Kyle Turley
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Kyle John Turley (born September 24, 1975) is a former
American football American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team with ...
offensive tackle Offensive may refer to: * Offensive, the former name of the Dutch political party Socialist Alternative * Offensive (military), an attack * Offensive language ** Fighting words or insulting language, words that by their very utterance inflict inj ...
who played nine seasons in the
National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ...
(NFL). Selected 7th overall in the
1998 NFL draft The 1998 NFL draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 18–19, 1998, at the Theater at M ...
, Turley played five seasons for the
New Orleans Saints The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans. The Saints compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. Since 1975, the te ...
and a year with the
St. Louis Rams The St. Louis Rams were a professional American football team of the National Football League (NFL). They played in St. Louis from 1995 to the 2015 season, before moving back to Los Angeles, where the team had played from 1946 to 1994. The arr ...
before a serious back injury sidelined him for the 2004 and 2005 seasons. He returned to football in 2006 as a member of the
Kansas City Chiefs The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division. The tea ...
, where he spent the last two years of his career before announcing his retirement in December 2007. Turley's high level of play earned him
All-Pro All-Pro is an honor bestowed upon professional American football players that designates the best player at each position during a given season. All-Pro players are typically selected by press organizations, who select an "All-Pro team," a list th ...
honors for the 2000 season and a
Pro Bowl The National Football League All-Star Game (1939–1942), Pro Bowl (1951–2022), or Pro Bowl Games (starting in 2023) is an annual event held by the National Football League (NFL) featuring the league's star players. The format has changed thro ...
invite following the 2001 season. His career is best remembered by many for a 2001 incident in which he ripped off an opposing player's helmet and tossed it downfield, playing a key factor in his team losing the game but also earning the respect of many Saints fans for his defense of the quarterback. Turley played college football at
San Diego State San Diego State University (SDSU) is a public research university in San Diego, California. Founded in 1897 as San Diego Normal School, it is the third-oldest university and southernmost in the 23-member California State University (CSU) system ...
. Following his retirement from football, Turley set out on a music career that included the release of several albums and the launch of his own record label. Playing his "power country" style of music, Turley opened for a number of well-known musical acts, including in 2010 when he went on tour with
Hank Williams III Shelton Hank Williams (born December 12, 1972), known as Hank Williams III, is an American musician, singer and multi-instrumentalist, known for his unique fusion of traditional country music, rockabilly, heavy metal and punk rock. He was the ...
. Turley has also been outspoken and involved in a number of player health issues post-retirement, particularly in regards to the neurological problems resulting from his football career ( early onset Alzheimer's, CTE symptomatic,
seizures An epileptic seizure, informally known as a seizure, is a period of symptoms due to abnormally excessive or neural oscillation, synchronous neuronal activity in the brain. Outward effects vary from uncontrolled shaking movements involving much o ...
,
vertigo Vertigo is a condition where a person has the sensation of movement or of surrounding objects moving when they are not. Often it feels like a spinning or swaying movement. This may be associated with nausea, vomiting, sweating, or difficulties w ...
) and his use of
cannabis ''Cannabis'' () is a genus of flowering plants in the family Cannabaceae. The number of species within the genus is disputed. Three species may be recognized: ''Cannabis sativa'', '' C. indica'', and '' C. ruderalis''. Alternatively ...
as treatment. Turley is a board member and active supporter of the Gridiron Greats Assistance Fund, an organization providing medical care and other forms of assistance to retired NFL players in dire need.


Early years

Turley was born in
Provo, Utah Provo ( ) is the fourth-largest city in Utah, United States. It is south of Salt Lake City along the Wasatch Front. Provo is the largest city and county seat of Utah County and is home to Brigham Young University (BYU). Provo lies between the ...
. He lived in Utah as well as the state of Washington before moving to southern California at the age of 10. Growing up Turley enjoyed surfing and skateboarding, and took an interest in music. Turley attended Valley View High School in
Moreno Valley, California Moreno Valley is a city in Riverside County, California, United States, and is part of the Riverside–San Bernardino–Ontario metropolitan area. It is the second-largest city in Riverside County by population and one of the Inland Empire's p ...
. He played defensive end during his only season of football as a senior in 1992, earning first-team all-league honors and attracting athletic scholarship offers from several universities seeking to recruit him. Turley also played baseball and was recognized with all-state honors as a wrestler.


