Kobie Turner was one of the biggest surprises last season when he was one of the NFL’s leaders in rookie sacks. Praised all around the league, Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell made sure to praise Turner before last year’s wild-card matchup.
This Sunday, Turner takes the field in Detroit again with a more mature mindset and personal growth in both his skills and influence.
Sean McVay made mention of this in a recent press conference after Turner was voted a team captain in just his second season.
“I think maturity in general,” McVay said. “He got voted by his peers as a captain and there was a lot of support, almost unanimously for him. I wasn’t surprised, but he’s got a nice natural way about himself [and is] incredibly secure in himself. I also think when you are knighted by your teammates, that almost empowers you a little bit more where you get that affirmation. His communication, his command, his ownership, his ability to positively push his teammates, those are the things that I’ve seen. I’ve seen a guy that came in where he was a little bit behind in training camp because of a soft tissue injury that he had early on that limited his opportunities. I think he’s hitting his stride at the right time and I couldn’t say enough good things about Kobie Turner.”
Turner was a PFWA All-Rookie selection last season and nearly won Defensive Rookie of the Year, recording nine sacks, 16 QB hits and eight tackles for a loss.