View source for Bulldog Turner

{{Short description|American football player and coach (1919–1998)}}
{{Use American English|date=March 2023}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2019}}
{{Infobox gridiron football biography
| name           = Bulldog Turner
| image          = Turner 1948 Bowman.jpg
| image_size     =
| alt            = 
| caption        = Turner's 1948 Bowman Gum football card
| number         = 66
| position       = [[Center (gridiron football)|Center]] <br> [[Linebacker]]
| birth_date     = {{Birth date|1919|3|10}}
| birth_place    = [[Plains, Texas]], U.S.
| death_date     = {{Death date and age|1998|10|30|1919|3|10}}
| death_place    = [[Gatesville, Texas]], U.S.
| height_ft      = 6
| height_in      = 1
| weight_lb      = 237
| high_school    = [[Sweetwater High School (Texas)|Newman]] <br> ([[Sweetwater, Texas]])
| college        = [[Hardin–Simmons Cowboys football|Hardin–Simmons]] (1937–1939)
| draftyear      = 1940
| draftround     = 1
| draftpick      = 7
| pastteams      =
* [[Chicago Bears]] ({{NFL Year|1940|1952}})
| pastcoaching   =
* Chicago Bears ({{NFL Year|1952}}) <br> Assistant coach
* [[Baylor Bears football|Baylor]] ([[1953 Baylor Bears football team|1953]]) <br> Assistant coach
* Chicago Bears ({{NFL Year|1954|1957}}) <br> Assistant coach
* [[History of the New York Jets#Organization and first season|New York Titans]] ([[1962 American Football League season|1962]]) <br> Head coach
| highlights     =
* 4× [[List of NFL champions (1920–1969)|NFL champion]] ([[1940 NFL Championship Game|1940]], [[1941 NFL Championship Game|1941]], [[1943 NFL Championship Game|1943]], [[1946 NFL Championship Game|1946]])
* 7× First-team [[All-Pro]] ([[1941 All-Pro Team|1941]]–[[1944 All-Pro Team|1944]], [[1946 All-Pro Team|1946]]–[[1948 All-Pro Team|1948]])
* 4× [[Pro Bowl]] ([[1941 Pro Bowl|1940]], [[1942 Pro Bowl|1941]], [[1951 Pro Bowl|1950]], [[1952 Pro Bowl|1951]])
* [[List of National Football League annual interceptions leaders|NFL interceptions leader]] (1942)
* [[NFL 1940s All-Decade Team]]
* [[Chicago Bears#Retired numbers|Chicago Bears No. 66]] retired
* [[Chicago Bears#Top 100 greatest Bears of all-time|100 greatest Bears of All-Time]]
* Third-team [[College Football All-America Team|All-American]] ([[1939 College Football All-America Team|1939]])
* First-team [[Little All-America college football team|Little All-American]] ([[1939 Little All-America college football team|1939]])
| statlabel1     = Games played
| statvalue1     = 138
| statlabel2     = Games started
| statvalue2     = 127
| statlabel3     = [[Interception]]s
| statvalue3     = 17
| statlabel4     = Interception yards
| statvalue4     = 298
| statlabel5     = [[Fumble]] recoveries
| statvalue5     = 5
| statlabel6     = Total [[touchdown]]s
| statvalue6     = 4
| overall_record = {{Winning percentage|5|9|record=y}}
| pfr            = T/TurnBu21
| pfrcoach       = TurnCl0
| HOF            = clyde-bulldog-turner
| CollegeHOF     = 1487 
}}

'''Clyde Douglas''' "'''Bulldog'''" '''Turner''' (March 10, 1919 – October 30, 1998) was an American professional [[American football|football]] player and coach in the [[National Football League]] (NFL). He was elected, as a player, to the [[College Football Hall of Fame]] in 1960 and the [[Pro Football Hall of Fame]] in 1966. He was also selected in 1969 to the [[National Football League 1940s All-Decade Team|NFL 1940s All-Decade Team]].

Turner played [[college football]] as a [[Center (gridiron football)|center]] at [[Hardin–Simmons University]] from 1937 to 1939 and was selected as a [[Little All-America college football team|Little All-American]] in 1939. After being selected by the [[Chicago Bears]] in the first round of the [[1940 NFL draft]], he played professional football for the Bears, principally as a center on offense and [[linebacker]] on defense, for 13 years from 1940 to 1952. He was selected as a first-team [[All-Pro]] eight times ([[1940 All-Pro Team|1940]]–[[1944 All-Pro Team|1944]], [[1946 All-Pro Team|1946]]–[[1948 All-Pro Team|1948]]) and was a member of Bears teams that won NFL championships in [[1940 NFL Championship Game|1940]], [[1941 NFL Championship Game|1941]], [[1943 NFL Championship Game|1943]], and [[1946 NFL Championship Game|1946]].

