The Aggies had one of the most consistently good offensive lines in all college football. They dominated up front and controlled the line of scrimmage. In recent years since his departure, that has dropped off a bit so Kevin Sumlin decided to bring back former A&M line coach Jim Turner to his staff.
Monday afternoon, the media got a chance to catch up with the man who laid the groundwork for so many successful A&M offensive lineman. The former A&M coach started the conference off speaking of his love for the school and returning to Aggieland.
“No place in the world I would rather coach or live. I love it here,” Turner said. “I am really fired up [Coach Sumlin] brought me back in here. I am excited.”
That excitement has led to him transforming an offensive line that struggled at times last year. They are improving, but according to Turner, the unit still has a long stretch of road ahead.
“The great thing about today was that they played a lot better today than they did Friday night. Is it good enough? No. But, like anything in this profession, you’re building,” Turner said. “From day one to now, are they building and getting better? Yes they are. I am happy with the progress, but there is a long way to go with this group.”
Coming into the year, Turner has to deal with the departure of the majority of the starting offensive line, including center Mike Matthews, and filling their shoes is a tall order.
To Turner, the unit has all the talent in the world. However the one thing holding them back is their youth.
“There’s a lack of experience with the front. [Gennesy] is the only one with a full season under his belt…you have about 19 games experience from the whole unit…these guys will be ready to play but they lack experience,” Turner said. “That is why the repetitions are so important…every rep I get with these guys is critical to their development.”
After a birief stint in the NFL, Turner has to adjust back to the college way of life. For him, the biggest adjustment is getting back to the rhythm of the recruiting process. However, it is a job that Turner is passionate about getting started.
“The biggest adjustment is that I will be recruiting again. In the NFL, when you’re done with work at 5 o’clock, you’re done and go home. In college, you have to recruit and spend time with the high school kids. It is part of the job I love. If you do not love recruiting, you are in the wrong business in college.”
