football at San Diego State University, redshirting his first year in 1993. During his time on the scout team he practiced on both the offensive and defensive line, and was given the choice afterwards of where he wanted to play. Turley chose offensive line as it allowed him the opportunity to work with O-line coach Ed White, a 17-year veteran of the NFL who played in four Super Bowls. Turley's most notable achievements came his final season in 1997, earning first-team All-American honors and being named a semifinalist for the Lombardi Award and Outland Trophy. He was also twice named All-Western Athletic Conference first-team during his time at SDSU. Turley was inducted into the Aztec Hall of Fame in 2011. Professional career New Orleans Saints Turley was selected 7th overall by the New Orleans Saints in the 1998 NFL draft. Initially not projected as a high first round pick, Turley's draft stock rose dramatically after turning in a stellar 4.93 seconds for the 40-yard dash at the NFL combine. Turley's performance caught the eye of then-Saints coach Mike Ditka, and the team subsequently made him the first offensive linemen selected in the 1998 draft. He signed a six-year contract on July 24, 1998. Turley played a total of five seasons for the Saints, making an immediate impact by starting 15 games his rookie season and earning all-rookie honors from Pro Football Weekly, Football News, and Football Digest. A durable presence on the Saints offensive line, Turley missed only one game due to ankle injury during his five years in New Orleans. Turley would prove to be a versatile player as well, starting mostly at left guard his rookie season, then moving to right tackle the next three seasons, and over to left tackle in 2002. His strong play earned him first-team All-Pro honors following the 2000 season and an invitation to the Pro Bowl as a substitute following the 2001 season. He would turn down the Pro Bowl invite to serve as grand marshall of the Endymion Parade during Mardi Gras, however. During his time in New Orleans, Turley became a fan favorite for his spirited style of play and colorful personality. His popularity especially took off after the helmet tossing incident of 2001, with many Saints fans lining up to buy his jersey afterwards. Turley's antics were less well-received among team management however, particularly leading up to his March