The Next Level… A Game I Had To Play! by Vernon M. Turner Interview
Vernon Turner’s best friend Jeff Burkey describes him as “…a solid guy…Since we were kids, we’ve maintaned a strong friendship and bond. He’s a great guy with a heart of gold…we’re like brothers.”
His fans are familiar with his NFL career with the Buffalo Bills, LA Rams, Detroit Lions and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Now he can add author to his already stellar resume.
Vernon Turner talked to me about his book…The Next Level…A Game I Had to Play! and more in this SheliaGoss.com exclusive interview.
Why did you decide to share your life story at this time?
The first time I ever thought about telling my life story to the world was when I was playing for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers back in 1994. I was interviewed during training camp by a TV reporter by the name of Dan Brady. During that interview, he said,” VT, I found out a lot about you during our pre-interview session, what’s going through your mind right now? My Reply was, “Dan, when I’m retired and I’m sitting back, bored as heck… I’m going write a book about my life, and it’ll be a best seller!” Little did I know that it would take me well over seventeen years to gather the courage to actually write my book (The Next Level: A Game I Had To Play!) I guess what pushed me to actually write it was when I decided to stay home one weekend (towards the end of 2010) and watch a marathon of true story movies; I watched, Rudy, Invincible, Remember The Titans, We Are Marshall, The Express and The Blind Side. After watching all of those movies, I asked myself one question “Damn, if I died today… how would I be remembered? Then I went on to say, “Okay VT, It’s time to tell your story!”
You’ve been an inspiration to a lot of young men. What’s one piece of advice that you can share that may assist them on their journey in sports and in life? Well… I hope and pray that I’ve been an inspiration to young/older men and women. I would tell them to never take anything or anyone for granted… because it, or they can be gone in a blink of an eye.. I’ve learned that the hard way! Another is, take full advantage of every opportunity that is placed before you… because those opportunities are not promised to you, and you don’t know which opportunity will actually change your life! I would also advise them to ask themselves one question, “If I died today, how would I be remembered?” If you don’t like your answer… do whatever you have to do to change that answer!
You overcame many obstacles. Why do you think in spite of those obstacles, you were able to excel in sports and become one of the few who made it into the NFL? Two words… My Family! I am the oldest of five, my mom passed when I was a sophomore in High school, my dad passed when I was a freshman in college. I remember my mom telling me often that if anything were to ever happen to her that it was my job to make sure the family stay together! My aunt moved into my home to care for my brothers and sisters while I attended college; I remember receiving a call from my aunt at the start of my senior year of college… she told me that she could not stay and care for my brothers and sisters any longer; she said that they had to be split apart and live in different homes… My knees literally buckled when she told me that! All I could think about after that was what my mom kept telling me. I had no other choice but to turn to the game I fell in love with when I was ten years old… I turned to the game of Football to save my family!
If you could change one thing about your life while in the NFL, what would it be and why? Wow… that’s a tough one for me because I truly believe that everything happens for a reason! But If I had to relive and change a portion of my NFL career, it would probably be my stent with the Detroit Lions; I let the head coach get the worst of me… thus making my stay in Detroit a miserable one!
What is your opinion on what’s now become known as Bountygate? Though it is well known that the game of football is combative and violent sport by nature, they’re lines that can still (and have been) crossed in the actual act. Then When you have management and so-called team leaders (veteran players) giving out monetary bonuses for: Knockdowns, cart-offs and injuries…. That’s crossing the line! The mental thought process of a defensive player is already extremely violent; providing non-contractual incentives with the sole intent to do additional bodily harm to another should be a criminal offence! Good job Roger!!
The Next Level… A Game I Had To Play! by Vernon M. Turner is a book that I recommend to not just sports fans, but anyone who wants to read a heart warming and inspirational story.
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