After his playing career was over, Turner held assistant coaching positions with [[Baylor University]] (1953) and the [[Chicago Bears]] (1954–1957). He was the head coach of the [[History of the New York Jets|New York Titans]] of the [[American Football League]] (AFL) during the [[1962 American Football League season|1962 AFL season]].

==Early life==
Turner was born in [[Plains, Texas]], in 1919,<ref name=PFR/> the son of Willie Lloyd Turner (1895–1973) and Ida Fay (Rushing) Turner (1893–1984).<ref>{{cite news|title=Celebrate 50th Anniversary|newspaper=The Gatesville (TX) Messenger and Star-Forum|date=March 10, 1957|page=12|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/10913005/celebrate_50th_anniversary/|via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref> He attended [[Sweetwater High School (Texas)|Sweetwater High School]] in [[Sweetwater, Texas]].<ref name=PFR/> He played high school football for Sweetwater High at age 15 in 1934.<ref name=Dry>{{cite news|title=The Dry Days of "Bulldog" Turner|newspaper=The Gatesville Messenger|date=January 24, 1985|page=1B|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/11051058/the_dry_days_of_bulldog_turner/|via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref>

==College career==
Turner enrolled at [[Hardin–Simmons University]] in [[Abilene, Texas]], in 1936 at age 17. As a freshman, he weighed 172 pounds and "showed no outward signs of developing into a football player."<ref name=BDAS>{{cite news|title=Bulldog Turner an All-Star of the All-Stars|newspaper=Chicago Tribune|date=August 24, 1940|page=16|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/10913710/bulldog_turner_an_allstar_of_the/|via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref> By the fall of his sophomore year, Turner had gained 18 pounds and won the job as the starting [[Center (gridiron football)|center]] on the [[Hardin–Simmons Cowboys football]] team.<ref name=BDAS/> By his senior year, he had increased his weight to 235 pounds.<ref name=BDAS/>

Early in his career at Hardin–Simmons, Turner and teammate A. J. Roy encouraged each other in practice sessions by referring to each other by nicknames. Turner was given the nickname "Bulldog", and Roy was known as "Tiger".<ref>{{cite news|title='Bulldog' Turner beats Clyde|newspaper=Dixon (IL) Evening Telegraph|author=Murray Olderman|author-link=Murray Olderman|date=September 30, 1974|page=10|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/11049465/bulldog_turner_beats_clyde/}}</ref> Turner later recalled his college experience as follows: "We got room, board and tuition, but we had to buy our own books and we were supposed to take care of two jobs. I had to sweep out the gym and wait tables, but I kind of farmed out the sweeping after a while. It was tough but I loved it. And the more I played, the more I liked the game."<ref name=Dry/>

In September 1938, Turner first gained national attention when Associated Press photographer Jimmy Laughead, playing off Turner's strength and his background growing up in West Texas [[Hereford (cattle)|Hereford cattle]] country, took his picture posing with a 240-pound calf around his shoulders.<ref>{{cite news|title=Associated Press Picture News|newspaper=Corvallis (OR) Daily Gazette-Times|date=September 19, 1938|page=5|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/11051561/associated_press_picture_news_bulldog/|via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Grid Training|newspaper=Wilmington (DE) Morning News|date=September 16, 1938|page=29|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/11051748/grid_training_bulldog_turner/|via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Let's Study Case of Bulldog Turner, HSU Center|newspaper=Abilene (TX) Reporter-News|date=July 1, 1939|page=2|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/11051390/lets_study_case_of_bulldog_turner_hsu/|via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref>  Turner later recalled posing with the calf: "That day about did me in. I don't think I've ever been so tired in my life."<ref name=Dry/>

