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Doug Turley

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Doug Turley
refer to caption
Turley in 1941
No. 21, 25, 22, 82
Position:End
Personal information
Born:(1918-11-25)November 25, 1918
Nanticoke, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Died:November 1, 1992(1992-11-01) (aged 73)
Delaware, U.S.
Height:6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Weight:215 lb (98 kg)
Career information
High school:Nanticoke (PA)
College:Scranton (1936–1939)
Undrafted:1940
Career history
As a player:
 * Offseason and/or practice squad member only
As a coach:
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics
Games played:50
Receptions:45
Receiving yards:608
Touchdowns:4
Stats at Pro Football Reference

Douglas Pershing Turley (November 25, 1918 – November 1, 1992) was an American professional football player and coach and basketball player. He played end for five seasons for the Washington Redskins of the National Football League (NFL), two with the Wilmington Clippers and one with the Bethlehem Bulldogs of the American Association (AA), and additionally had stints in the NFL with the Pittsburgh Steelers and Philadelphia Eagles. Turley also served as the Clippers' head coach for part of the 1949 season and played basketball with the Wilmington Blue Bombers of the American Basketball League (ABL), in addition to with several semi-professional teams. A resident of Delaware for most of his life, he was inducted into the Delaware Sports Hall of Fame in 1986.

Early life and education

Turley was born on November 25, 1918, in Nanticoke, Pennsylvania.[1] He attended Nanticoke High School and was a standout four-sport athlete, playing baseball, track, basketball and football, and was named All-Scholastic in the latter two.[2] He set the Wyoming Valley record in shotput in 1936 and won the Rogers Memorial Tournament with the Nanticoke Reds basketball team in three consecutive years (1937–1939), additionally being the Nanticoke Red Country League champion from 1937 to 1939.[2]

Turley began attending St. Thomas College (now known as the University of Scranton) in 1936, playing for the freshman sports teams and being described as the "star" of the freshman football squad under coach Pop Jones.[1][3][4] He first saw varsity action as a sophomore in 1937, and competed with Carl Tomasello for playing time at the "wing" position.[5] He fractured a bone in his wrist early in the season but continued playing, reportedly turning in his best performances afterwards according to The Tribune.[6] In a game against Saint Joseph's, Turley returned a blocked punt 12 yards for what would be the game-winning touchdown.[7] St. Thomas finished the football season with a final record of 6–1–1.[8] Turley also saw action for the varsity basketball team that year as a reserve, with one newspaper writing that he shows "remarkable improvement."[9]

Turley continued playing for the varsity football team as a junior in 1938, being in addition to a two-way starting end, the team's placekicker at times.[10][11] He helped them finish with an overall record of 7–2.[12] In 1939, Turley was one of only two starters from the prior year to return to Scranton (having been renamed that year from St. Thomas), along with Carl Tomasello.[13] He served as a team captain and led them to an undefeated record of 7–0–2.[14][15] Turley graduated in June 1940.[16]

Professional career

Football

After going unselected in the 1940 NFL Draft, Turley was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Pittsburgh Steelers.[17] They had received suggestions to do so from Turley's Scranton coach Tom Davies, as well as from coaches who had opposed him, including Red Edwards (Saint Vincent) and Joe Bach (Niagara).[17] He was released by the Steelers on September 9.[18] Turley signed with the Philadelphia Eagles on July 17, 1941, but was released on September 3.[18] Afterwards, he joined the minor league Wilmington Clippers of the American Association (AA), playing all nine games, five as a starter, while helping them win their only league championship.[1][19] Wilmington became an independent team in 1942, due to the AA suspending as a result of World War II, and were considered the best pro football team outside of the NFL.[19][20] Turley appeared in all nine games, eight as a starter, for the 1942 Clippers, contributing to their 8–1 record that included wins of over 28 points in all but the season finale, when they tied the Philadelphia Eagles 21–21.[21]

