The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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104 ■ THE WOLVERINE 2022 FOOTBALL PREVIEW under their wing as a teacher, but others emerged to play well in front of him, too. When the season came around, Turner found himself in unfamiliar territory — on the bench. He played in only four games, all on special teams, and it wasn't what he was used to. "It was difficult, for sure," Turner admit- ted. "The main thing I was struggling with was just getting my body feeling well. I was frustrated with that. It worked out, but it was definitely hard. "I was going to Michigan and wanted to play as soon as I got there." His sophomore year at U-M started the way his freshman year did, only with an- other setback. COVID-19 delayed the season for everyone, and other corners started to emerge, as well. Gemon Green and Vincent Gray both im- proved and played well in the opener with Minnesota, a road game that started the sea- son on the right track, while Turner contin- ued to struggle. The pain was holding him back, but he still felt he could overcome it to get on the field. There were tough moments, he explained, and some hard conversations. He leaned on Hill, now a cornerback with the Dallas Cow- boys, for advice. "We'd talk all the time," he said. "He'd tell me, 'Just keep working. Be there mentally — don't check out. Get your body right and get into treatment.' That was the main thing. "He helped me stay locked in, but 'do not give up' was the main thing he was telling me." After struggling through another pain- ridden season and a painful spring, he fi- nally got the diagnosis that would change the trajectory of his career. A doctor at Michi- gan saw him and administered a test, and it showed not one, but two hernias in his right groin area. They repaired them before the season, and the rehab started. From May to the beginning of fall camp last season, Turner put in the Turner started the final eight games of the year at cornerback and finished with 33 tackles (1 for loss), 2 interceptions and 7 pass break-ups en route to earning honorable mention All-Big Ten honors from the coaches and the media. PHOTO BY PER KJELDSEN Best Man, Press Man DJ Turner played his best in pressure situ- ations last season. When Pro Football Focus published the list of its top four coverage grades given for a Big Ten cornerback in press coverage in a season since 2016, Turner had the best grade in the past five seasons and the second- best overall. He also led all Big Ten cornerbacks with an 83.3 overall coverage grade in 2021. Rk. Player (School, Season) PFF Grade 1. Denzel Ward (Ohio State, 2017) 90.4 2. DJ Turner (Michigan, 2021) 89.6 3. Josh Jackson (Iowa, 2017) 88.5 4. Jourdan Lewis (Michigan, 2016) 87.6