Turner played center for Hardin–Simmons for three years, and during that time, the football team compiled records of 8–0–1 in 1937, 8–2 in 1938, 7–1–1 in 1939.<ref>{{cite web|title=2011 Hardin–Simmons Football Media Guide|publisher=Hardins–Simmons University|year=2011|pages=83, 88|url=https://issuu.com/cgrubbs/docs/2011_hardin-simmons_football_mg}}</ref><ref name=CFHOF>{{College Football HoF|id=1487|name=Bulldog Turner|access-date=May 11, 2017}}</ref> At the end of the 1939 season, Turner was selected by the ''New York Sun'' as the first-team center on the [[1939 College Football All-America Team]].<ref>{{cite news|title=McAfee of Duke Rated Best Back in N.Y. Sun Pick: Turner of Hardin–Simmons Considered 'One of Great All-Time Centers'|newspaper=The Daily Argus-Leader|date=December 2, 1939|page=3|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/10905944/mcafee_of_duke_rated_best_back_in_ny/|via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref> He was also named to the Associated Press "Little All-America" team.<ref>{{cite news|title=Loughney Is Selected On All Star Team|newspaper=Times-Leader(Wilkes-Barre, PA)|date=December 7, 1939|page=26|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/10906227/loughney_is_selected_on_all_star_team/|via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref> He played in post-season all-star games including the [[East–West Shrine Game]] on January 1, 1940, and the [[Chicago College All-Star Game]] on August 29, 1940.<ref>{{cite news|title=All-America Turner Back From East-West Classic|newspaper=Abilene Reporter-News|date=January 9, 1940|page=2|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/10913817/allamerica_turner_back_from_eastwest/|via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref><ref name=BDAS/>

==Professional playing career==
In December 1939, Turner was selected by the [[Chicago Bears]] with the seventh overall pick in the first round of the [[1940 NFL draft]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=1940 NFL Draft Listing |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/1940/draft.htm |access-date=2023-03-30 |website=Pro-Football-Reference.com |language=en}}</ref><ref name=PFR>{{cite web|title=Bulldog Turner Stats|publisher=Sports Reference LLC|work=Pro-Football-Reference.com|access-date=May 11, 2017|url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/T/TurnBu21.htm}}</ref> He was the only lineman selected in the first ten picks.<ref>{{cite news|title=Turner Only Lineman Among First Ten Gridders Drafted By National League|newspaper=Abilene Reporter-News|date=December 10, 1939|page=11|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/10914041/turner_only_lineman_among_first_ten/|via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref> In June 1940, Turner signed a three-year contract with the Bears.<ref>{{cite news|title=Bears Sign Star: Bulldog Turner Given Three-Year Grid Contract|newspaper=The Tennessean|date=June 23, 1940|page=35|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/10914115/bears_sign_star_bulldog_turner_given/|via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref>

While Turner was in college, he was the subject of recruitment efforts by George Richards, the owner of the [[Detroit Lions]]. An NFL investigation concluded that Richards had tampered with Turner by paying for Turner's dental work, giving him $100, and advising him to announce publicly that he would not play professional football so as to dissuade other teams from drafting him. The NFL fined the Lions $5,000 for the violation.<ref name=Halas>{{cite news|title=Lions Tampered With Bulldog Turner|newspaper=The Corpus Christi Caller-Times|date=September 12, 1975|page=20|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/11049716/lions_tampered_with_bulldog_turner/|via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref>

As a rookie, Turner, at age 21, appeared in 11 games, nine of them as the starting center, for the [[1940 Chicago Bears season|1940 Chicago Bears team]] that compiled an 8–3 record and defeated the [[Washington Redskins]], 73–0, in the [[1940 NFL Championship Game|NFL Championship Game]].<ref>{{cite web|title=1940 Chicago Bears Statistics & Players|publisher=Sports Reference LLC|work=Pro-Football-Reference.com|access-date=May 11, 2017|url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/chi/1940.htm}}</ref> In the championship game, Turner intercepted a [[Sammy Baugh]] pass and returned it 29 yards for a touchdown.<ref>{{cite news|title=Chicago Bears Run Wild To Win Pro Grid Title|newspaper=Amarillo (TX) Daily News|date=December 9, 1940|page=3|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/11044496/chicago_bears_run_wild_to_win_pro_grid/|via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref> At the end of the 1940 season, he was selected as a first-team All-Pro by the ''Chicago Herald-American'' and as a second-team All-Pro by the [[National Football League]] (NFL), [[United Press]] (UP), and [[International News Service]] (INS).<ref>{{cite web|title=1940 NFL All-Pros|publisher=Sports Reference LLC|work=Pro-Football-Reference.com|access-date=May 11, 2017|url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/1940/allpro.htm}}</ref> He was one of only two rookies ([[Don Looney]] was the other) to receive All-Pro honors in 1940.<ref>{{cite news|title=Three Dodgers, Two Bears Win All-Pro Berths|newspaper=Chicago Tribune|date=December 22, 1940|pages=2–4|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/10938458/three_dodgers_two_bears_win_allpro/|via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref>