Turley sat out the 1943 season as the Clippers also suspended due to the war.[20][22] He was head coach of the semi-professional Wilmington Arrows during the year.[23] The NFL held what was described as a "peculiar 'hat trick' drafting scheme" in 1944 in which former American Association players were picked, and Turley ended up being sent to the Washington Redskins.[24][25][26] He signed with them at the start of July and ended up making the final roster.[27][28] Turley appeared in a total of seven games on the year, posting eight receptions for 112 yards with one touchdown.[29] His one score came in a 42–20 win over Card-Pitt and was a 35-yard pass thrown by Sammy Baugh, which would be the longest play of Turley's career.[29][30]

Turley had his best season in 1945, helping the Redskins reach the NFL Championship Game while totaling 17 catches for 185 yards and one score in 10 games, eight of which he started.[29][31] He later recalled the championship in an interview with The News Journal's Matt Zabitka:

We played that game [won by the Rams 15–14] in subzero weather. It was 4-below zero. The field was frozen. It was so cold, the bands couldn't play. Their instruments were frozen. And, in those days, they had cameras with oil in them, and they became inoperable. Never forget that one. I played all but 30 seconds of the entire game. That's going both ways, and without all that protective equipment players wear today.[31]

The Los Angeles Times named Turley Washington's most outstanding end during the 1945 season and reported that for his "quiet, unassuming way," he was one of the most popular members of the team.[26] End coach Wayne Millner said that "[Turley's] not spectacular, but he's the most reliable end the Redskins have. He's the one guy certain of making the club. I want to see the rest under fire before passing judgement on them."[32] He played nine games in the 1946 season, four as a starter, and had six catches for 105 yards with no scores.[29]

Turley was pursued by the Wilmington Clippers (having returned to the AA from their suspension) and a team in the All-America Football Conference (AAFC) in 1947, but ultimately remained with Washington.[29][33] He played 12 games in the 1947 season, three as a starter, and caught six passes for 95 yards and one touchdown.[29] He played his final season with Washington in 1948, playing 12 games, four as a starter, and making eight catches for 111 yards.[29] He additionally scored a touchdown off a 33-yard fumble return.[29]

Turley left the Redskins in 1949 to accept a position as player-coach with the Wilmington Clippers.[34][35] He became the fifth head coach in the team's history (preceded by Dutch Slagle, Walt Masters, George Veneroso and Les Dodson).[34] Bob Hainlen was announced as an assistant coach and the team began the season with an exhibition on September 1.[36] The Clippers lost their first exhibition to the Hawaiian Warriors, 21–0, before winning their second against the Erie Vets, 21–20.[37] Wilmington opened the regular season with a 38–0 loss to the Richmond Rebels and then defeated the Jersey City Giants 6–0.[37] The Clippers lost their third game, against the Paterson Panthers, by a score of 27–0, after which the team president made a stunning and unprecedented move to demote Turley to being an assistant and replace him with Larry Weldon.[37][38] He quit the team the day afterwards, subsequently joining the Bethlehem Bulldogs in a playing role.[39] Weldon made his coaching debut against Bethlehem on the day of Turley's signing, and the Bulldogs defeated the Clippers by a score of 22–7.[40] With Bethlehem, Turley was switched from being an end to a tackle.[41] He appeared in five games for the Bulldogs, three as a starter, before retiring.[1] He finished his career with 50 games in the NFL, 19 as a starter, and 45 catches for 608 yards and four total touchdowns, along with 23 games played in minor leagues with Wilmington and Bethlehem.[1]

Basketball and baseball

Turley also played several seasons of semi-professional basketball and baseball as well as some professional basketball.[42] In the 1941–42 season, he was a member of both the Pusey & Jones basketball team with several Clippers teammates, as well as St. Nicholas' in the C. Y. O. Basketball League.[43][44] In 1943, he played baseball for Pusey & Jones.[45] Turley played basketball in the C. Y. O. League with Sacred Heart at the start of the 1943–44 season, before later joining St. Ann's.[46] He was named to the league all-star squad.[47]

