Dallas Cowboys wide receiver KaVontae Turpin is taking his second-year jump by taking a more significant role within the offense this season.
Turpin spoke exclusively with PFN about his background in an unexpected sport that translates into his play style, especially now being a more significant part of the offense.
How KaVontae Turpin Is Breaking Out of a ‘Gadget Guy’ Role This Season
After the Cowboys defeated the Giants 40-0 in their regular-season opener, head coach Mike McCarthy spoke about not wanting Turpin to be a “gadget guy” like he was last year.
Last preseason, Turpin turned heads with his ability on special teams after returning two kicks for touchdowns in the team’s preseason game against the Chargers.
KAVONTAE TURPIN RETURNS IT FOR THE 98 YARD TD 💪pic.twitter.com/Fwi4oSdeZQ
— Action Network NFL (@ActionNetNFL) August 21, 2022
After that, Turpin had the role of solely being the team’s kickoff and punt returner. But after itching to take a receiver role, the time has come for him to be more of an offensive weapon for Dak Prescott.
This was displayed during Sunday’s game against the Giants, as Turpin had three rushing attempts for 14 yards, one ending in a touchdown, and two receiving attempts for 11 yards.
But it doesn’t stop there. In fact, he’s only at the starting line of the season. The 27-year-old has high expectations for himself this year, and Turpin’s background in gymnastics can set him up for success to keep the bar high.
How Some Old Mattresses Introduced Turpin to Gymnastics
Turpin is from Monroe, Louisiana, where he grew up being highly involved in basketball, football, and gymnastics throughout his childhood. He said he would play all three sports at the same time.
The receiver’s ability to do back flips was a topic of conversation last season after he pulled a back tuck when the Cowboys would be in the “Laundry shift” victory formation.
The final play in victory formation for the #Cowboys with an acknowledgement to the Tom Landry era and a flip from Kavonte Turpin. pic.twitter.com/5FTNmG1kXp
— Ed Werder (@WerderEdESPN) January 17, 2023
That’s when the attention was drawn to Turpin’s history with gymnastics. However, he tells PFN that it was something he naturally picked up around six years old after his mom threw out their old mattresses, and he started playing on them.
“When she threw our mattress away on the side of the street, I just put them together, and I used to be out there just flipping and doing all types of stuff, and she would tell me, ‘You might as well do something with it like a class or something,’ so that’s what it was,” explained Turpin.
Gymnastics Still Translate Into Turpin’s Game
Although he describes those memories as something fun for him as a kid, Turpin can see how it translates well for him in the game of football, especially with him having the platform to showcase it even more on the offensive side of the ball.
Speed, take-off, and balance are some of the most potent factors in Turpin’s game — all connecting back to his gymnastics ties.
Being a gymnast, Turpin learned the importance of stretching early on. This has carried over for him throughout his high school career at Neville High School, college career at Texas Christian University, time in the USFL, and now the NFL.
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When he was a kid, Turpin would do gymnastics before football, saying, “So I just feel like with gymnastics, I just say like doing the stretches, flexing my body… I can just, you know, go out there, and it would be easy for me football-wise. I’m already like stretched out.”
Even now, Turpin leans heavily on stretching as he ages to keep his body healthy, stating it’s “suited to his brain” and has helped him a lot.
“You know, 27 years old, still in the kid’s body. But at the same time, I feel like just staying on top of that, I could play for, like, probably five more plus years,” Turpin explained.