In 1941, Turner appeared in all 11 games, 10 as a starter, for the [[1941 Chicago Bears season|1941 Bears]] that compiled a 10–1 and again won the NFL championship.  Turner was selected as the All-Pro center, receiving first-team honors on the so-called "official" All-Pro team selected by a committee of professional football writers for the NFL,<ref>{{cite news|title=All-National Pro Stars|newspaper=The Times Herald (Port Huron, MI)|date=December 30, 1941|page=11|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/10054487/allnational_pro_stars/}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Four ChiBears Named On All-Pro Loop Team|newspaper=The Times Herald (Port Huron, MI)|date=December 30, 1941|page=11|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/10054487/allnational_pro_stars/}}</ref> as well as All-Pro teams selected by the [[Associated Press]] (AP),<ref>{{cite news|title=4 Bears Chosen on All-Loop Pro Team|newspaper=Ironwood (MI) Daily Globe|author=Dillon Graham|date=December 9, 1940|page=10|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/10055492/4_bears_chosen_on_allloop_pro_team/}}</ref> UP,<ref>{{cite news|title=Bears, Packers Top All-Star Pro Gridders|newspaper=Arizona Republic|author=George Kirksey|date=December 12, 1941|page=21|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/10055417/bears_packers_top_allstar_pro_gridders/}}</ref> ''Collyer's Eye'' (CE),<ref name=PFR41>{{cite web|title=1941 NFL All-Pros|publisher=Sports Reference LLC|work=Pro-Football-Reference.com|access-date=April 4, 2017|url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/1941/allpro.htm}}</ref> the ''[[New York Daily News]]'' (NYDN),<ref name=PFR41/> and the ''[[Chicago Herald American]]''.<ref name=PFR/> The consensus selection of Turner as the NFL's top center marked a transition from [[Mel Hein]], who had been a consensus All-Pro at the position for the prior nine years.<ref>{{cite news|title=Chicago Bears Place Four on All-Pro League Team|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|date=December 9, 1941|page=27|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/11041936/chicago_bears_place_four_on_allpro/|via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref> Turner was a unanimous All-Pro pick by the UP sports writers.<ref>{{cite news|title=Bears, Packers Dominate Star Pro Team|newspaper=The News-Herald|date=December 30, 1941|page=9|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/11042470/bears_packers_dominate_star_pro_team/|via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref>

In 1942, Turner started all 11 games and helped the [[1942 Chicago Bears season|Bears]] win the NFL Western Division title with an 11–0 record, though the team lost to the [[1942 Washington Redskins season|Washington Redskins]] in the [[1942 NFL Championship Game]]. Turner led the NFL with eight interceptions in 1942.<ref>{{cite news|title=Bulldog Turner Top Pass Interceptor|newspaper=The Abilene (TX) Reporter-News|date=February 19, 1943|page=10|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/11042865/bulldog_turner_top_pass_interceptor/|via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref> He scored two touchdowns, one on an interception return and the other on a fumble recovery and return. At the end of the 1942 season, Turner was selected as the first-team center on the All-Pro team by the NFL, AP, INS, and NYDN.<ref name=PFR42>{{cite web|title=1942 NFL All-Pros|publisher=Sports Reference LLC|work=Pro-Football-Reference.com|access-date=May 16, 2017|url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/1942/allpro.htm}}</ref> Jack Mahon of the INS wrote that Turner "was in a class by himself at center this season."<ref>{{cite news|title=Chicago Bears place five on all national pro loop team|newspaper=Lincoln Sunday Journal and Star|date=December 6, 1942|page=12|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/11042294/chicago_bears_place_five_on_all/|via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref> Though invited to play in the Pro Bowl, he was unable to do so due to a throat infection.<ref>{{cite news|title=Bulldog Turner Not To Play In Pro Bowl Tilt|newspaper=Abilene (TX) Reporter-News|date=December 23, 1942|page=3|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/11042359/bulldog_turner_not_to_play_in_pro_bowl/|via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref>