College career

Turley played college football at
San Diego State University San Diego State University (SDSU) is a public research university in San Diego, California. Founded in 1897 as San Diego Normal School, it is the third-oldest university and southernmost in the 23-member California State University (CSU) system ...
, redshirting his first year in 1993. During his time on the scout team he practiced on both the offensive and defensive line, and was given the choice afterwards of where he wanted to play. Turley chose offensive line as it allowed him the opportunity to work with O-line coach Ed White, a 17-year veteran of the NFL who played in four
Super Bowl The Super Bowl is the annual final playoff game of the National Football League (NFL) to determine the league champion. It has served as the final game of every NFL season since 1966, replacing the NFL Championship Game. Since 2022, the game ...
s. Turley's most notable achievements came his final season in 1997, earning first-team All-American honors and being named a semifinalist for the
Lombardi Award The Rotary Lombardi Award is an award for college football in the United States. Awarded by the Rotary Club of Houston, Texas annually to the college football player "who best embodies the values and spirit of NFL's legendary coach Vince Lomba ...
and
Outland Trophy The Outland Trophy is awarded to the best college football interior lineman in the United States as adjudged by the Football Writers Association of America. It is named after John H. Outland. One of only a few players ever to be named an All-Am ...
. He was also twice named All-
Western Athletic Conference The Western Athletic Conference (WAC) is an NCAA Division I conference. The WAC covers a broad expanse of the western United States with member institutions located in Arizona, California, New Mexico, Utah, Washington (state), Washington, and Texa ...
first-team during his time at SDSU. Turley was inducted into the Aztec Hall of Fame in 2011.


