Bulldog Turner
Turner c. 1948
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| No. 66 | |||||||||
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| Position: | Center, linebacker | ||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||
| Date of birth: | March 10, 1919 | ||||||||
| Place of birth: | Plains, Texas | ||||||||
| Date of death: | October 30, 1998 (aged 79) | ||||||||
| Place of death: | Gatesville, Texas | ||||||||
| Height: | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | ||||||||
| Weight: | 237 lb (108 kg) | ||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||
| High school: | Sweetwater (TX) | ||||||||
| College: | Hardin–Simmons | ||||||||
| NFL Draft: | 1940 / Round: 1 / Pick: 7 | ||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||
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| As coach: | |||||||||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||
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| Games played: | 138 |
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| INT: | 17 |
| Fumble recoveries: | 5 |
| Player stats at NFL.com | |
Clyde Douglas "Bulldog" Turner (March 10, 1919 – October 30, 1998) was a professional American football player for the Chicago Bears. He played thirteen seasons for the Bears and was a member of four NFL championship teams. He was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1966.
Out of Hardin–Simmons University in Abilene, Texas, Turner was the Bears' first round selection in the 1940 NFL draft. But, at first at least, Turner didn't want to be on the Bears. It turned out that the Detroit Lions' owner paid him $200 to "get his teeth fixed" and turn down other teams proposals. The Lions were fined $5,000 for tampering, and the Bears got a great two-way player.
Turner was big for his day (6 ft 1 in (1.85 m), 237 lb (108 kg)); however, he was smart and very fast. A six-time all-pro center, and a steady linebacker, Turner intercepted four passes in five NFL title games. In 1942, he led the league in interceptions (8). He said that he studied all 11 assignments for all plays, which came in handy when some players were ejected for fighting one game in 1943. Teammate George Musso once said of Bulldog, "Who knows what kind of player he would have been if he ever got to rest during a game?"
An eight-time All-Pro selection, Turner was a member of the NFL 1940s All-Decade Team and the NFL 50th Anniversary All-Time Team, named in 1969. The Bears retired his number 66.
Turner was the head coach of the New York Titans of the American Football League for their third season in 1962, succeeding Sammy Baugh. Under his leadership, the Titans finished last in the Eastern division with a 5–9 record. The team was sold in March 1963 and became the New York Jets, and Turner was fired, succeeded by Weeb Ewbank.
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