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Jim Turner, the former NFL placekicker, has died at the age of 82. He died of congestive heart failure and was surrounded of his family, as per reports.
Turner achieved great success in his career, notably winning Super Bowl III with the New York Jets, which remains the franchise's only championship victory to date. The significance of that game extends beyond the Jets' triumph, as it played a pivotal role in the continued existence of the Super Bowl. As an AFL team, the Jets were underestimated by NFL teams, and there were rumors that the arrangement between the two leagues would not have continued.
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As Jim Turner himself commented when speaking to the Jets after retirement, he said,
"I think it saved the Super Bowl. I had heard many a time, and I believe it, that there would be no more Super Bowls, that the NFL wanted to snub this little league. We were called 'the pitch and catch league' and they were called 'three yards and a cloud of dust.'"
With his typical humor, he also recounted that he was not half bad as a kicker. He added,
"They didn't realize how tough and how good Joe Namath was. How stout Matt Snell was. We were led by Al Atkinson and a bunch of no-name guys on defense. We had a very good defense that was quick. And our kicking game was better than anybody."
His claim is far from baseless, as he still holds the distinction of being the third-highest scorer in the history of the New York Jets, with 697 points. In the Super Bowl against the Baltimore Colts, Turner made three field goals and one extra point, outscoring the entire opposition and contributing significantly to their 16-7 victory.
Jim Turner's career beyond the New York Jets with the Denver Broncos
Despite winning the Super Bowl with the New York Jets, his career is much deeper than his career there. He was drafted in the NFL Draft by Washington but chose to join the AFL and the Jets.
He played there from 1964 to 1970, and went to two Pro Bowls and won one Super Bowl. He was traded to the Denver Broncos for kicker Bobby Howfield by the Jets.
Playing for the Denver Broncos, he took them to the Super Bowl as well but lost the XII edition of the championship game against the Dallas Cowboys. He was inducted in the Broncos Ring of Fame for his efforts.
