Turner: I am Ashamed of the Boos

Chris Turner waltzed into Maryland’s offensive line room yesterday to talk to a few reporters. Well, maybe it was about 10 reporters. Turner wore a soccer jersey, which was pretty cool. He said he owns three of them. Here is part of the interview with Turner.

Q: What’s your take on all this?
A: It’s a little bit crazy. I didn’t see it happening, obviously. Like I said, as backup, I had to be ready for anything. Here I am now.

Q: When did you get the word?
A: I just found out today, like hearsay. I had a good idea. I knew Jordan messed up his thumb pretty bad. I was prepared for the worst.

Q: What kind of hearsay?
A: People were asking me. I said, ‘I don’t know.’ I got here and I found out.

Q: What have the last couple weeks been for you in terms of the emotional swings that you have had?
A: It has been a rollercoaster, for sure. You all know it was a pretty tough couple days. I don’t know, here I am. I’m just focused on right now. I’m not focused on the past. I’m happy with my choice to stay, obviously. I am just here for my team.

Q: Was it the same sort of mixed feelings you had when Jordan Steffy went down with the concussion?
A: It is definitely hard. It is almost like you didn’t earn it, almost like you don’t deserve it. It is just Jordan, it’s tough luck again. I don’t know what else to say. I have jammed my thumb 1,000 times and it’s the worst injury you can have as a quarterback and it’s just a finger. This is my job now.

Q: What did you think of your performance on Saturday, and do you think starting will give you a better chance?
A: I didn’t think much of my performance. I had, what, three pass attempts. I didn’t do a good job on third down. I have a lot of room to improve, I’ll put it that way. I guess I managed the last quarter well and got out with a ‘W.’ That was good. But I feel I have to throw the ball more accurately this weekend.

Q: By not being named the starter initially, did that light a fire in you at all?
Did it light a fire in me? It lit a fire in me in the sense that I had to be ready. I knew that I had to be ready because, here we are. I wouldn’t say it lit a huge fire. I go out and practice every day and do what I do and I think I had a pretty good practice today. I wasn’t so sharp yesterday, for whatever reason. I’m excited.

Q: You said a couple days after that decision that over the course of a 13-game season chances are that a backup quarterback will get in there. Did that play a role in how you were preparing?
A: It played a huge role because it is so inevitable. For one reason or another, things can happen. Injuries are the biggest thing. Unfortunately Jordan got injured. That is why you prepare as a backup. Quarterback is a funny position because it is really the only position where you don’t play as a backup unless something happens. So in that sense you need to be ready. And quarterbacks take a lot of shots, when we get hit we get hit, funny positions. We don’t give the hits, so in that sense we are a little more prone to injuries. So in that sense I did make sure I was ready.

Q: How is Jordan hanging in there right now?
A: He is doing really well. The game was tough. They were a pretty good team and gave us a lot of tough looks. He told me his thumb was bothering him in the third quarter and that maybe I should warm up. I said okay, I will start warming up but keep going, keep rolling, you are being tough. And he did a good job. He was hurt most of the third quarter. He said his thumb was bothering him. I said, okay, that’s good that you told me but try to fight it out. He did for a while and I guess at one point it was too much and now the diagnosis is not so good.

Q: Did you hear the fans getting on Jordan early in the game?
A: Yeah, I heard it and it bothered me. I don’t support that at all. It’s not cool. I am a little ashamed of it. I can’t control what they do. I wish they didn’t. it’s not cool at all, no way.

Q: Why do you feel you are the more popular quarterback among fans?
A: I can’t answer that question. You’d have to ask them.

Q; Do you feel you have the support of teammates?
A: Sure. I think Jordan did, too. I feel we both have the support of the team.

Q: What do you have to do over the next three to four weeks, when Steffy is expected to return?
A: I just have to prepare to win games. That’s my job. I’m not here to just do a decent job. I’m here to win games and have a good record. That’s what I’m here to do.

Q: Did you say anything to Jordan about the situation?
A: We talk all the time. I think it will be a quick recovery. Considering he played during the game.

Q: Do you think you have practiced better after not being named the starter?
A: I think I practiced better. I always do better in game-planning situations. Going against our defense, we run the stack defense, and it’s a lot of tough looks, and our offense isn’t even so good against that in a lot of different ways. So going against our defense, and having lots of meetings about the game plan and what we are going to do, I do better in that sense.