KaVontae Turpin pays tribute to old friend with touchdowns in preseason

Former TCU star, current Dallas Cowboys player KaVontae Turpin displayed his electrifying speed and acceleration last night against the LA Chargers in their preseason matchup — returning a punt and a kick back for touchdowns in just one half. After it was all said and done, he’d racked up over 180 all-purpose yards and two touchdowns in just two quarters of work. After the game, he let reporters know that he was paying tribute to his old friend, Jeff Gladney.

“This is for my boy Jeff (Gladney). He died before I came to the Cowboys and the Cowboys were his favorite team. Once I got comfortable, it was him looking down on me. I’m just blessed to do this for my boy,” Turpin said via Calvin Watkins of the Dallas Morning News.

On Saturday night, the homerun hitting playmaker gave everyone a fresh reminder of just what an incredible athlete he truly is. His ability to bounce around defenders on his punt return was pretty spectacular. According to NextGenStats, Turpin was clocked at 20.95 mph on his kick return and 20.86 mph on his punt return.

It would be a heartwarming story if he could contribute for the Cowboys during the regular season, that’s for certain. Standing at 5-foot-7, 158-pounds, Turpin would be one of the smaller players in the National Football League. He makes up for what he lacks in size with breathtaking speed, acceleration, and agility.

The Cowboys just signed Turpin at the end of July. The addition, as the Dallas Morning News’ Mike Gehlken pointed out, gave the Cowboys the last two USFL MVP signings in Turpin, who won in 2022, and former running back Herschel Walker (1985).

The USFL, created in 1983, folded after just three seasons but returned under new leadership this spring. KaVontae Turpin led the league in receiving yards this spring with 540 for the New Jersey Generals. Altogether with his kick-returning duties, he posted 921 all-purpose yards on his way to winning the league’s MVP award for the 2022 season.

Herschel Walker left the USFL and played three seasons in his first stint with the Cowboys. He returned in 1996 for a single season before retiring as a two-time second-team All-Pro.

The Monroe, Louisiana native played for TCU under Gary Patterson from 2015-2018. He returned to the state of Texas for his chance with the Cowboys. Turpin showed off his breakaway potential in Fort Worth, recording a punt return touchdown in each of his four seasons on campus. He also had one kick return touchdown a piece during his junior and senior years.

On3’s Nikki Chavanelle and Chandler Vessels also contributed to this article.