By Zach Garrett (@zthaguru on Twitter)
The latest star coming out of preseason NFL football was none other than FCF’s own KaVontae Turpin. It’s been a long time coming for this 5’7 155lb speedster, so let’s take a look back at his journey, and how exactly Turpin made it to the big leagues.
The College Days
The 3 star wide receiver came out of Monroe, Louisiana with 11 offers including Texas Tech University, and of course, Texas Christian. With TCU coming off of a 12-1 season and finishing as co-champions in the Big 12 one year prior, the decision for Turpin seemed to be made up for him. The opportunity to win and win now was too good to pass up on.
Turpin’s freshman year was a standout one. He accumulated 900 return yards (both kickoff and punt) on just 44 attempts, including a touchdown on a punt return. To go with his return yards, he was a solid pass catcher in the slot with 45 receptions, 649 yards and 8 touchdowns. Sheeeeesh, talk about a weapon. He was rightfully named to the All Big 12 team as a return specialist as well as a True Freshman All-American by 247sports.
During his sophomore and junior campaigns, there was a bit of a dip in production. Turpin only played in 8 games during his 2nd season with the Horned Frogs, but still managed an impressive 600+ return yards with 2 total touchdowns and another 650+ return yards in 13 games and 3 total touchdowns in his junior season. Safe to say he was a consistent force for TCU.
He finished his TCU career in 2017 as a 2017 First-Team All-Big 12 (KR/PR), First-Team AP All-Big 12 (All-Purpose), Honorable-Mention All-Big 12 (WR), and Honorable-Mention Big 12 Special Teams Player of the Year. Not too bad, not too bad at all.
Season v1.0 of Fan Controlled Football
The launch of Fan Controlled Football saw its fair share of elite talent take the field, and that included receiver KaVontae Turpin. Deciding to go with ‘Turp’ on the back of his jersey, he was a matchup nightmare for the DB’s. His quickness and speed off the line made him a constant deep threat, and his agility to make the cuts he needed proved to be equally as efficient. Just take a look at this tape:
Did I mention he’s got HANDS? The celebration was one of the best of Season v1.0, and really started the wall climb celebration for our players in Season v2.0. Legacy.
He was eventually franchised tagged in Week 3 by the Glacier Boyz and with Andrew Jamiel by his side, the Boyz had a pair of elite wideouts that lead them all the way to the first ever People’s Championship. Although they fell to the Wild Aces, Turpin put together a stellar season with 11 receptions, 197 yards and 4 touchdowns along with an incredible 8/8 on conversions, the best in the FCF that season.
Turpin’s specialty, the return, was not seen in the FCF due to there being no kickers, but it forced him to show coaches, scouts, and the fans who he was, and who he could be, as a wide receiver at the next level.
Making the 53-Man Roster
**Disclaimer: I’m going to do my VERY BEST to not sound like a Cowboys homer (which I very much am), so here it goes…
Coming off an MVP season with the USFL, the Dallas Cowboys decided to give Turpin his shot at making an NFL roster, and boy did he really make it count.
In the Cowboy’s preseason game against the Los Angeles Chargers, Turpin was finally given the chance he had waited his whole football career for. He stole the show in the NFL for a night with not one but TWO kick return touchdowns, one on a kickoff and another on a punt return.
The NFL world exploded and wondered where this guy had just come from, but we knew exactly what he was capable of given the opportunity. After a performance like that, how could the Cowboys NOT give him a spot on their roster? With the lack of depth at wide receiver for the Cowboys and a stellar outing in his preseason game, the Dallas Cowboys officially announced their decision to make a spot for him on their 53-Man Roster.
Cowboys to the Super Bowl confirmed? I think yes! But in all seriousness, we’re glad that FCF gave KaVontae a platform to new opportunities that lead to the ultimate goal for almost all football players – playing on Sundays in the NFL. Can’t wait to see our guy shine under the bright lights and can’t wait to see who else makes it onto the biggest stage in football. LFG!
Whitney Garrett September 9, 2022
Loved this article! Great work! Keep ‘em coming!