‘Are you kidding me?’ Former TCU star KaVontae Turpin twice as nice for Dallas Cowboys
It’s Turpin time. And it’s twice as nice on Saturday night.
The Dallas Cowboys receiver and special teams hopeful KaVontae Turpin probably just cemented a 2022 roster spot.
The former TCU star returned a kickoff 98 yards for a touchdown in a preseason game against the Los Angels Chargers. Turpin went nearly untouched behind a wall of blockers before busting free into space and outrunning all Chargers defenders.
“Are you kidding me,” exclaimed Isaiah Stanback on the Cowboys’ telecast on KTVT/Ch. 11 as Turpin and his teammates were celebrating the score.
Then, in the final minute of the first half, Turpin did it again. He returned a punt 86 yards for a touchdown to give the Cowboys a 29-10 halftime lead.
“On the punt return, I had to make people miss and be shifty. I am just happy my guys blocked, and I’m just blessed to be on this team,” Turpin said. “I’m an exciting player, and every time I get the ball, there’s a big play waiting to happen. I’m happy to be here and take advantage of this opportunity.”
Turpin, 25, who returned four kickoffs for touchdowns in his Horned Frog career, is trying to earn a spot on the regular-season roster after spending a season lighting up the USFL.
He led the USFL with 540 receiving yards with 316 yards after catch. Turpin had four receiving touchdowns, the league’s only punt return for a score and a league-best 15.3 yards per punt return.
“This dude is explosive,” Stanback said. “This is exactly why he’s on this team.”
This story was originally published August 20, 2022 at 9:52 PM.
