For Turner, His Number Holds Meaning Beyond What People Think

FORT COLLINS, Colo. – For those on the outside, the choice was a bit curious.

On the first day of spring camp, Colorado State's next in line at punter showed up sporting a No. 41 jersey. The same one worn by Ryan Stonehouse for five years. The same Stonehouse who garnered three first-team All-Mountain West honors. The California kid who came in and set the program's career and single-season records, becoming the first Ram to average better than 50 yards an attempt when he finished 2021 at 50.8. The NFL hopeful who became the NCAA's all-time career leader in punting average at 47.8 yards.

That number. Seemed like an odd choice. But it was natural for Paddy Turner, an honest-to-goodness newcomer to the punting game out of Australia.

"It was my dad's number," Turner said. "It's been a family number, and obviously with Ryan having such a successful year, it was also adding a bit of meaning as well. Dad has a big leg on him too, and I'm sure once he comes over, he'll want a bit of competition.

"Around these parts, it is Ryan's number, but in my mind, it is my family's number and something I'm very honored and proud to wear. I mean, I'm honored to wear Ryan's number as well, because his stats the past five years are just incredible."

His father, Scott Turner, was a professional Australian Rules Football player, a full back by trade who turned pro at 16 years old and went on to have an impressive 10 year career for the Richmond Tigers before knee injuries slowed him down.

Paddy grew up playing the game too, also earning a bit of a reputation in track; one of the new coaches on staff thought we was a wideout. Then he followed a trend which dates back a couple of decades, of Aussie footballers set to try their foot at punting an American football.

Four Australians have come to the States and won five Ray Guy Awards in the past eight years, Tom Hackett doing it twice for Utah. Last year alone, there were 56 Aussie punters in college football, and a handful of them have gone on to have NFL careers.

One of them was Tom Hornsey, who won the Guy Award while at Memphis in 2013, and he is one of two coaches Paddy has worked with back home. The other is Nathan Chatman, who punted for Green Bay. While Paddy is in Fort Collins, or his previous stop at Nevada, he sends tape home for both to watch and critique.

Colorado State special teams coordinator Tommy Perry is close by every practice and has his input, always realizing he is working with someone who is relatively new at the craft. Paddy has been in the State's for less than a year, but the improvement he's shown has been impressive

"I know he's new to this and fortunately he reminds me of that pretty often," Perry said. "But he's 22 years old, he's a very mature guy. He comes into my office – probably not enough – but he comes in two or three times a week and just talk for an hour. He's really engaging, really intelligent, really humble. My only criticism is he's a little self-critical. We talk about, hey that was good. Don't let good be the enemy of great."

While there are natural similarities to kicking the ball, there are nuances and differences Paddy has had to work around all the time.

The balls are different, not just in size and shape but in texture. The goal in what he's trying to do with the ball in the air isn't the same either, nor are the kicking motions as he learns the traditional punt and the rugby style.

"The best example is I'm trying to hit a target in Australian Rules Football, and here, I'm trying to keep it away from that target, the returner being the target," Paddy said. "I'm just trying to keep it away from him and play a bit of cat and mouse, where in Australian Rules Football I'm trying to hit my teammate like a receiver. That's the main difference for the skill. Then you're just adapt with the shield in front of you and the hang time operation as well.

"I'm still learning all the terminology and everything like that. There's still a lot of development to go, but that's always going to be the case. Anyone could be the best in the work and still have to develop their skills."

For obvious reasons, Paddy won't be confused with Stonehouse. Paddy is a bit taller and the biggest tell is he kicks with his left foot. The accent will give it away, too.

But like Stonehouse was carrying on a family legacy, so too in a way is Paddy. Like Stonehouse, he takes the craft very seriously, which his teammates have seen. And being a lefty, Melquan Stovall said his kicks are hard to handle.

"He's made huge strides from Nevada. He was under Julian Diaz, and he learned from him," Stovall said. "Definitely with the hang time. He's been getting it up there far, and with the wind we've been having, it's hard to judge.

"I think his kicks, when they come in the air, they float around weird, so it's kinda hard to adjust to catch it, and it has hang time on it. His ball, it spins, it doesn't go end-over-end, so when it comes down, it dives. That makes it hard to field."

Paddy has been in Fort Collins long enough to run into Stonehouse a few times, and the two have talked. But mostly, he just liked going out and watching Stonehouse work out in preparation for his NFL tryouts. He noticed the unique drop Stonehouse uses, but mostly the power he generates.

Paddy would one day like to get there himself, but he's not going to try to be Stonehouse, just himself. The position and the number may be the same, but Paddy is focused on creating his own brand far away from home while learning a new twist on an old skill.

"I have so much development to do and so much learning to do," he said. "I feel like I've come a long way, and I feel like I'm ready to do some damage this season, but I still have a lot of learning and developing to do."

The pigskin he kicks now is harder, less round and smaller than the Sherrin (some made of kangaroo) he grew up kicking, which has more spring to it, comparing it to a soccer ball.

It's a brand new world for him, even a new sport. He doesn't have the time to try to be somebody else, not even his father. But the number does mean something to him, someone he's proud of and wants to honor.

Meaning, there's nothing curious about a jersey at all when it's simply a coincidence.

Calendar

Upcoming Events

Recent Results