In 1943, Turner started all 10 games and helped the [[1943 Chicago Bears season|Bears]] win their third NFL championship in four years. He was selected as a first-team All-Pro by the AP, UP, INS, NYDN, and ''Pro Football Illustrated'' (PFI).<ref name=PFR43>{{cite web|title=1943 NFL All-Pros|publisher=Sports Reference LLC|work=Pro-Football-Reference.com|access-date=May 16, 2017|url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/1943/allpro.htm}}</ref> He was a unanimous pick by the AP sports writers.<ref>{{cite news|title=Baugh, Turner and Hutson – 3 Unanimous on All-Pro|newspaper=Abilene (TX) Reporter-News|date=December 17, 1943|page=19|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/11042739/baugh_turner_and_hutson_3_unanimous/|via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref>

In 1944, Turner appeared in all 10 games for the [[1944 Chicago Bears season|Bears]] team that compiled a 6–3–1 record and finished in second place in the NFL Western Division. On December 3, 1944, Turner was shifted into the backfield late in a game against [[Card-Pitt]]; he had a 48-yard run for the only rushing touchdown of his career.<ref>{{cite news|title=Bears Trample Over Steelers, 49–7|newspaper=Pittsburgh Post-Gazette|date=December 4, 1944|page=16|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/11044633/bears_trample_over_steelers_497/|via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref> He was selected as a first-team All-Pro by the AP, UP, INS, and NYDN.<ref name=PFR44>{{cite web|title=1944 NFL All-Pros|publisher=Sports Reference LLC|work=Pro-Football-Reference.com|access-date=May 16, 2017|url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/1944/allpro.htm}}</ref> In his first five seasons with the Bears, he appeared in 58 consecutive games, played all 60 minutes in eight of those games, and won three NFL championships.<ref name=AF45/>

[[File:1945-03-16-YankMagazine Bulldog Turner.jpg|thumb|At [[United States Army Air Forces]] basic training, 1945]]
In January 1945, Turner was inducted into the [[United States Army Air Forces]] and was assigned as a physical training instructor.<ref name=AF45/>  In 1945, he played for the Second Air Force Superbombers football team in [[Colorado Springs, Colorado]].<ref name=AF45>{{cite news|title=Chicago Bears' Bulldog Turner slated to play with Superbomber eleven here|newspaper=The Nebraska State Journal|date=July 29, 1945|page=9|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/11044249/chicago_bears_bulldog_turner_slated_to/|via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref> He was granted furlough to play two games for the Bears and then returned to the Superbombers team where he finished the 1945 football season.<ref>{{cite news|title=Turner leads Bomber line|newspaper=Lincoln Journal|date=November 7, 1945|page=8|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/11044769/turner_leads_bomber_line/|via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Bulldog Turner Joins Bears for Game in Detroit Sunday|newspaper=Chicago Tribune|date=October 25, 1945|page=30|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/11044857/bulldog_turner_joins_bears_for_game_in/|via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref> At the end of the season, Turner was the leading pick on the All-Army Air Forces conference football team.<ref>{{cite news|title='Bulldog' Turner on Air Force All-Stars|newspaper=St. Louis Post-Dispatch|date=January 4, 1946|page=20|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/11045059/bulldog_turner_on_air_force_allstars/|via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref>

In March 1946, Turner rejected offers to play in the [[All-America Football Conference]] and signed a contract to return to the Bears.<ref>{{cite news|title=Bulldog Turner Back With Bears|newspaper=The Evening News, Harrisburg, PA|date=March 26, 1946|page=18|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/11045002/bulldog_turner_back_with_bears/|via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref>  He appeared in all 11 games, and helped lead the [[1946 Chicago Bears season|1946 Bears]] to another NFL championship. At the end of the season, Turner was selected as a first-team All-Pro by the AP, UP, and NYDN.<ref name=PFR46>{{cite web|title=1946 NFL All-Pros|publisher=Sports Reference LLC|work=Pro-Football-Reference.com|access-date=May 16, 2017|url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/1946/allpro.htm}}</ref>