Professional career


New Orleans Saints

Turley was selected 7th overall by the
New Orleans Saints The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans. The Saints compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. Since 1975, the te ...
in the
1998 NFL draft The 1998 NFL draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 18–19, 1998, at the Theater at M ...
. Initially not projected as a high first round pick, Turley's draft stock rose dramatically after turning in a stellar 4.93 seconds for the
40-yard dash The 40-yard dash is a sprint covering . It is primarily run to evaluate the speed and acceleration of American football players by scouts, particularly for the NFL Draft but also for collegiate recruiting. A player's recorded time can have a he ...
at the
NFL combine The NFL Scouting Combine is a week-long showcase occurring every February at Lucas Oil Stadium (and formerly at the RCA Dome until 2008) in Indianapolis, where college football players perform physical and mental tests in front of National Footba ...
. Turley's performance caught the eye of then-Saints coach
Mike Ditka Michael Keller Ditka (born Michael Dyczko; October 18, 1939) is an American former football player, coach, and television commentator. A member of both the College (1986) and the Pro (1988) Football Halls of Fame, he was UPI NFL Rookie of Year i ...
, and the team subsequently made him the first offensive linemen selected in the 1998 draft. He signed a six-year contract on July 24, 1998. Turley played a total of five seasons for the Saints, making an immediate impact by starting 15 games his rookie season and earning all-rookie honors from ''
Pro Football Weekly ''Pro Football Weekly'' (sometimes shortened to ''PFW'') is an American sports magazine, founded in 1967, and website that covers the National Football League (NFL). It was owned by Pro Football Weekly LLC and headquartered in Riverwoods, Illinoi ...
'', ''Football News'', and ''
Football Digest ''Football Digest'' was a sports magazine for fans interested in professional American football, with in-depth coverage of the National Football League (NFL). The magazine modeled the ''Reader's Digest'' idea, to bring the best in football journali ...
''. A durable presence on the Saints offensive line, Turley missed only one game due to ankle injury during his five years in New Orleans. Turley would prove to be a versatile player as well, starting mostly at left guard his rookie season, then moving to right tackle the next three seasons, and over to left tackle in 2002. His strong play earned him first-team
All-Pro All-Pro is an honor bestowed upon professional American football players that designates the best player at each position during a given season. All-Pro players are typically selected by press organizations, who select an "All-Pro team," a list th ...
honors following the 2000 season and an invitation to the
Pro Bowl The National Football League All-Star Game (1939–1942), Pro Bowl (1951–2022), or Pro Bowl Games (starting in 2023) is an annual event held by the National Football League (NFL) featuring the league's star players. The format has changed thro ...
as a substitute following the 2001 season. He would turn down the Pro Bowl invite to serve as grand marshall of the Endymion Parade during
Mardi Gras Mardi Gras (, ) refers to events of the Carnival celebration, beginning on or after the Christian feasts of the Epiphany (Three Kings Day) and culminating on the day before Ash Wednesday, which is known as Shrove Tuesday. is French for "Fat ...
, however. During his time in New Orleans, Turley became a fan favorite for his spirited style of play and colorful personality. His popularity especially took off after the helmet tossing incident of 2001, with many Saints fans lining up to buy his jersey afterwards. Turley's antics were less well-received among team management however, particularly leading up to his March 2003 trade when Turley engaged in a public dispute with general manager
Mickey Loomis Mickey Loomis is the executive vice president and General manager of the NFL's New Orleans Saints. He was named NFL executive of the year for 2006. From 2012-2019, he was also head of basketball operations for the New Orleans Pelicans of the N ...
. Amongst players in the league, Turley came to be known by some as a dirty player due to his frequent use of cut blocks and ambushing of unsuspecting defenders. Turley defended his use of the cut block, noting that it is a legal maneuver and that he is simply doing his job within the rules of the game. Turley's football career is best remembered by many for an on-field altercation that occurred in a game against the
New York Jets The New York Jets are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Jets compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The J ...
on November 4, 2001. Trailing 16–9 in the final minute of the game, the Saints were driving deep into opposition territory with the ball at the 6-yard line on second-and-3. After quarterback Aaron Brooks was tackled on a scramble to the 5-yard line, Jets safety
Damien Robinson Damien Robinson (born December 22, 1973) is a former safety of the NFL. He played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, New York Jets, and Seattle Seahawks. He attended college at the University of Iowa. Professional career Philadelphia Eagles The E ...
grabbed him by the facemask and bent his body backwards while twisting his head to the side. Turley stepped in and separated the two, then picked up Robinson by the facemask and threw him to the ground as referees and players from both teams tried to break up the scrum. Turley emerged from the pile with Robinson's helmet in hand and flung it across the field before making an obscene gesture. Robinson and Turley received offsetting personal fouls for the initial incident, but Turley was assessed an additional personal foul and ejected from the game for the helmet toss and obscene gesture. The penalty set the Saints back 15 yards and they ended up losing the game after failing to score on the drive. Saints head coach
Jim Haslett James Donald Haslett (born December 9, 1955) is an American football coach and former linebacker who is the head coach of the Seattle Sea Dragons of the XFL. He played college football for the IUP Crimson Hawks before being drafted by the Bu ...
said he initially considered cutting Turley before seeing a clearer view of the incident on film and discussing it with quarterback Aaron Brooks, who thought his neck had been broken at the time. Turley was subsequently fined $25,000 by the Saints organization and requested to attend counseling for management of anger issues. Many Saints fans applauded Turley's actions on the other hand, setting up a "Kyle Turley Defense Fund" to assist in payment of the fine and putting up "Turley for mayor" signs around the city. The incident occurred during a nationally televised game and received a significant amount of media attention afterwards, putting Turley's name in the national spotlight for the first time.


