Chris Turner, starting quarterback for the Maryland Terrapins, is quite an interesting guy. First off, he is
the leading man for the Terrapins as they head into their match-up against the Oregon State Beavers in
the Emerald Bowl in San Francisco, California. That in itself is pretty impressive. However, Chris also owns the distinction of a rock n' roll lineage (his father, John, was the original drummer for RATT, an 80's metal band). In the sixth game of the season for Maryland, Turner went from being an infrequently-used back-up to Big Man on Campus. In his first career start, on October 6, Turner threw for 255 yards in leading the Terps to a gutsy 28-26 victory over Georgia Tech. While it's been a roller-coaster ride since then, Turner has maintained impressive stats. For the season he has completed 64% of his pass attempts for 1,753 yards passing and 5 touchdowns. Chris was kind enough to take a few moments out of his pre-game schedule to answer a few questions from our own Joshua Fischman.

 

Joshua Fischman: How would you characterize the 2007 Maryland Terrapins?

Chris Turner: It was a tough year and we had a lot of tough breaks. But we managed to pull it all together when we needed to. There's a lot of lessons to be learned for next year.

JF: Talk about not seeing any action your freshman year and being thrust into the starting role this season.

CT: It's tough spending two years on the sideline after being a stud in high school. I tried to remember that it's just the way it is and my time will eventually come. Becoming the starter mid-way through the season was pretty overwhelming. But I've learned what it takes to win at this point.

JF: What was it like growing up around the music industry with your dad being the original drummer for RATT?

CT: Actually I really wasn't exposed to the music industry at all. My father quit RATT before I was even born, and he hasn't done anything like that since.

JF: What are the best and worst things about being a starting QB at a major D1 program?

CF: The best part would have to be the feeling of playing in big games with a great atmosphere on National TV. It also feels pretty good to win those games. The worst part, on the other hand, is losing. Sometimes it can be difficult to find confidence for a few days.

JF: How much easier does having two great running backs on your side, in Keon Lattimore and Lance Bell, make your job as QB?

CT: Having veteran running backs like Keon and Lance makes my life a lot easier, knowing that the whole game is not on my shoulders.

JF: What have you heard about Oregon State? How are you and the team preparing for them?

CT: I've heard they're pretty good against the run and they have a solid secondary. We understand that a big part of the game will be throwing the ball.

JF: Who do you think most deserved the Heisman Trophy this year?

CT: I think Colt Brennan deserved it. But it was never going to happen for someone in a non-BCS conference.

JF: How do you feel about the constant physical comparisons to Napoleon Dynamite?

CT: Napoleon Dynamite is not on my good side right now...

JF: How badly do you miss the San Fernando Valley and Los Angeles?

CT: I miss the valley pretty bad sometimes. I always look forward to going back and being with my family and friends. It can be very refreshing sometimes.

 

Watch Chris put his skills to the test on Friday, December 28 as Maryland takes on the Oregon State Beavers in the Emerald Bowl. Coverage for the game kicks off at 8:30 p.m. Eastern time.

If you liked this interview, be sure to catch up with other college football athletes with interviews in our archives.