In 1947, Turner appeared in all 12 games for a [[1947 Chicago Bears season|Bears team]] that compiled an 8–4 record and finished in second place in the NFL Western Division. During the 1947 season, Turner intercepted a [[Sammy Baugh]] pass and returned it 96 yards for a touchdown,<ref>{{cite news|title=Bears Rout Redskins: Bears Trample Redskins, 56-20|newspaper=Chicago Tribune|date=October 27, 1947|pages=4–1|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/11050865/bears_rout_redskins_bears_trample/|via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref> a moment that Turner later selected as the highlight of his career.<ref>{{cite news|title=Where Is He Now: Clyde (Bulldog) Turner – Two Way Performer|newspaper=Asheville (NC) Citizen-Times|date=December 16, 1983|page=86|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/11050790/where_is_he_now_clyde_bulldog_turner/|via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref> At the end of the season, he was picked as a first-team All-Pro by the AP, NYDN, and PFI.<ref name=PFR47>{{cite web|title=1947 NFL All-Pros|publisher=Sports Reference LLC|work=Pro-Football-Reference.com|access-date=May 16, 2017|url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/1947/allpro.htm}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Bulldog Turner Picked on All-Professional Grid Team|newspaper=Abilene (TX) Reporter-News|author=Frank Eck|date=December 13, 1947|page=2|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/11045551/bulldog_turner_picked_on/|via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref>

In 1948, Turner again appeared in all 12 games for the [[1948 Chicago Bears season|Bears team]] that compiled a 10–2 record and again finished in second place in the NFL Western Division.  For the eighth and final time, Turner was selected as a first-team All-Pro center, receiving first-team honors from AP, UP, PFI, and ''[[Sporting News|The Sporting News]]''.<ref name=PFR48>{{cite web|title=1948 NFL All-Pros|publisher=Sports Reference LLC|work=Pro-Football-Reference.com|access-date=May 16, 2017|url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/1948/allpro.htm}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Bulldog Turner All-League Again|newspaper=Abilene (TX) Reporter-News|date=November 10, 1948|page=4|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/11045763/bulldog_turner_allleague_again/}}</ref>

Turner continued to play for the Bears for four more years, appearing in all 12 games each year from 1949 to 1952.<ref name=PFR/> In his final year, he played at the [[offensive tackle]] position.<ref name=PFR/><ref>{{cite news|title=Bulldog Turner Retires, Takes Post at Baylor U.|newspaper=Wilmington (DE) Morning News|date=January 14, 1953|page=33|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/11062848/bulldog_turner_retires_takes_post_at/|via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref>  In 13 NFL seasons, Turner appeared in 138 regular season games and seven post-season games. He intercepted 17 passes in the regular season and four more in five NFL championship games. He was selected as a first-team All-Pro in eight of his 13 seasons.<ref name=PFR/>

Turner was big for his day ({{height|ft=6|in=1}}, {{convert|237|lb|abbr=on}}); however, he was smart and very fast. Turner later boasted about his talent as a blocker: "I was such a good blocker, that the men they put in front of me – and some were stars who were supposed to be making a lot of tackles – they would have their coaches saying, 'why ain't you making any tackles?' they'd say, 'that bum Turner is holding.' Well that wasn't true. . . . I could handle anybody that they'd put in front of me."<ref>{{cite web|title=Clyde Turner Bio|publisher=Pro Football Hall of Fame|access-date=May 16, 2017|url=http://www.profootballhof.com/players/clyde-bulldog-turner/biography/}}</ref> According to [[George Halas]], Turner was "perhaps the smartest player" he had in 40 years as the Bears' coach, a player who "knew every assignment for every player on every player."<ref name=Halas/> Teammate [[George Musso]] once said of Turner, "Who knows what kind of player he would have been if he ever got to rest during a game?"<ref name=CT87/>

==Coaching career==
===Assisting coaching===
During the 1952 NFL season, Turner was both a player for the Bears and an assistant coach responsible for instructing the guards and centers.<ref>{{cite news|title=Bulldog Turner Decides On One More Farewell|newspaper=Chicago Tribune|date=July 10, 1952|page=53|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/10901986/bulldog_turner_decides_on_one_more/|via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref>

In January 1953, after retiring as a player, Turner was hired as an assistant line coach at [[Baylor University]] in [[Waco, Texas]]. He had a ranch in nearby [[Gatesville, Texas|Gatesville]], and was responsible for coaching the offensive centers and defensive linebackers.<ref>{{cite news|title=Bulldog Turner Joins Staff: Jack Russell Is Named New Baylor Line Coach|newspaper=The Waco News-Tribune|date=January 15, 1953|page=8|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/10902296/bulldog_turner_joins_staff_jack/|via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref> He resigned his post at Baylor in February 1954.<ref>{{cite news|title=Bulldog Turner Quits at Baylor|newspaper=Abilene Reporter-News|date=February 9, 1954|page=30|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/10902478/bulldog_turner_quits_at_baylor/|via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref>

