Sourdough Sam
Well-known member
- Mar 20, 2019
- 1,637
- 0
In 2015, Turner joined Kyle in Atlanta as the Falcons running backs coach for two seasons where the Falcons ranked fifth in the league in rushing yards per game (120.5) and tied for third in the NFL with 20 rushing touchdowns in 2016 en route to their Super Bowl LI appearance.
Turner joined Kyle with the 49ers in 2017 and spearheaded a running back unit that led the NFL with 23 rushing touchdowns and ranked second in rushing yards per game (144.1) in 2019. That season, the 49ers ground attack featured three players with 500-or-more rushing yards in a single season (RB Raheem Mostert – 772; RB Matt Breida – 623; RB Tevin Coleman – 544) for just the second time in franchise history (1954 - three players).
Throughout his career, Turner is responsible for overseeing three of the top nine rookie rushing seasons in the NFL since 1970 [Alfred Morris – 1,613 rushing yards in 2012 (fourth); Clinton Portis – 1,508 rushing yards in 2002 (seventh); Mike Anderson – 1,500 rushing yards in 2000 (eighth)].
The Paul "Dr. Z" Zimmerman Award is named for Zimmerman, who covered the NFL for 29 years as Sports Illustrated's lead pro football writer. Zimmerman's writing career was cut short by a series of strokes in November 2008 that left him unable to speak, read and write, but his impact on the writing and football industries was profound. He's widely considered one of the best football writers of all time.
Turner and Las Vegas Raiders defensive line coach Rod Marinelli are the 17th and 18th recipients of the Dr. Z Award, which was instituted by the PFWA in 2014. Other 2021 nominees for the Dr. Z Award were the late defensive line coach Bobb McKittrick, the late defensive coordinator Floyd Peters and the late defensive line coach John Teerlinck.
Here are the previous PFWA's Paul "Dr. Z" Zimmerman lifetime achievement award recipients: