Cowboys special teams coach details KaVontae Turpin's effect on the game

KaVontae Turpin was undrafted coming out of TCU and was not even picked up in free agency. He had to opt for other football leagues, beginning with indoor football. He eventually wound up in the USFL with the New Jersey Generals and won the league’s MVP.

Now, the Dallas Cowboys have given the playmaker a shot, giving him punt return and kickoff return duties. In the unofficial depth chart released by the franchise on Tuesday, Turpin was first string at both positions.

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Dallas special teams coach John Fassel discussed the impact Turpin will make this season, saying he’s a guy you want to block for. Fassel compared Turpin’s possible effect to Devin Huster with the Chicago Bears back in the day. Just being able to block on returns will be crucial for the Cowboys this season.

“When you’re blocking for a guy like that, you can be 100% effort, relentless,” Fassel said. “You coach it as much as you want, but there’s just that little bit extra when the blockers know they’ve got somebody back there like Turp. It’s like, ‘OK, you’ve just got to keep going for a few seconds longer because he can extend plays and I’ve just got to give it my all.’ We’ve talked about the Devin Hester effect quite a few times that Chicago had.

“Their blockers knew they had somebody that could score every time he touched the ball. The guys who were blocking for Hester, we’ve watched a ton of the tape, we’ve watched all of his touchdown returns, and you can just see the relentless approach that those blockers had. It’s quite a relationship between returner and blocker when they each feed off each other and have confidence in one another.”

Turpin made a major impact during the preseason, returning two kickoffs for a touchdown against the Los Angeles Chargers. When originally signed by the Cowboys, he was viewed as somebody competing for a roster spot and potentially at wide receiver.

Now, his role has been determined. As usual, special teams are a great way for players to make an impact on a roster. Turpin will be no different now, with Fassel having high praise for his new return man.

Dallas will be in desperate need of some magical moments throughout the year. Fassel is now hoping Turpin can produce when given the opportunity.