Turner was an assistant coach for the Bears from 1954 to 1957.<ref name=GM60/> He worked from the pressbox and communicated by telephone to George Halas about weaknesses he had observed in opponents' defenses.<ref>{{cite news|title=From the Cuff|newspaper=The Gatesville Messenger and Star-Forum|date=November 11, 1955|page=14|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/10912231/from_the_cuff_bulldog_turner/|via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref> He gave up his job with the Bears in 1958 to devote his full efforts to his ranch in Texas.<ref>{{cite news|title=POST-ed|newspaper=The Gatesville Messenger and Star-Forum|date=July 25, 1958|page=17|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/10912372/posted_bulldog_turner/|via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref>

===New York Titans===
In December 1961, Turner was hired as the head coach of the [[Titans of New York|New York Titans]] of the [[American Football League]].<ref name=btistcc>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=y_8xAAAAIBAJ&sjid=_-QFAAAAIBAJ&pg=4998%2C6016067 |newspaper=Lawrence Journal World |location=Kansas |agency=Associated Press |title=Bulldog Turner is new Titans coach |date=December 19, 1961 |page=14 }}</ref> Despite a pre-season injury to All-AFL fullback [[Bill Mathis]], whose 846 rushing yards was second best in the [[1961 AFL season]], the Titans opened the season with a 2–1 record.<ref>{{cite news|title=Titans Open At Home Vs. Denver Broncs|newspaper=The Arizona Republic|date=September 29, 1962|page=17|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/10917369/titans_open_at_home_vs_denver_broncs/|via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref>  However, owner [[Harry Wismer]] was broke and unable to pay the players, who refused to practice and went on a two-day strike. Wismer threatened to put the entire team on waivers, and his erratic behavior, including hastily placing six starters on waivers after a loss and threatening to sue the [[Denver Broncos]] after quarterback [[Lee Grosscup]] was injured on a hard tackle, caused the Titans to be described as "the kookiest franchise in professional football."<ref>{{cite news|title=Titans Really Something: Harry Wismer Mastermind of Kookiest Team in Pro Football|newspaper=Sandusky Register|agency=Newspaper Enterprise Association|date=October 31, 1962|page=8B|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/10917203/titans_really_something_harry_wismer/|via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref> Even with financial assistance from other AFL clubs, the Titans' payroll deficiencies continued, and Turner had to expend energy just enticing his team to suit up.<ref name=nytobit>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1998/11/02/sports/bulldog-turner-79-a-star-for-bears-and-hall-of-famer.html |newspaper=New York Times |last=Goldstein |first=Richard |title=Bulldog Turner, 79, a Star For Bears and Hall of Famer|date=November 2, 1998 |access-date=February 18, 2016}}</ref> The team drew only 36,161 spectators to seven home games and finished with a 5–9 record.<ref>{{cite web|title=1962 New York Titans Statistics & Players|publisher=Sports Reference LLC|work=Pro-Football-Reference.com|access-date=May 11, 2017|url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/nyj/1962.htm}}</ref> The team was sold in March 1963 and became the [[New York Jets]]. Turner was fired that same month.<ref name=tfatskp>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=kVIyAAAAIBAJ&sjid=kuUFAAAAIBAJ&pg=3256%2C6321659 |newspaper=Lawrence Journal World |location=Kansas |agency=Associated Press |title=Turner is fired as Titan skipper |date=March 27, 1963 |page=14 }}</ref>

==Honors==
Turner received numerous honors for his accomplishments as a football player. His honors include the following:

