Nolan Turner on being a leader in 2020: 'I've got to hold myself to a higher standard'

We had a chance to catch up with Clemson safety Nolan Turner yesterday afternoon and as one of Clemson’s leaders, he is excited to get back out on the gridiron Saturday at Wake Forest. Here are a few notes along with the entire interview above.

On finally being able to step onto the field again Saturday night:

“Yeah, we've waited such a long time like you said. And we've experienced and gone through so much over this offseason. Starting back to shoulder surgery; had that back in the spring. Got to watch all the guys compete throughout the spring. But really it was a good opportunity for me to kind of repair the shoulder and get back into some treatment, and get my strength back and really just heal. So it's been good. But yeah, after all that, we're just super excited to compete Saturday. And we're looking to start competing against some other guys other than Trevor Lawrence out here too.”

On Trevor Lawrence’s progression throughout the offseason:

“The dude can make any throw. Y'all have seen him on gameday. He's just such an incredible talent, such a different player. I think this year it's just so obvious how comfortable he is back there. His experience really shows. Picking up blitzes and making the right throws, making the right decisions. You've just got to remind yourself sometimes when you're having a tough practice that you don't see this quarterback every week, thank goodness. But he's just a different guy. Super talented, super competitive and just a great leader. It's just a special guy to have on our team.”

On Trevor Lawrence’s emergence as a national voice for social justice:

“Since the day he stepped foot on campus he's been a leader. Just very mature for his age when he came in as a freshman, just strictly about his business. And he kind of earned that respect coming in as a freshman; not by what he says, but how he worked and just his level of maturity. And I think that's been who he is since day one. And so just seeing him grow throughout these three years he's been here has been special. He's just such a good leader and such a good representative from this team.

I think it's just the type of guys that come into this program. You saw it in Deshaun Watson the same way; just the type of leader he was. And then it comes down to Trevor and whoever else takes over after them. Just a different level of maturity. It's just great leadership that people build throughout their time here.”

On his newfound role as a teacher/mentor to some of the younger players:

“That's the biggest thing with young guys,  just explaining to them that it's all about just doing your job. The plays will come, and you'll make the plays that you need to make. But these guys made it easy. They're super committed, obviously all super talented, and they've really bought in and you can tell they care. So it's been cool to see them mature over this time and watch them learn throughout camp.

To watch them compete, to get better and fail, and then continue to get better and build off of it. It's just been fun to watch. And I'm just super excited to get out there and play with these guys, with this defense and this team. It just feels like it's been so long and we're ready to get out there on Saturday.”

On players who could make a name for themselves going into this season:

“Lannden's [Zanders] just such a good player; super rangy, can really cover some ground. He's great in coverage. He's made some great strides throughout camp, watching him cover one-on-one. And it's impressive to watch. It's cool to see his fundamentals and how they've grown.

Other guys: Joseph Charleston is a physical dude, a great tackler. He's been getting a lot smarter and learning the defense. And it's been cool to see.

Same thing with Jalen Phillips and Ray Thornton. Just two great athletes. And they're developing too, learning.

Everyone's just gotten so much better over camp, and it's cool to have seen them come from their freshman year to now. They just all look like different dudes. So by week six or seven, a bunch of those guys will have made a big name for themselves.”

On his personal growth as a leader:

“I think I've got to hold myself to a higher standard. You've got to always continue to be that leader and just lead by example. So it's been fun to just be with these guys and hear their questions and answer them, and kind of be that oldhead now that people ask those questions to. So it's been cool. It's been a good experience for me. I've definitely grown as a leader throughout this time, so it's been a good experience.”

On his relationship with Jake Herbstreit:

“It's been cool to have Jake over at the safety side now. He was with the corners for a while and he's made that transition over to safety and done a great job: moving positions, learning a different spot, having a different feel out in the field. He always comes in and works hard. So it's been fun to build that relationship with Jake, too. Me and Jake have a good relationship, and it's been fun to get to know him and see him grow as a player these last couple years.”

On the NCAA ruling granting another year of eligibility:

“I haven't thought too much about it. Obviously, it's a great rule, giving everyone another year back. But I'm just kind of taking it one day at a time. Hopefully, this season works out the way we think it will, where we'll get all our games. But when that time comes for me to make that kind of decision, I'll put more thought into it for sure. But as of now we're just ready for this week, ready to play Wake Forest on Saturday.

But I think it's a great thing for a lot of guys. For Braden, for example, who got a year snipped from him a couple years ago, getting that year back now. So I'm excited for some guys like that who ultimately get another redshirt year.”

On the new-look receiving core:

“The biggest thing I've seen in practice is speed. They can all move really well. They're all fast. You've got Amari back, coming back for his fourth year as kind of the leader. Cornell, as well as a fifth-year guy. And I've seen them grow. I see the speed out there. We've got ballers all over that wide receiver group. So you'll see them step up and make plays. I don't expect there to be any drop off there. That's a hard-working group of guys that shined through camp, so they're gonna be fun to watch.”

On the success of Clemson this past decade and the next ten years for the Tigers:

“Like Coach Swinney always says, ‘the best is yet to come,’ and that's how the foundation of this program is built. And I think you see every year, it just gets a little bit better. And it's exciting to see and think about where this program is headed. It's been an incredible decade. And that's just all about the type of guys we bring in here. The work ethic these people have, the coaches have.

Then we start over each year and reinstall the program, and reinstall everything we do and make sure everyone's on the same page. So we can ultimately take off and get to that point that we want to be. So I think we do it the right way. And, it's going to be incredible to see where this program is 10 years from now.”