When he was hired in January of 2008, current Falcons head coach Mike Smith promised fans a strong run game. And, when rookie general manager Thomas Dimitroff made his first attempt to follow that philosophy, he surprisingly offered a 6-year, $35 million deal to a backup running back named Michael Turner. The move was widely viewed as a great risk throughout the league.
WAY BACK WHEN …
At the time, Atlanta was coming off a disastrous 2007 season that saw them go 4-12, losing franchise QB Michael Vick to a federal prison on racketeering charges surrounding a dog fighting ring, and the sudden departure of first-year head coach Bobby Petrino, who bolted for Arkansas before the regular season ended.
The signing of Turner was one of the first of several shrewd moves from Dimitroff. “The Burner”, as the Northern Illinois alum is called, had previously shown flashes of brilliance in San Diego, and figured to hit free agency after the Chargers refused to offer a multi-year deal.
Turner was ready to make a name for himself as a Falcon, and was won over by the aggressive efforts of the team to sign him.
“It was really the whole organization and what they’re trying to do [that enticed me],” Turner told The Associated Press on March 1, 2008. “Everybody is fresh with a clean slate and trying to build things back up.”
The soft-spoken back may have come to Atlanta amidst little fan fare. But it’s safe to say he’ll be remembered by many.
In his three seasons down south, Turner has proven to be well worth the money. During his career as a Falcon, he has run for close to 4,000 yards over 43 games of play, averaging 4.4 yards per carry and going to two Pro Bowls.
Turner’s best season so far could easily have been his first one. Having started just one game in his career before his time in the ATL, he immediately asserted his presence by running for 220 yards against the Detroit Lions in the 2008 season opener. Everyone knew who he was soon after that, as his 1,699 yards and astonishing 17 touchdowns helped the Falcons become one of the surprise teams of the season, and made him perhaps the best free-agency signing of the summer.
His play helped take some of the pressure off of then rookie QB Matt Ryan, as he carried the ball 376 times, helping the team still reel in results as Ryan mastered the position.
The result was an 11-5 season and shocking trip to the NFL Playoffs.
But things changed the following year for Turner.
He suffered through a dreadful start to last season, and ended up playing in just 11 games. That was mainly due to an injured ankle he suffered just as he was coming into his own.
The season brought forth several critics, many of whom pointed to a plethora of running backs who had never been the same after carrying the football over 350 times in a season as Turner had in ’08.
But the Waukegan, Ill., native was having none of that.
He started off by coming into offseason workouts much more fit than the year before. Turner dropped weight and looked as good as ever during minicamp and training camp. The change didn’t go unnoticed amongst his teammates.
“I was working on rehab and he was beating me in everyday,” said middle linebacker Curtis Lofton. “When the coaches would tell us ‘go home’ most guys didn’t think twice, but Mike was still around.”
The coaches were aware of his work ethic, too. Smith sang the praises of his newly committed running back throughout the spring and summer. The mastermind behind Atlanta’s fine offense saw it as well.
“It’s the things you do when no one is looking that make a difference,” offensive coordinator Mike Mularkey said, “Mike was in there working when nobody was around and nobody was looking.”
The hard work paid off.
REAPING THE BENEFITS …
He ran for 1,371 yards this season, which lead the NFC. He also hit paydirt often with 12 touchdowns. But the 5-10, 247-pounder is about more than his stats. Turner is a physical running back that beats up defenses for 60 minutes, which was evidenced by his 23 broken tackles and 694 yards after contact, both of which rank in the top five in the NFL.
“Having him and the things that he can do, carrying the rock and the way that he punishes people is very important,” said Ryan.
The beating administered by Turner has beaten up many a defense, leaving them bruised and battered in the final minutes of games, a time period the Falcons’ offense has owned all season long.
Having helped lead Atlanta to a 13-3 record and NFC South title this season, Turner has stated his presence as one of the top backs in the NFL. But he wants to do more than that in Atlanta. For Turner, this is hopefully just one great season of many.
Dimitroff has helped to assemble a fine core of young players on both sides of the ball, as Atlanta has methodically built themselves into one of the NFL’s elite. At 28 and in only his third-year starting, Turner figures to be at the center of that winning equation for many years to come.
“I don’t want to be one of those guys who people sit around the barbershop and ‘oh yeah, remember him, he had that one great year, then he was gone,” he said, “Not me. I want one of those careers that people really remember.”
He may well on his way to that goal after a fantastic 2010 both for Turner individually and the Falcons as a whole.
With so much already in his back pocket, one must keep an eye on Turner in Saturday’s divisional playoff matchup with the Green Bay Packers. If he can pull off one of his vintage games, Atlanta just might be hosting the NFC Championship game next week.
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