ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — It was towards the later part of the Broncos’ minicamp practice Tuesday when head coach Sean Payton gathered his players and coaches near the goal line.
Payton then delivered a history lesson on Jim Turner, the former Broncos’ kicker whose Ring of Fame banner hung nearby. Turner died Saturday at the age of 82 from heart failure.
Payton had been talking with Broncos’ public relations guru Patrick Smyth on Monday about how Turner was a straight-ahead kicker who has the shortest field goal in Super Bowl history -- 9 yards, which he did in the Jets’ historic 16-7 upset of the Baltimore Colts in Super Bowl III.
Payton came up with a plan. After his two kickers, Randy Bullock – the former Tennessee Titan who is attending the Broncos’ minicamp on a veteran tryout – and Elliott Fry struggled through a field goal drill using their usual soccer-style method at the indoor Pat Bowlen Fieldhouse, Payton had them kick straight ahead from 9 yards out in the end zone.
“I talked to Patrick yesterday who said he was going to do that but I didn’t know that would actually happen,’’ said Mary Kay Turner, Jim’s wife of 58 years, when told of the tribute to her husband Tuesday by 9NEWS. “That’s very kind of Sean and I hope someone can tell him how much we appreciate that. That’s very cool. Jim would think that’s very cool.”
For a coach who knew little about Denver before he was hired as head coach in late-January, Payton sure has ingratiated himself into the local sports scene. He was regularly in attendance during the Denver Nuggets’ postseason run to the NBA Championship – including their clinching Game 5 win against Miami on Monday night. And he’s becoming familiar with the Broncos’ storied history – which was hugely successful in the 40 years from 1976-2015 but not so much in the seven seasons since.
Even if Turner’s 9-yard Super Bowl field goal was with the Jets, the kicker spent more years (9) in Denver.
“When you look at the field goal it’s not an easy one to hit,’’ Payton said. “In fact all the offensive linemen were worried about getting buried in the back. And both kickers have never kicked straight on so they didn’t have a square toe.
“But that was for them to recognize a little bit of the history here. That’s a member of our Ring of Fame. Fortunately we were 2 for 2. In fact we looked a little better kicking it straight-on than we did with some of the soccer-style attempts.”
Jim’s immediate surviving family members – Mary Kay and their three daughters – waited two days before announcing Jim had died as they wanted to first contact all extended family members and close friends. When the family announced his passing Monday through a Facebook obituary and 9NEWS, Jim’s family has since been overwhelmed with people sending their condolences.
“It’s very kind of people,’’ Mary Kay said. “Honestly, I expected Denver would do some stuff. I did not expect it going nationally. I don’t know why because he played for the Jets for so long but I didn’t expect what we got. It’s been mind-blowing and awesome. And Jim would be smiling down on us saying, “See, I told you I was a big deal. You guys laughed at me.”’
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