In the 1944–45 season, Turley played for St. Ann's and for the professional Wilmington Blue Bombers of the American Basketball League (ABL).[42][48] With Wilmington, he appeared in two regular season games and one playoff match, totaling one field goal and one free throw for three points in the regular season, while having two points off of a field goal in the playoffs.[42] In the 1945–46 season, Turley played with a team in Nanticoke, scoring 70 total points on 16 free throws and 27 field goals while playing 17 games.[42] In 1946–47, he played for a team known as the Washington Redskins, partly made up of players from the football team.[49] He joined the Sunbury Mercuries in 1947–48.[50]

Personal life and death

Turley married Sylvia Maga in November 1940 and had two children with her.[2][51] He moved to Delaware when he joined the Clippers, and lived there for the rest of his life.[22] He later coached St. Elizabeth's in the C. Y. O. League to five championships.[24] He worked for DuPont until retiring in 1981.[22] Turley was inducted into the Delaware Sports Hall of Fame in 1986 and into the Luzerne County Sports Hall of Fame in 1990.[2][22] He died on November 1, 1992, in Delaware, at the age of 74.[1][29]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f "Doug Turley Stats". Pro Football Archives.
  2. ^ a b c d "Douglas Turley". Luzerne County Sports Hall of Fame.
  3. ^ "Doug Turley, Nanticoke, On Tommies Quint". Wilkes-Barre Times Leader / Evening News. December 23, 1936. p. 17 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  4. ^ "St. Thomas Cagers Ragged In Practice". Times Leader. December 15, 1936. p. 18 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  5. ^ "Husky Sophs Threaten to Dislodge St. Thomas Varsity Regulars". The Tribune. September 25, 1937. p. 12 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  6. ^ "Tommies Rest After Triumph Over Canisius". The Tribune. November 9, 1937. p. 14 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  7. ^ "8,000 Fans See Tommies Beat Rivals". Times Leader. October 18, 1937. p. 18 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  8. ^ "Team Records Game by Game: 1937 - Scranton (PA)". College Football Data Warehouse. Archived from the original on September 19, 2015 – via Wayback Machine.
  9. ^ "Nanticoke Boy To See Action With Tommies". Times Leader. December 29, 1937. p. 12 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  10. ^ "U. of Scranton Displays Power in Opener, Routing St. Francis, 32-0". The Tribune. September 26, 1938. p. 13 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  11. ^ "Turley Makes Strong Bid For Tomcats". Times Leader. September 19, 1938. p. 19 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  12. ^ "Team Records Game by Game: 1938 - Scranton (PA)". College Football Data Warehouse. Archived from the original on September 19, 2015 – via Wayback Machine.
  13. ^ "Tommies To Report Tuesday". The Scranton Times-Tribune. August 30, 1939. p. 19 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  14. ^ Feldman, Chic (September 30, 1939). "Doug Turley to Captain Tom-Cats This Evening". The Tribune. p. 15 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  15. ^ "Team Records Game by Game: 1939 - Scranton (PA)". College Football Data Warehouse. Archived from the original on September 19, 2015 – via Wayback Machine.
  16. ^ "16 Athletes To Graduate At Scranton". Times Leader. June 7, 1940. p. 23 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  17. ^ a b "Doug Turley Signs To Play Football For Pittsburgh Bucs". Times Leader. January 11, 1940. p. 15 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  18. ^ a b "Doug Turley NFL Transactions". Pro Football Archives.
  19. ^ a b Gill, Bob (1990). "Nothing minor about it" (PDF). The Coffin Corner. Professional Football Researchers Association. pp. 1–10. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 26, 2012.
  20. ^ a b Gelbert, Doug (April 10, 2016). "Football". The Great(er) Delaware Sports Book: Second Edition. Cruden Bay Books. ISBN 9781935771326. Archived from the original on December 23, 2021.
  21. ^ "1942 Wilmington Clippers". Pro Football Archives.
