April 26, 2010

Steven Turner bio

LENNOXVILLE, Que. – Steven Turner of the Bishop's University Gaiters football team has reached a tryout agreement with the Chicago Bears of the National Football League. The signing came today, following last week's NFL Draft.

Turner, a fourth-year receiver and kick returner, is the second current Gaiter to gain an NFL tryout, and the third in the past two seasons, following Shawn Gore (Green Bay, 2010) and Jamall Lee (Carolina, 2009).

Turner is a three-time Quebec University Football League All-Star at kick returner, and was a unanimous pick in each of the last two years. He led Canadian Interuniversity Sport in punt returns last season with an average of 20.4 yards per return, including two touchdowns. The Brampton, Ont. native also led the league with an average of 21.4 yards on kickoff returns.

Turner, who is 5'9" and weighs 185 lbs., has scored six kick return touchdowns (three on kickoffs, three on punts) in his career, and he has amassed 2,379 career all-purpose yards. He averages 27.9 yards per kickoff return and 11.6 yards per punt return in his career. In 2007, he set a CIS record with three kickoff return touchdowns.

Turner stole the show at the CFL's annual Evaluation Camp with his record-setting performance. He set a new E-Camp record with a time of 4.31 seconds in the 40-yard dash, and was a half-inch short of the camp record with a 43.5" vertical jump.

Turner will report to the Bears' rookie mini-camp on Thursday.