Ben Turk switched to punter three years ago, thinking that might be the football position with the brightest future.
The rising St. Thomas Aquinas senior might have been right.
Turk, formerly a safety (he played there through his sophomore year), is committed to Notre Dame for the 2009 season, choosing the Golden Dome over the Crimson Tide and the rising Bearcats (of up-and-coming Cincinnati).
His reasons: "Really, just the coaching there, and the tradition of the school -- academics-wise and football-wise."
Why so soon? "I just wanted to get it over with already, so I don't have to worry about it my senior season (when his Raiders try to defend their 5A state title)."
His prospects: Our own Larry Blustein seems to like them, after Turk averaged about 41 yards per punt last year. From last month:
The Raiders may have one of the nation’s elite punters in Benjamin Turk, a Tim Conrad-trained athlete, who has a chance to average in the high 40s this season.
But that's not the whole story on Turk. His uncle is Matt Turk, an NFL punter since 1995, formerly of the Dolphins and currently with the Houston Texans. The two started working together during Ben Turk's freshman year, and they haven't stopped.
"There's really no one better you can learn from," the nephew said.
--Patrick Dorsey (e-mail)
yayyy!!! the punter! yaaay!!!
Posted by: Branon Linder | June 12, 2008 at 06:26 PM