St. Louis Rams

Turley was traded to the
St. Louis Rams The St. Louis Rams were a professional American football team of the National Football League (NFL). They played in St. Louis from 1995 to the 2015 season, before moving back to Los Angeles, where the team had played from 1946 to 1994. The arr ...
on March 21, 2003, in exchange for a 2nd round pick in the 2004 draft. He was immediately signed to a 5-year, $26.5 million extension (in addition to the one year remaining on his contract), making Turley the fourth-highest paid offensive lineman in the league. With future hall-of-famer
Orlando Pace Orlando Lamar Pace (born November 4, 1975) is a former American football tackle who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 13 seasons, primarily with the St. Louis Rams. Pace played college football at Ohio State, where he twice recei ...
already entrenched at the starting left tackle position, Turley moved to the right side and started all 16 regular games plus the single playoff game of the Rams 2003 season. During week 7, Turley suffered a severe concussion after taking a knee to the back of the head, but he was cleared for practice by mid-week and started the next game (as Turley would later attest in a January 2010 congressional hearing on the NFL's handling of concussions). In December 2003, Turley was featured on the cover of ''
Sports Illustrated ''Sports Illustrated'' (''SI'') is an American sports magazine first published in August 1954. Founded by Stuart Scheftel, it was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the National Magazine Award for General Excellence twic ...
''. Turley underwent surgery to repair a
herniated disc Spinal disc herniation is an injury to the cushioning and connective tissue between vertebrae, usually caused by excessive strain or trauma to the spine. It may result in back pain, pain or sensation in different parts of the body, and physical ...
in March 2004. He re-aggravated the injury during training camp and was placed on
injured reserve The injured reserve list ( IR list) is a designation used in North American professional sports leagues for athletes who suffer injuries and become unable to play. The exact name of the list varies by league; it is known as "injured reserve" in th ...
on August 28, ending his season. Turley ruled out a second surgery on his back and opted for a long rehabilitation instead, during which his weight dropped to 235 pounds from a normal playing weight of 310. In December, he was involved in a heated exchange regarding the matter with head coach
Mike Martz Michael Martz (born May 13, 1951) is an American football coach. Best known for his coaching tenure with the St. Louis Rams of the National Football League (NFL), he served as the offensive coordinator for the Rams' Greatest Show on Turf offe ...
, after which Martz filed a complaint with NFL security. No disciplinary action was taken as a result, but Turley admitted that hard feelings lingered. Turley also harbored feelings of resentment leading up to the incident, believing that the organization acted recklessly and carelessly in pushing him to return from back surgery too soon and advising him to play through initial onset of the injury during the 2003 season. During his continued rehabilitation in 2005, Turley suggested he may switch to the defensive end position to lessen the load on his back. He was released by the Rams on June 6, 2005, however, after failing a physical. He ended up spending the entire 2004 and 2005 seasons out of football, continuing his recovery and training for a return in 2006.


Kansas City Chiefs

After a mini-camp tryout at tight end for the
Miami Dolphins The Miami Dolphins are a professional American football team based in the Miami metropolitan area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member team of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The team pla ...
, Turley signed a two-year contract with the
Kansas City Chiefs The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division. The tea ...
on June 13, 2006, where he would compete for a starting job at the right tackle position. He started the first two games of the season, but recurring back problems and a shoulder injury late in the season ended up limiting him to 7 starts in 7 games played. He was also overpowered at times on the field due to playing below his normal weight from before his 2004 back surgery. Turley was released by the Chiefs in March 2007, but re-signed to a new one-year contract on July 26, 2007. Having regained most of his normal playing weight in the offseason, Turley reported to training camp at 300 pounds. Turley's health would again be an issue during the season, however, as he dealt with hamstring, ankle, and back problems. He started 5 of 7 games played in and ended the season on injured reserve. Turley announced his retirement from football on December 21, 2007.


