How ascending Cowboys player manifested success long before joining the team
Maybe, just maybe, we overthink football sometimes. Let me be the first to admit I'm occasionally guilty of overthinking. In personal, professional, and not-even-that-relevant topics. Also, I overthought Dallas Cowboys wide receiver and quickly-rising star, KaVontae Turpin. The speedy receiver came in as the USFL leader in receiving yards with 540 in only 44 receptions. […]
Maybe, just maybe, we overthink football sometimes. Let me be the first to admit I'm occasionally guilty of overthinking. In personal, professional, and not-even-that-relevant topics. Also, I overthought Dallas Cowboys wide receiver and quickly-rising star, KaVontae Turpin.
The speedy receiver came in as the USFL leader in receiving yards with 540 in only 44 receptions. 59% of those yards were after the catch! In special teams, he had several highlights including a 71-yard touchdown on a punt return. He also took a kickoff return to the house in the playoffs.
He was named USFL MVP, man!
I – a true overthinker – didn't see that. Turpin was 155 pounds. Before the signing, the lightest player on the Cowboys was Nahshon Wright, who was 30 pounds heavier. Not to mention the gargantuan talent gap between the upstart league and the NFL.
Oh, well. Turpin reminded me you can overthink football. Because that speed, agility, and shiftiness clearly translate to the NFL. Even if it was on the second week of the preseason, returning a kickoff and a punt for six is worthy of praise.
And Mike McCarthy gave him the highest degree of approval a player fighting for a spot in the NFL can get. "I think there is a great chance he will return kicks against Tampa Bay," claimed the Cowboys head coach after Saturday's game.
In case Turpin's two touchdowns weren't enough to get you legitimately excited about the Cowboys' rising specialist, perhaps this tweet from January will.
"No cap, if the NFL give(s) me a chance, I would be leading the league in punt and kick return TDs. #Facts" tweeted Turpin.
Honestly, can you question the Cowboys WR's ambitions? The guy had two touchdown returns in the same night. Here's a quick list of the NFL players with multiple kickoff/punt return touchdowns in the last three years:
RB Kene Nwangwu, MIN: 2 (2021)
RB Nyheim Hines, IND: 2 (2019)
WR Jamal Agnew, DET: 2 (2019)
You need to go all the way back to Tyreek Hill's rookie season in 2016 to find somebody with three total touchdown returns.
I won't say the Cowboys have the new Devin Hester or anything like that. But after watching him use the athletic traits everyone's raving about, it surely sounds like Dallas has a legit weapon on special teams.
Featured image via Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
