Competing for Pratt College, he won the 1964 NJCAA 100-yard dash title, with a time of 9.5 seconds at the meet hosted in Big Spring, Texas.

[2] He continued to excel in track after transferring to Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, bettering his time to 9.3 seconds and ultimately leading the Mustangs to the 1968 NCAA College Division outdoor track and field team national title.

Turner, whose top college football season as a junior included 16 catches for 366 yards (a 22.9-yard average) and two touchdown receptions (plus an 87-yard kickoff return for a TD) in 1966, was later elected to the Cal Poly Hall of Fame in 1989.

[6] Larry Mayer ranked Turner as the seventh-greatest return specialist in Bears history on the team's official website, noting his 32.7-yard average for the 1970 season.

[7] In 2010, Bleacher Report selected Turner as an honorable mention in the kickoff return position to their all-time Bears team, with the spot going to Gale Sayers.