Life after football


Music career


Early years

Turley's passion for music began early in life, taking up the guitar at age 14. He listened to
punk Punk or punks may refer to: Genres, subculture, and related aspects * Punk rock, a music genre originating in the 1970s associated with various subgenres * Punk subculture, a subculture associated with punk rock, or aspects of the subculture s ...
,
grunge Grunge (sometimes referred to as the Seattle sound) is an alternative rock genre and subculture that emerged during the in the American Pacific Northwest state of Washington, particularly in Seattle and nearby towns. Grunge fuses elements of p ...
, and
metal A metal (from Greek μέταλλον ''métallon'', "mine, quarry, metal") is a material that, when freshly prepared, polished, or fractured, shows a lustrous appearance, and conducts electricity and heat relatively well. Metals are typicall ...
growing up as a teenager in southern California, and was also exposed heavily to
country music Country (also called country and western) is a genre of popular music that originated in the Southern and Southwestern United States in the early 1920s. It primarily derives from blues, church music such as Southern gospel and spirituals, ...
from being around his father. During his football career Turley played in a number of bands in the offseason, including various
cover band A cover band (or covers band) is a band that plays songs recorded by someone else, sometimes mimicking the original as accurately as possible, and sometimes re-interpreting or changing the original. These remade songs are known as cover songs. Ne ...
s and a
death metal Death metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music. It typically employs heavily distorted and low-tuned guitars, played with techniques such as palm muting and tremolo picking; deep growling vocals; aggressive, powerful drumming, feat ...
band named Perpetual Death Mode. He also jammed with other NFL players, and learned to play bass and drums. While living in New Orleans, Turley immersed himself heavily in the local music scene where he befriended a number of musicians, including
Phil Anselmo Philip Hansen Anselmo (born June 30, 1968) is an American Heavy metal music, heavy metal vocalist best known as the lead singer for Pantera, Down (band), Down, and Superjoint, amongst other musical projects. He is the owner of Housecore Records ...
from
Pantera Pantera () is an American heavy metal music, heavy metal band from Arlington, Texas formed in 1981, and currently comprised of vocalist Phil Anselmo, bassist Rex Brown, and touring musicians Zakk Wylde and Charlie Benante. The group's best-kn ...
. Turley continued networking and honing his musical abilities in St. Louis, jamming with local musicians and performing at a number of charity events.


The Kyle Turley Band

A year after retiring from football, Turley moved to
Nashville Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the seat of Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the most populous city in the state, 21st most-populous city in the U.S., and the ...
where he set his sights on pursuing a music career. He formed The Kyle Turley Band and released his first album, a 4-track self-titled EP, in 2009. His first full-length album, ''Anger Management'', was released in 2010 and included all songs from the earlier EP. The album sold over 10,000 copies and reached as high as No. 69 and 17 on the
iTunes iTunes () is a software program that acts as a media player, media library, mobile device management utility, and the client app for the iTunes Store. Developed by Apple Inc., it is used to purchase, play, download, and organize digital mul ...
and
AmazonMP3 Amazon Music (previously Amazon MP3) is a music streaming platform and online music store operated by Amazon. Launched in public beta on September 25, 2007, in January 2008 it became the first music store to sell music without digital rights ma ...
country charts respectively, while also charting at No. 8 on ''
Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...
'''s
Heatseekers Infrared homing is a passive weapon guidance system which uses the infrared (IR) light emission from a target to track and follow it seamlessly. Missiles which use infrared seeking are often referred to as "heat-seekers" since infrared is rad ...
South Central chart. His next album, a 6-song EP titled ''Death, Drugs & the DoubleCross'', came out in 2011 and became the top selling album in New Orleans, as well as reaching #1 on ''Billboards Heatseekers South Central chart and #28 on the Heatseekers chart overall. Turley's second full-length album ''Skull Shaker'' was released in 2013. Turley sings and plays guitar for The Kyle Turley Band. He describes his style of music as "power country", drawing influences from old-school country, heavy metal,
Southern rock Southern rock is a subgenre of rock music and a genre of Americana. It developed in the Southern United States from rock and roll, country music, and blues and is focused generally on electric guitars and vocals. Author Scott B. Bomar speculat ...
, and punk rock. Some of Turley's song lyrics make reference to his football career, including the tracks "Flyin' Helmets" and "Anger Management" which allude to Turley's helmet tossing incident. The song "My Soul Bleeds Black and Gold" is a tribute to the city of New Orleans and its football team, which in the years since his 2003 departure Turley has expressed regret for leaving. Turley has toured extensively with his band, including in spring 2010 when he hit the road with
Hank Williams III Shelton Hank Williams (born December 12, 1972), known as Hank Williams III, is an American musician, singer and multi-instrumentalist, known for his unique fusion of traditional country music, rockabilly, heavy metal and punk rock. He was the ...
across the western United States. Other acts that Turley has opened for include
Lynyrd Skynyrd Lynyrd Skynyrd ( ) is an American rock music, rock band formed in Jacksonville, Florida. The group originally formed as My Backyard in 1964 and comprised Ronnie Van Zant (lead vocalist), Gary Rossington (guitar), Allen Collins (guitar), Larry Ju ...
,
Eric Church Kenneth Eric Church (born May 3, 1977) is an American country music singer-songwriter. He has released nine studio albums through Capitol Nashville since 2005. His debut album, 2006's '' Sinners Like Me'', produced three singles on the ''Billboar ...
,
Joe Nichols Joseph Edward Nichols (born November 26, 1976) is an American country music artist. Between 1996 and 2001, he held recording contracts with the Intersound and Giant labels. In 2002, he signed with Universal South Records, now known as Show Dog-U ...
,
George Jones George Glenn Jones (September 12, 1931 – April 26, 2013) was an American country musician, singer, and songwriter. He achieved international fame for his long list of hit records, including his best-known song "He Stopped Loving Her Today", ...
,
Jake Owen Joshua Ryan Owen (born August 28, 1981), known professionally as Jake Owen, is an American country music singer, songwriter, and actor. Signed to RCA Nashville in 2006, he released his debut studio album, '' Startin' with Me'', that year. This ...
,
David Allan Coe David Allan Coe (born September 6, 1939) is an American singer and songwriter. Coe took up music after spending much of his early life in reform schools and prisons, and first became notable for busking in Nashville. He initially played mostly i ...
, Josh Thompson, and
Kansas Kansas () is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its capital is Topeka, and its largest city is Wichita. Kansas is a landlocked state bordered by Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to the ...
.


