Dan Turk
Encyclopedia
Daniel Anthony Turk was an American football
center
in the National Football League
from 1985 to 1999 for the Pittsburgh Steelers
, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
, Oakland Raiders
, and Washington Redskins
. Turk was mainly used as a long snapper
and reserve center. He was a very reliable long snapper in the NFL.
, he became the fourth starting center in Raider history. That year he started all 16 games, between Steve Wisniewski
at left guard and Kevin Gogan
at right guard, and did a credible job for a team finishing with a won-lost record of 8-8, Mike White
's first year as head coach. But the following year, he was replaced by a heavier and more powerful blocker: Barret Robbins
.
, as a holder for place kicking and as a punter from 1997 to 1999. In 1999, Dan Turk was diagnosed with cancer, but yet continued to play for the Redskins during their 10-6 season. However, he botched several snaps during the regular season, and worst of all, snapped so badly on what could have been a game-winning 51-yard field goal
that Brett Conway
could not get the kick off from the mud in Turk's last game, a divisional round contest of the 1999-00 NFL playoffs against his former club, the Buccaneers. He died from testicular cancer
the following year at age 38.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
center
Center (American football)
Center is a position in American football and Canadian football . The center is the innermost lineman of the offensive line on a football team's offense...
in the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
from 1985 to 1999 for the Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football franchise based in Tampa, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the Southern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League – they are the only team in the division not to come from the old NFC West...
, Oakland Raiders
Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, and Washington Redskins
Washington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
. Turk was mainly used as a long snapper
Long snapper
In American football and Canadian football, the term long snapper refers to a player who is a specialized center during punts, field goals, and extra point attempts. His job is to snap the ball as quickly and accurately as possible....
and reserve center. He was a very reliable long snapper in the NFL.
Raider
In 1995, as a result of a training camp injury to Don MosebarDon Mosebar
Donald Mosebar is a retired American Football Center.-College career:Mosebar was an All-American offensive lineman in 1982 at the University of Southern California and drafted by the Los Angeles Raiders....
, he became the fourth starting center in Raider history. That year he started all 16 games, between Steve Wisniewski
Steve Wisniewski
Steve Wisniewski nicknamed "The Wiz" is a former Offensive Lineman who played 13 seasons with the Oakland/Los Angeles Raiders and is now an assistant offensive line coach for the Oakland Raiders. He was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in the second round of the 1989 NFL Draft. His rights were traded...
at left guard and Kevin Gogan
Kevin Gogan
Kevin Patrick Gogan is a former professional American football player who played guard for 14 seasons in the National Football League from 1987 to 2000...
at right guard, and did a credible job for a team finishing with a won-lost record of 8-8, Mike White
Mike White
Michael Christopher "Mike" White is an American writer, director, actor, and producer for television and film and the winner of the Independent Spirit John Cassavetes Award for Chuck & Buck.-Early years:...
's first year as head coach. But the following year, he was replaced by a heavier and more powerful blocker: Barret Robbins
Barret Robbins
Barret Robbins is a former American football center for the National Football League Oakland Raiders where he played for nine seasons between 1995 to 2003. After playing for Texas Christian University, he was taken by the Oakland Raiders in the 2nd round of the 1995 draft. He became one of the...
.
Redskin
Dan Turk went to Washington in 1997, long snapping to his brother, Matt TurkMatt Turk
Matthew Edward Turk is an American football punter who is currently a free agent. He was originally signed by the Green Bay Packers as an undrafted free agent in 1993...
, as a holder for place kicking and as a punter from 1997 to 1999. In 1999, Dan Turk was diagnosed with cancer, but yet continued to play for the Redskins during their 10-6 season. However, he botched several snaps during the regular season, and worst of all, snapped so badly on what could have been a game-winning 51-yard field goal
Field goal (football)
A field goal in American football and Canadian football is a goal that may be scored during general play . Field goals may be scored by a placekick or the now practically extinct drop kick.The drop kick fell out of favor in 1934 when the shape of the ball was changed...
that Brett Conway
Brett Conway
Brett Alan Conway is a former professional American football player. He was a placekicker for seven seasons with various teams in the National Football League. He was drafted in the third round by the Green Bay Packers in the 1997 NFL Draft...
could not get the kick off from the mud in Turk's last game, a divisional round contest of the 1999-00 NFL playoffs against his former club, the Buccaneers. He died from testicular cancer
Testicular cancer
Testicular cancer is cancer that develops in the testicles, a part of the male reproductive system.In the United States, between 7,500 and 8,000 diagnoses of testicular cancer are made each year. In the UK, approximately 2,000 men are diagnosed each year. Over his lifetime, a man's risk of...
the following year at age 38.