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Saints Countdown to NFL Kickoff 2021: #68 Kyle Turley

Saints News Network's Countdown to Kickoff: 68 Days until the New Orleans Saints Kickoff the 2021 NFL Regular Season at home against the Green Bay Packers on September 12th.

Brendan Boylan

The New Orleans Saints are 68 days away from Kicking Off the 2021 Regular Season. 

Here is a look at one of the greatest players in Saints history to wear #68: OL Kyle Turley

Kyle Turley, 45, played eight seasons in the NFL, five with the New Orleans. The Saints drafted Turley as the seventh overall pick in the 1998 NFL Draft after an impressive NFL Combine performance. Turley was the first OL selected in the draft and signed a six-year contract with New Orleans.

Playing only one year of high school football as a DE, Turley earned All-League recognition. Also, an All-State wrestler, Turley, received multiple athletic scholarship offers from schools in 1992. Ultimately, Turley attended San Diego State University. He was given a choice to play OL or DL after playing scout team his Freshman season.

The move from DL to OL allowed Turley to work with Ed White, a 17-year NFL veteran who appeared in four Pro-Bowls. With White's help, Turley was an AP All-American and named a semi-finalist for the Outland Award in his senior year. Now a member of the school’s Hall of Fame, the California native was a back-to-back All-conference selection in 1996-97.

Turley Helmet Throw
Credit: NFL

Versatility became key in Turley’s career in New Orleans. After being drafted in 1998, Turley started 15 games at LG, earning Pro Football Weekly's All-Rookie honors. However, the San Diego State product would spend his next four NFL seasons at LT and RT. 

In 2000, The NFL named Turley to the All-Pro first team and invited him to the Pro-Bowl a year later as an alternate. Turley declined the invite to the NFL’s All-Star game to serve as the Grand Marshall of the Endymion Parade.

After a dispute with Saints GM Mickey Loomis, the Saints traded Turley to the Rams in 2003.  

Turley had an All-Pro season in 2003, but his health declined.  He underwent surgery to repair a herniated disk in March 2004. However, the All-Pro OL aggravated the disc in training camp and missed the 2004 and 2005 seasons.

Turley’s health issues continued into 2006 with the Kansas City Chiefs when back and shoulder issues limited him to seven games. In his last NFL season, back and ankle injuries limited Turley to 7 games for the second consecutive year. Due to the consistent injuries and pain, he retired from football following the 2007 season.

Since retirement, Turley has explored multiple endeavors, including music and business. Turley began a record label in 2006, and his band, “The Kyle Turley Band,” has opened for legendary artists, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Eric Church, and Kanas.

Along with his record label, Turley ventured into another business, cannabis. He opened a cannabis dispensary in Moreno Valley, California on March 13, 2020.  Today, he is passionate about cannabis and CBD in which he believes it “saved his life.”

In eight NFL seasons, Turley dressed in 109 games starting 107. During his five years with the Saints, he appeared in 79 games, starting all 79. 

Turley will be best remembered for the infamous helmet toss against the New York Jets in 2001.  Turley protected quarterback Aaron Brooks after the Jets' safety Damien Robinson was twisting Brooks' helmet after a tackle near the goal-line.

Follow Saints News Network’s Writer, Brendan Boylan, on Twitter & Instagram at @btboylan.

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Brendan Boylan
BRENDAN BOYLAN

Brendan Boylan is a Sports Commentator, Writer, Fantasy Football Analyst, and Award-Winning Filmmaker. During his sports media career, Boylan has covered the NFL, NBA, and NCAA. He currently serves as a Contributing Writer and Fantasy Football analyst for Saints News Network and a Play-by-Play Commentator on the ESPN family of networks.  He can be followed on Twitter and Instagram @btboylan.