Delta Doom

Delta Doom is a two-piece
doom metal Doom metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music that typically uses slower tempos, low-tuned guitars and a much "thicker" or "heavier" sound than other heavy metal genres.K. Kahn-Harris, ''Extreme Metal: Music and Culture on the Edge'' ...
project that Turley formed in 2013 with bassist Rob Ogles from The Kyle Turley Band. Ogles is the band's guitarist while Turley sings and plays drums. Their first album, a 4-track live EP titled ''Half Alive'', was released in December 2013. Delta Doom has toured as an opening act for the New Orleans
sludge metal Sludge metal (also known as sludge or sludge doom) is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music that originated through combining elements of doom metal and hardcore punk. It is typically harsh and abrasive, often featuring shouted vocals, heavi ...
band Crowbar.


Gridiron Records

Turley launched Gridiron Records in 2006, along with two of his friends Mike Doling (ex- Snot /
Soulfly Soulfly is an American heavy metal band formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1997, and later based out of Phoenix, Arizona. Soulfly is led by former Sepultura frontman Max Cavalera, who formed the band after he left the Brazilian group in 199 ...
guitarist) and Tim Pickett (of
EMI Music EMI Group Limited (originally an initialism for Electric and Musical Industries, also referred to as EMI Records Ltd. or simply EMI) was a British transnational conglomerate founded in March 1931 in London. At the time of its break-up in 201 ...
). Turley and Pickett are the current owners. In addition to The Kyle Turley Band and Delta Doom, other acts signed to Gridiron Records include The Hairbrain Scheme, Unset, and Invitro.


