Sunshine Cali has grown up.
Maryland quarterback Chris Turner no longer is the laid back Southern Cal passer whose overgrown blonde locks and carefree attitude earned him that silly nickname. His family and friends notice the more “frantic” Eastern attitude whenever he returns. The curly hair now is more manageable than the former Napoleon Dynamite look.
Turner is a senior, a team captain. A former Capitol Hill intern who hopes one more season launches him into the NFL before maybe later returning to Washington as a legislator. There’s still some “dude” remaining, though.
“I’m born and raised as a Californian. It will always be where I’m from, but I do have an appreciation for Maryland,” he said. “The last four or five years have been the most significant in shaping me [into] who I am. I do take some things home with me that are odd out there.”
Turner returns to his home state on Saturday as Maryland opens the season at No. 14 California. The passer will have 70 supporters in the stands as he becomes the Terrapins’ first three-year starter since Brian Cummings a dozen years ago.
This time, though, Turner is the clear starter with a track record of big plays in big games. Turner has endeared himself to Terps fans with a 5-1 mark over ranked teams. He’s completed 63 percent of his passes with nine touchdowns and only two interceptions against ranked foes — including beating No. 8 Boston College two seasons ago as a sophomore.
“I think about that all the time. I really don’t know. It’s a collective effort,” said Turner of the upsets. “I expect myself to be a consistent player, but a playmaker at times.”
Turner came to Maryland largely because no Pac-10 school recruited him, including his boyhood hometown favorites Southern Cal and UCLA. But Maryland’s close proximity to the nation’s capital also was a draw. He spent the summer answering phones as an intern with Maryland Rep. Steny Hoyer.
“I learned how to compromise with people,” he said. “You feel helpless when you don’t know how to help people. People want to hear answers.”
On the field, too. Turner has matured into a leader who doesn’t tolerate democracy in the huddle.
“I feel more in command,” he said. “There’s not a lot of talking in the huddle.”
Sounds like Turner has gone native in the East Coast lifestyle.
Rick Snider has covered local sports since 1978. Read more at TheRickSniderReport.com or
e-mail [email protected].