  22. ^ a b c d Zabitka, Matt (April 13, 1986). "Seven chosen for Delaware Hall of Fame". The Morning News. p. 74, 75 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  23. ^ "Clipper Mates Rival Coaches". Journal-Every Evening. December 2, 1943. p. 28 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  24. ^ a b "1986 Inductees". Delaware Sports Hall of Fame.
  25. ^ Greenstein, Ben (June 28, 1944). "Grid League Drafts Clippers; Michaels 'Eyes' Wrestling". Journal-Every Evening. p. 16 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  26. ^ a b "Know Your Ram and Redskin Pro Football Stars". Los Angeles Times. August 18, 1946. p. 17 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  27. ^ "Doug Turley Signed By Washington Redskins". Scrantonian Tribune. Associated Press. July 2, 1944. p. 24 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  28. ^ "18 Former Clippers In National League". The Morning News. September 15, 1944. p. 26 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  29. ^ a b c d e f g h i "Doug Turley Stats". Pro-Football-Reference.com.
  30. ^ "Doug Turley 1944 Touchdown Log". Pro-Football-Reference.com.
  31. ^ a b Zabitka, Matt (November 29, 1985). "Ex-NFL player recalls days of little pay, big fun". The News Journal – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  32. ^ Atchison, Lewis F. (August 22, 1946). "Turley, Former Miner, Is Making Good in Big Way as Redskin End". Washington Evening Star. p. 19 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  33. ^ Atchison, Lewis F. (February 21, 1947). "Skins' Turley Looking To Other Grid Jobs; Marshall Helps". Washington Evening Star. p. 55 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  34. ^ a b Levin, Marty (February 18, 1949). "Doug Turley Named Coach Of Clippers Football Team". The Morning News. p. 1, 36 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  35. ^ Cartwright, Al (July 15, 1949). "A La Carte". Journal-Every Evening. p. 12 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  36. ^ "Clippers Seek First Exhibition Victory Tomorrow at Erie". Journal-Every Evening. September 10, 1949. p. 15 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  37. ^ a b c "1949 Wilmington Clippers (AFL)". Pro Football Archives.
  38. ^ "Weldon Replaces Turley As Clippers' Head Coach". The Morning News. October 5, 1949. p. 27 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  39. ^ "Doug Turley Quits Fleet". Journal-Every Evening. October 6, 1949. p. 43 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  40. ^ Cartwright, Al (November 12, 1949). "Clippers and Bethlehem A. L. Foes Here Tonight". Journal-Every Evening. p. 8 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  41. ^ "Paterson Seeks Revenge Win Tonight". The News. October 19, 1949. p. 30 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  42. ^ a b c d "Doug Turley". Pro Basketball Encyclopedia.
  43. ^ "Clippers Help Pusey's Debut In Shop League". Journal-Every Evening. January 26, 1942. p. 18 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  44. ^ "St. Nicholas' Scores Win—Harbert Takes Golf Playoff". The Morning News. February 17, 1942. p. 16 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  45. ^ "Semi-Pro Loop Top Nines Win To Retain Edge". Journal-Every Evening. June 8, 1943. p. 20 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  46. ^ "Sacred Heart, Tommies Win C. Y. O. Games". Journal-Every Evening. December 7, 1943. p. 18 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  47. ^ "C. Y. O. All-Stars To Meet Officers' Quint". Journal-Every Evening. January 10, 1944. p. 14 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  48. ^ "2nd Ferrying Group And St. Ann's Score C. Y. O. Series Wins". The Morning News. March 10, 1945. p. 12 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  49. ^ "Barons To Engage Redskin Quintet Here Today". Richmond Times-Dispatch. January 19, 1947. p. 26 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  50. ^ "Mercuries, Washington Pro Five Collide Here Tonight". The Daily Item. December 15, 1947. p. 15 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  51. ^ "Miss Sylvia Maga Weds Doug Turley". Times Leader. November 30, 1940. p. 11 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
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