Health issues and advocacy


Neurological issues

Turley has dealt with a number of neurological health issues since retiring from football in 2007. At age 34 he was diagnosed as symptomatic of
chronic traumatic encephalopathy Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) is a neurodegenerative disease linked to repeated trauma to the head. The encephalopathy symptoms can include behavioral problems, mood problems, and problems with thinking. The disease often gets worse o ...
(CTE), and in 2015 he was diagnosed with early onset of Alzheimer's disease. Turley has a seizure disorder, suffering a particularly severe episode in 2009 when he blacked out suddenly followed by several hours of slipping in and out of consciousness while seeking treatment in an emergency room. Turley also experiences bouts of
vertigo Vertigo is a condition where a person has the sensation of movement or of surrounding objects moving when they are not. Often it feels like a spinning or swaying movement. This may be associated with nausea, vomiting, sweating, or difficulties w ...
, a condition that first appeared during his rookie season but which increased in frequency throughout his career and became a daily occurrence in retirement. Other symptoms that Turley has dealt with include depression, anxiety, rage issues, suicidal thoughts, migraine headaches, light sensitivity, and memory problems. Turley has been active in speaking about his personal experiences dealing with head trauma-related health issues and participating in efforts to reduce risks for current and future players. He testified before Congress in January 2010, giving account of a severe
concussion A concussion, also known as a mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI), is a head injury that temporarily affects brain functioning. Symptoms may include loss of consciousness (LOC); memory loss; headaches; difficulty with thinking, concentration, ...
sustained during the 2003 season and the medical care he received afterwards – noting that team doctors cleared his return to the field three days after being released from the hospital. Turley was a plaintiff in a class action lawsuit filed against the NFL seeking medical benefits and compensation for former players suffering from the effects of head trauma, initially resulting in a 2013 settlement of $765 million but later amended to allow for a payout expected to exceed $1 billion. Turley was featured in the 2013 documentary ''United States of Football'' examining issues of neurological health in the NFL and youth league football, and has been involved with efforts to educate and assist youth sports programs in head trauma prevention through the Just Cool Me - T.K.O. initiative. Turley has agreed to donate his brain posthumously to the Center for the Study of Traumatic Encephalopathy at
Boston University Boston University (BU) is a private research university in Boston, Massachusetts. The university is nonsectarian, but has a historical affiliation with the United Methodist Church. It was founded in 1839 by Methodists with its original campu ...
to help advance research in the area of sports-related neurological disorders.


Painkiller addiction

Turley retired from football with an addiction to pain-killing drugs. He has criticized the manner in which painkillers are dispensed by medical staff in the NFL, stating that pills were handed out to players "like candy" after games. Turley also says team doctors gave him painkillers while concealing the true nature of a serious back injury in 2003, in an effort to keep him on the playing field until season's end. The condition required major surgery in the offseason and eventually led to his release from the Rams, also threatening to end his career at one point. In 2014, Turley was one of more than 500 former players who took part in a class action lawsuit against the NFL alleging similar complaints, also charging that team medical personnel neglected to inform players of the serious health risks of the drugs they were taking.


Medical cannabis

Turley uses
cannabis ''Cannabis'' () is a genus of flowering plants in the family Cannabaceae. The number of species within the genus is disputed. Three species may be recognized: ''Cannabis sativa'', '' C. indica'', and '' C. ruderalis''. Alternatively ...
to treat the neurological issues that he suffers from post-NFL career. He credits cannabis with greatly improving his quality of life and even saving his life, after previously relying on numerous prescription medications with side effects that he says almost drove him to suicide. Turley completely eliminated his use of pharmaceuticals – including psychiatric and pain-killing drugs – beginning in early 2015 when he went
cold turkey "Cold turkey" refers to the abrupt cessation of a substance dependence and the resulting unpleasant experience, as opposed to gradually easing the process through reduction over time or by using replacement medication. Sudden withdrawal from dru ...
and switched to cannabis only. He has been active in speaking about his personal experience using cannabis, and in 2015 founded the Gridiron Cannabis Coalition to help advance policy change regarding the use of cannabis in professional sports. The organization is also involved with medical cannabis research, commencing a study in 2016 to examine the effectiveness of cannabis in treating chronic pain and depression. In November 2016, Turley was among the signatories of an
open letter An open letter is a Letter (message), letter that is intended to be read by a wide audience, or a letter intended for an individual, but that is nonetheless widely distributed intentionally. Open letters usually take the form of a letter (mess ...
addressed to the NFL, urging a change in the league's policy towards cannabis. The letter was penned by Doctors for Cannabis Regulation and signed by several other NFL players. Turley is also a member of the Doctors for Cannabis Regulation NFL steering committee. In January 2017 Turley announced the launch of Neuro Armour (now Neuro XPF), a
THC Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is the principal psychoactive constituent of cannabis and one of at least 113 total cannabinoids identified on the plant. Although the chemical formula for THC (C21H30O2) describes multiple isomers, the term ''THC' ...
-free cannabis oil that is rich in
cannabidiol Cannabidiol (CBD) is a phytocannabinoid discovered in 1940. It is one of 113 identified cannabinoids in cannabis plants, along with tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), and accounts for up to 40% of the plant's extract. , clinical research on CBD incl ...
(CBD) and various
terpene Terpenes () are a class of natural products consisting of compounds with the formula (C5H8)n for n > 1. Comprising more than 30,000 compounds, these unsaturated hydrocarbons are produced predominantly by plants, particularly conifers. Terpenes ar ...
s. In March 2020 he opened a cannabis dispensary in
Moreno Valley, California Moreno Valley is a city in Riverside County, California, United States, and is part of the Riverside–San Bernardino–Ontario metropolitan area. It is the second-largest city in Riverside County by population and one of the Inland Empire's p ...
, operating under the Shango brand of dispensaries. Turley received criticism in March 2020 for claiming his CBD products could cure
COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was COVID-19 pandemic in Hubei, identified in Wuhan, China, in December ...
by boosting the immune system. The
Food and Drug Administration The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA or US FDA) is a List of United States federal agencies, federal agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Health and Human Services. The FDA is respon ...
advised him to cease making such claims on official materials from his CBD business or else he would be subject to legal action. He immediately complied with the request.


