CFL.ca Staff
TORONTO – Like a charging bull, Steven Turner sent his draft stock soaring up the CFL prospect market following his performance this weekend at the CFL Evaluation Camp presented by Reebok.
Turner, of the Bishop’s Gaiters, set a new 40-yard dash record on Sunday afternoon in Toronto.
The fourth-year wide receiver/kick returner from Brampton, Ont. posted a time of 4.31 seconds, shattering the mark of 4.39 seconds set by former teammate Jamall Lee at last year’s combine.
Turner’s dash was the highlight of a strong weekend, which saw him finish at or near the top of almost every testing category. He also fared well in one-on-one drills where he participated as both a receiver and a running back.
Altogether, Turner led in three categories. His 43.5″ vertical jump was only a half-inch short of the record of 44″ set by Lee last season, while he also posted a 4.03 time in the shuttle drill. Turner tied with Concordia’s Cory Greenwood for the best long jump at 10′ 4.5″, and led all wide receivers with 20 repetitions in the 225-lb. bench press.
Turner’s performance is among the best recorded at either the CFL or NFL combines this year. His 4.31 40-yard-dash time would have placed him second at the NFL combine, behind only Jacoby Ford’s (Clemson) 4.28, while Turner’s vertical jump would have tied him for second place, one half-inch off the leader (A.J. Jefferson, Fresno State).
In addition to Turner’s outstanding camp, his teammates Shawn Gore and Nick Poloniato represented the Gaiters with pride in front of CFL scouts, coaches and GMs. Poloniato posted the third-best overall time in the 40-yard dash (4.46 seconds) while Gore tied for fourth place overall (4.50 seconds). Gore, a fourth-year receiver from Toronto, also tied for third in the broad jump with 10′ 3″ and was fourth in the vertical jump at 39.5″
Turner, Gore and Poloniato will now await the CFL Canadian Draft, scheduled for Sunday, May 2, to learn their professional fates.
-With files from Bishop’s University Athletics
