleep. I see success in my future and I want it bad and I’m going to make sure I get it.”

And when he finally puts on the Scarlet and Gray uniform at Ohio State he’ll consider himself a big success.

“Oh man. It’s just a feeling that I can’t even explain right now,” Turner said. “It’s going to one of the best things that ever happened to me in my life. It’s going to be a new chapter opening for me and I plan on making it a great story.”

But most of all, Turner has no regrets.

“No regrets. I have no regrets at all. I made mistakes and I did what I had to do to fix them,” Turner said. “What kid or what teenager that you know doesn’t mistakes? It’s a part of life. We all make mistakes, it’s what we do after them. We fall, you have to pick yourself back up and that’s what this is about. I have no regrets.

“I’ve lived a life so far that was kind of rough and things are going well for me now so I just thank God and God is with me at my side 24/7. As long as I have him by my side I don’t have too much to worry about. Everything happens for a reason and God is at my side.”

Turner thanks Reardon, in particular, for staying behind him.

“Coach Reardon has always cared for me and tried to make sure that I was doing what I needed to do,” Turner said. “Coach Reardon is my guy, I love Coach Reardon with a passion. He was one of my first coaches that brought me up and coached me to become the person that I am today. I give him credit for that and I give him thanks for that.”

Coach Sullivan Speaks

We had a chance to speak with FUMA coach Micky Sullivan. Here were his answers on various topics concerning Turner:

* On his academics -- “He’s really close (to qualifying). He’s right there right now. He has improved his test score and he is making good grades. Everything is on track right now. We’re not done with him yet. We need to finish (the semester) strong. It’s still a work in progress.

“Jamel has done very well. He has made all B’s and maybe one C. His test score is improved. He has a B-plus or even an A in a class he’s in right now.”

* On participating in Turner putting his life back on track -- “It is an exciting thing to give a young man a chance to get out of a situation or a circumstance that maybe was not real good. He has worked hard to put himself in position to reach his goals. It is fun for me and my assistant coaches to be a part of that. It is a big deal for us.”

* On how he has coped off the field -- “He has not had a (behavior) demerit since he has been here. He is now a cadet non-commissioned officer in our corps. He has been a leader off the field. He’s doing the tough things really well right now.

“The kid is really smart. When you’re in a situation where somebody is maybe not telling you to go to school or do your work and you’re 16 or 17 years old, that can be a bad situation for you. We want to get him out of school, get him his diploma, get him eligible and get him to Ohio State. I think he will do fine there.”

* On his play this past fall -- “He played extremely well. He made all-state. He’s running track right now and he has the ninth-fastest time in the country in the 55-meter hurdles.”

* On how he could fit in at OSU -- “The little bit I have talked to the OSU coaches, it is obvious they are recruiting him because he is a really good football player. He is your typical outside linebacker, but he is a guy who could also rush the passer some.

“He is a good enough athlete to play strong safety. That will all be up to the Ohio State coaches. He is just a really good athlete, period.”

* On Turner going to FUMA -- “It had to be extremely difficult for him to come from Youngstown to Fork Union. There is nobody here. There may be 320 people in our town here. He has done well. He has had a good attitude and I’m glad we’ve been able to give him a chance.”

The Jamel Turner File

* School: Fork Union (Va.) Military Academy

* Height, Weight: 6-2, 220

* 40-Yard Time: 4.55

* Vital Statistics: Turner was considered a top-five Ohio prospect at Youngstown Ursuline before transferring to Fork Union for his senior year due to academic concerns. As a senior, he helped Fork Union post a 7-4 record as he played at linebacker, defensive end and safety. He had 66 tackles with two sacks and two interceptions in earning all-state honors. In two previous years at Ursuline, he notched 40-plus sacks, including 23 as a sophomore. As a junior, he helped lead Ursuline to a 15-0 record and the Division V state title. He had 7-1/2 tackles and 1-1/2 sacks in the title game. He projects as a defensive end or outside linebacker at OSU. He also placed second at the state track meet in the hurdles as a sophomore.

* Rankings: Turner is rated as the nation’s No. 24 outside linebacker by ESPN Scouts Inc.

* College Choices: Turner verbaled to Ohio State on Dec. 16, 2008, picking the Buckeyes over LSU, Michigan, Michigan State, Wisconsin and Illinois.

* Academics: “I’m eligible. I got it done. They helped me get it done down here. I got a 19 on the ACT and I got an 800 on the SAT. I’ve been getting straight B’s. All I need to do is get one A and that will put me over the limit. I’ll be fine, I’ll be able to do it. Don’t even worried about it.”

* On Why He Chose Ohio State: “From the day I met Coach Tressel I just had a good vibe from him and I could feel that he was a good man and he was sincere about what he wanted and what he had in store for me and how he felt about me a person. I felt he really cared about me about my future. That probably would be the top reason I chose Ohio State.

* On How He Could Fit In At OSU: “Most likely I’ll be coming in playing that same position that Thaddeus Gibson played which is the Leo position. That’s going to be the position that they’re looking at me for more than anything. My plan or my personal goal is that I’m not coming in for a redshirt year, I’m coming in to be a competitor and to actually play. So my plans are to actually start as a freshman and be as much of a help as I can to the team, and be a good teammate in whatever way I can.”

* On When He Will Enroll: “I graduate from here on May 22. I don’t plan to spend more than a week in Youngstown before I go down to Columbus. I want to go straight to Columbus get enrolled in the summer and do whatever I got to do. I’m focused and I’m trying to get somewhere and right now I’m willing to do whatever it takes to get there. May 22 is the day that I am waiting on after tomorrow. Signing day is the midpoint I’ve been waiting for and May 22 is the end point of my high school life that I’ve been waiting on. ”

* Possible Uniform Number: “They asked me for my top three numbers and I told them 11. I want to wear 11 and I hope to wear 11 but the number isn’t really important to me. That’s the last thing I’m worried about. I have a twin brother, Jamal, and I feel like we’re both number one in the world. So those two ones fit together and that’s why I wear 11.”

* Hobbies: “I keep my face in a book. For some reason I’ve developed a lust for reading. I love to read. I’ll read anything. I love to read, that’s probably the biggest attribute I gained down here.”

Here are junior highlights of Turner from Ursuline, courtesy of ScoutingOhio.com.

Here is the renowned 23-sack highlight film from his sophomore year, also from ScoutingOhio.com.