Gridiron Greats

Turley is a board member and active supporter of the Gridiron Greats Assistance Fund, a non-profit
501(c)(3) organization A 501(c)(3) organization is a United States corporation, Trust (business), trust, unincorporated association or other type of organization exempt from federal income tax under section 501(c)(3) of Title 26 of the United States Code. It is one of t ...
providing medical care and other forms of assistance to retired NFL players in need. Turley first became involved as an active player in 2007 when he pledged one of his game checks to the fund and challenged other players to do the same, many of whom joined in helping to raise several hundred thousand dollars. Announcing his pledge at a November 2007 press conference, Turley spoke of the debilitating football-related health problems and inadequate medical and pension benefits that many retired players face, a topic that had already been the focus of two congressional hearings earlier in the year. Turley became the first active player to publicly take up the cause, also taking
NFLPA The National Football League Players Association, or NFLPA, is a labor union representing National Football League (NFL) players. The NFLPA, which has headquarters in Washington, D.C., is led by president J. C. Tretter and executive director DeM ...
executive director
Gene Upshaw Eugene Thurman Upshaw Jr. (August 15, 1945 – August 20, 2008), also known as "Uptown Gene" and "Highway 63", was an American professional football player for the Oakland Raiders of the American Football League (AFL) and later the National Foot ...
to task at the time for failing to address the issue. After retiring from football, Turley continued to raise funding and awareness for Gridiron Greats through his music career, donating a portion of his album sales and concert revenues to the organization. Through his involvement with Gridiron Greats, Turley was instrumental in the development of NFL Life Line, a 24/7 confidential
crisis hotline A crisis hotline is a phone number people can call to get immediate emergency telephone counseling, usually by trained volunteers. The first such service was founded in England in 1951 and such hotlines have existed in most major cities of the E ...
for current and former NFL players. Turley conceived of the idea after
Junior Seau Tiaina Baul "Junior" Seau Jr. (; ; January 19, 1969May 2, 2012) was an American professional football player who was a linebacker in the National Football League (NFL), mostly with the San Diego Chargers. Known for his passionate play, he was a ...
committed suicide in May 2012.


Other

After living in
Nashville Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the seat of Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the most populous city in the state, 21st most-populous city in the U.S., and the ...
for a number of years, Turley and his family moved to
Riverside, California Riverside is a city in and the county seat of Riverside County, California, United States, in the Inland Empire metropolitan area. It is named for its location beside the Santa Ana River. It is the most populous city in the Inland Empire an ...
in April 2014, bordering the city of Moreno Valley where Turley grew up and attended high school. Turley has helped instruct the Arlington High School football team in Riverside, and also hosted a football camp at the school.


References


External links


Aztecs bio

Saints bio

Rams bio

Chiefs bio
* Kyle Turley o
Facebook

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Instagram
* Delta Doom o
Facebook

Soundcloud

Gridiron Greats

Gridiron Cannabis Coalition

Neuro XPF
{{DEFAULTSORT:Turley, Kyle 1975 births Living people All-American college football players American cannabis activists American football offensive tackles American health activists Businesspeople in the cannabis industry Concussion activists Kansas City Chiefs players New Orleans Saints players People from Moreno Valley, California San Diego State Aztecs football players Sportspeople from Provo, Utah St. Louis Rams players