by Vanessa Strobbe
Daily Lobo
UNM senior offensive tackle Robert Turner said he has dual personalities.
The Lobo football team's lone preseason pick for the All-Mountain West Conference team is not the same person on the field as he is off of it.
"I can be the hardest, roughest person on the field, but I'm very gentle otherwise," Turner said. "I don't expose the people I love to my killer instinct, but when I'm on the field, I don't care who I'm hurting. The field's my place."
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Turner's established place on the field has earned him a nomination for the Lombardi Award, an honor given to the best interior lineman in the nation. He is also a candidate for the Outland Trophy, given to the best offensive or defensive lineman in college football.
"The award nominations are a very welcomed compliment, but that's all," Turner said. "It's an honor to have my last 12 years of work recognized, but I don't feel I need to be validated by anything as far as awards go."
Turner said he's just happy to be part of a line that's recognized as one of the best in the conference.
"What's nice is that the line is getting a lot of recognition and developing a reputation," he said. "UNM has built a society around its offensive line, and I'm proud to be a part of that."
The offensive line, known as "The Hitmen," has produced athletes such as Claude Terrell and Ryan Cook, who play in the NFL.
Turner looks to be no different. Named as one of the MWC's top NFL draft prospects by Mel Kiper Jr. of ESPN.com, Turner is prepared for the possibility of being drafted, but he focuses more on what is in front of him.
"I'm not going to worry about the draft right now," Turner said. "It's in the back of my mind, but it's not a reality until my name gets called on TV on draft day. The biggest thing that I need to focus on is my senior season."
The Lobos open with Portland State University on Sept. 2 at 6 p.m. UNM, picked to finish fifth in the nine-team conference in the MWC preseason poll released last week, has not been ranked lower since 2002.
To compensate for the low ranking, Turner plans to prep himself in every aspect possible for the upcoming season.
"I have to out-prepare everyone I see," he said. "I'll watch film and study the guy I'm going up against. I'll look at his best move, and I'll develop a way to counter that. I have to know what's coming."
Aside from attending church, visiting his family in Austin, Texas, and occasionally hunting, the majority of Turner's life is occupied with football.
"I've gotten ahead in this game because I'm willing to outwork everybody," he said. "I may not be the tallest, fastest or biggest guy out there, but I have the will to win, the fear of losing, and I won't ever quit."
On top of regular team practices throughout the summer, Turner shows up early to do individual footwork drills, extra cardio and film sessions. At his home, he does core work with a Swiss ball as well as stabilization exercises. For mental preparation, he plays football video games as a training task.
"I always look to see what everybody else is doing," he said. "If they're lifting extra, I'll match that and then do more. Football is my passion. When I'm around football, it's all strict business - and I'm a businessman."
Although Turner said he's striving to make football his career, he doesn't define himself by his love for the sport.
"I wake up every morning looking forward to going to football," he said. "I love everything it entails - running, lifting, film. But it's not who I am."
Turner said too many athletes describe themselves as athletes, not as people who participate in athletics.
"I am not a football player," Turner said. "I am a person who plays it and has been blessed tremendously by God in being good at it. To be honest, I'm just another guy. I'm another big guy you would see walking down the street with a big smile on my face and a big hand ready to shake."
