'Speed Kills': Cowboys' KaVontae Turpin the Next Tyreek Hill?
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The Dallas Cowboys picked up their first victory of preseason action Saturday with a 32-18 win over the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium.
But as Dallas moved to 1-1 in preseason play, it was hardly the thing anyone was talking about.
The NFL world was buzzing after the exciting performance of Cowboys rookie receiver and kick returner KaVontae Turpin, who, with a pair of touchdowns on a 98-yard kickoff return and 86-yard punt return, quickly reached the level of hype that surrounded him after he signed with Dallas on July 27.
Social media was ablaze, so much so that the NFL’s official Twitter changed its bio to "Don't kick to KaVontae Turpin" and revealed a new header photo of Turpin celebrating against the Chargers.
Both remain up as of Tuesday afternoon.
"On both of them I just feel like, man, speed kills," Turpin said of his touchdowns. "I just used my speed to take advantage of our blockers and the way they were blocking."
Through just two preseason games, many of Turpin's primary qualities have become obvious. Blistering, but effortless speed in the open field. Jitteriness in tight spaces. Undersized. That unexplainable "wow" factor.
These are all traits that, after Saturday's performance, one can argue are shared between Turpin and new Miami Dolphins receiver Tyreek Hill, a six-time Pro Bowler.
It's important not to get too ahead of ourselves here. It's just one preseason win, as Turpin was returning kicks against players fighting to make the active roster. But doing what he did twice in one half is likely just a glimmer of what he's capable of giving Dallas once the regular season begins.
"I think there's a great chance he'll be returning kicks against Tampa Bay," Dallas coach Mike McCarthy said.
There’s also the nicknames.
"Cheetah" for Hill and "Turbo" for Turpin, though the latter still needs time to catch on. ("Turpin Time'' is a motto that's worked since his TCU days.)
With tags like those, there’s some speed to live up to.
The small stature draws another obvious comparison, as Turpin's arrival to the NFL now makes him one of the league's tiniest players. Hill stands at 5-10, 185 while Turpin hovers around 5-9, 153.
But these comparisons only tell us so much.
Sure, there’s plenty of fast receivers in the NFL. And comparing heights and nicknames does little in drawing a true evaluation between their shared qualities.
It’s impossible to predict what Turpin could be for the Cowboys, but looking at Hill’s rise to stardom potentially provides a glimpse of what’s possible for the rookie given their similar journeys, play-style, and unteachable speed.
The Cowboys' plan for Turpin this season is likely one that would get him out in open space as much as possible. This was what Kansas City Chiefs coach Andy Reid did with Hill as a special-teams returner during the start of the receiver's career.
Combined with both punt and kick situations, Hill had 84 returns on special teams during his first three seasons with the Chiefs, resulting in five touchdowns and 1,393 total return yards.
Hill's career began with the idea that he would be an explosive returner that could also provide depth at receiver. In 2016, he led the league in punt-return yards (592) punt-return touchdowns (two), and yards per return (15.2). But he only returned the ball twice in his final two seasons in Kansas City.
Hill became too valuable of a receiver to be put in harms way on special teams. The same could in be line for Turpin if he proves he can be a consistent offensive weapon.
"I was just trying to show everybody that I'm a receiver as well," Turpin said. "I can do special teams, I can do that in my sleep, that stuff easy for me. I'm trying to show the Cowboys that I can be a receiver on this level as well."
His stats from his time at TCU suggest that maybe he can eventually make the same jump to full-time offensive player like Hill did.
While recording six touchdowns on special teams during his four seasons in college, Turpin also had 145 catches, 1,748 receiving yards, and 13 touchdowns.
Then in the USFL with the New Jersey Generals this past season, Turpin led the league in receiving yards (540) and yards after catch (316), all while catching just 53 passes.
As of now, there's no catching Hill's career numbers of 479 receptions, 6,630 receiving yards, and 59 touchdowns. He's also had MVP quarterback Patrick Mahomes throwing to him, which has certainly helped boost these totals.
But Turpin's trajectory of becoming a valuable receiver lies within the realm of possibility based on what he's proven already.
Even following his trade from the Chiefs to Miami this offseason, Hill has remained at or near the top of the unofficial list of best receivers in the league.
But it was something few saw coming.
Drafted in the fifth round in 2016 by Kansas City, Hill faced scrutiny upon his NFL arrival following legal trouble from his time with the Oklahoma State Cowboys in college. In Dec. 2014, he was dismissed from the team following being arrested on charges of domestic assault against his pregnant girlfriend. Hill later pleaded guilty.
The eerie legal similarities with Turpin has been a controversial topic following his arrival in Dallas.
Like Hill, Turpin faced a similar and unfortunate situation during his time with another Big 12 school, the TCU Horned Frogs. In 2018, he was dismissed from the program following being arrested on assault charges against his girlfriend at the time. He pleaded guilty in 2019.
In Hill's case, he's seemed to bounce back well from his troubling past and has become one of the NFL's best players as a result.
Likewise, Turpin's figurative journey toward new beginnings is moving almost as quickly as he literally does.
You can follow Zach Dimmitt on Twitter at @ZachDimmitt7
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