KaVontae Turpin angling for more playing time on Cowboys offense

Dallas Cowboys special teams star KaVontae Turpin made the first Pro Bowl of his career after significantly aiding the team in 2022 with his kick and punt returns. The achievement was incredible considering his undrafted status and USFL resume but, according to Turpin, there’s a lot more for him on the table.

After playing just 61 offensive snaps this season, the former TCU standout wants to get more involved. The 5-foot-9, 153-pound receiver is slight, but he doesn’t see that stopping him from becoming a weapon for Dak Prescott.

“We had a talk during my exit meeting, basically saying like they already know what I did with the special teams this year and all that, but they are going to try and get me on the offense and try to make guys respect me more on both sides of the ball,” Turpin said on the Blogging the Boys podcast. “I’m going into this training camp, I’m basically trying to show them that they have no choice but to use me on offense, that’s my mindset.”

The Cowboys attempted to get Turpin involved in the final play of the season, however, the 49ers famously blew that play up. During the regular season, he had one reception on two targets for nine yards. He also had three rushes for 17 yards.

“I’m a playmaker with the ball in my hand and I can scare guys without the ball,” Turpin said. “Just on the same field together, me and CeeDee Lamb, I just feel like that’s my biggest thing going on, just showing them that they gotta have me on the field.”

Turpin averaged 14.1 yards per catch in his final season at TCU, however, his size is a concern at the NFL level.

Turpin reveals hilarious reaction to call from Jerry Jones

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones called KaVontae Turpin himself to tell him about his Pro Bowl bid, but according to the first-year receiver, he thought the call was going to be bad news.

“The first thing that hit my mind was ‘Dang I got cut,'” Turpin said. “Because most people don’t get calls from the owner, but that was the first thing that came to my mind. That I had gotten cut.”

During the 2022 season, the former Horned Frog totaled 508 yards on 21 kick returns and 303 yards on 29 punt returns. He returned two kicks for touchdowns during the preseason.

“It brought me to tears,” Turpin said of the honor. “It’s been a long journey the way I came into the NFL, and to have that individual recognition is a dream come true.”