* In 1951, he was inducted into the [[Helms Athletic Foundation]]'s Professional Football Hall of Fame. He was the second Texan to be so honored, following [[Sammy Baugh]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Turner Is Named To Hall of Fame|newspaper=The Abilene Reporter-News|date=October 21, 1951|page=4D|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/10913304/turner_is_named_to_hall_of_fame/|via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref>
* When Turner ended his playing career, the Bears retired his jersey No. 66.<ref>{{cite news|title='40 Gridders Could Make It Now|newspaper=The Progress-Index (VA)|date=June 22, 1968|page=10|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/11062491/40_gridders_could_make_it_now_turner/|via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref> As of 1964, only six numbers had been retired by the Bears: Turner (No. 66); [[Bronko Nagurski]] (No. 3); [[George McAfee]] (No. 5); [[Sid Luckman]] (No. 42); [[Bill Hewitt (American football)|Bill Hewitt]] (No. 58); and [[Red Grange]] (No. 77).<ref>{{cite news|title=Putting Around|newspaper=The Amarillo (TX) Globe-Times|date=October 28, 1964|page=32|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/11062397/putting_around/|via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref>
* In 1960, he was inducted into the National Football Foundation's Hall of Fame (later renamed the [[College Football Hall of Fame]]).<ref>{{cite news|title=Turner Tabbed for Niche In Football Hall of Fame|newspaper=The Gatesville (TX) Messenger and Star-Forum|date=October 7, 1960|page=1|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/10904119/turner_tabbed_for_niche_in_football/|via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref>
* In 1961, he was inducted into the [[Texas Sports Hall of Fame]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Turner Is Tapped For Hall of Fame|newspaper=The Gatesville (TX) Messenger and Star-Forum|date=December 8, 1961|page=1|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/10913188/turner_is_tapped_for_hall_of_fame/|via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref>
* In 1966, he was inducted into the [[Pro Football Hall of Fame]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Bulldog Turner To Hall of Fame|newspaper=The Salina Journal|date=March 23, 1966|page=14|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/10904240/bulldog_turner_to_hall_of_fame/|via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref> He was selected as part of the fourth class of inductees and was the third center (following [[Mel Hein]] and [[George Trafton]]) to be so honored.
* In 1969, as part of the NFL's 50th anniversary, the [[Pro Football Hall of Fame]] selected all-decade teams for each of the league's first five decades. Turner was selected as a center on the [[National Football League 1940s All-Decade Team|NFL 1940s All-Decade Team]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Canadeo, Brock, Ray on All-'40s|newspaper=Green Bay Press-Gazette|date=August 26, 1969|page=17|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/10904459/canadeo_brock_ray_on_all40s/|via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref>
* Also in 1969, Turner was selected by a panel of the [[Football Writers Association of America]] to the All-Southwest football team of the preceding 50 years.<ref>{{cite news|title=POST-ed|newspaper=The Gatesville (TX) Messenger and Star-Forum|date=July 11, 1969|page=19|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/10913125/posted_bulldog_turner/|via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref>
* In 1975, he was selected to the Texas All-Pro football team, made up of professional football players who once played college football in Texas. Turner was the "biggest landslide winner on the team."<ref>{{cite news|title=Texas All-Pro team would be contender|newspaper=Great Falls (MT) Tribune|date=November 12, 1975|page=17|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/10913533/texas_allpro_team_would_be_contender/|via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref>
* In 1979, he was selected as one of the inaugural inductees into the Hardin-Simmons Athletic Hall of Fame.<ref>{{cite web|title=Clyde "Bulldog" Turner|publisher=Hardin-Simmons University|access-date=May 17, 2017|url=http://hsuathletics.com/Hall_of_Fame/HOF_Bios/turner_clyde?view=bio|archive-date=September 21, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150921145540/http://hsuathletics.com/Hall_of_Fame/HOF_Bios/turner_clyde?view=bio|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Athletic Hall of Fame Inductees|publisher=Hardin-Simmons University|access-date=May 17, 2017|url=http://hsuathletics.com/Hall_of_Fame/index?sort=year}}</ref>
* ESPN rated Turner No. 7 on its list of the 50 greatest Chicago Bears.<ref>{{cite web|title=50 Greatest Bears: Bulldog Turner|work=ESPN.com|access-date=May 17, 2017|url=http://www.espn.com/chicago/photos/gallery/_/id/8308052/image/45/clyde-bulldog-turner-50-greatest-bears}}</ref>

==Family and later years==
Turner was married twice. His first wife was Helen W. Turner with whom he had a daughter, Patricia. He was later married to Gladys Webber (1925–1988) on July 4, 1948.<ref>{{cite news|title=Mrs. Gladys W. Turner|newspaper=The Gatesville Messenger|date=November 3, 1988|page=10C|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/10911969/mrs_gladys_w_turner/|via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref>

In 1950, Turner purchased a 1,200-acre ranch in Pidcoke, [[Coryell County, Texas]], for $54,000.<ref name=GM60/><ref>{{cite news|title=This was News – 10, 20 Years Ago|newspaper=The Gatesville (TX) Messenger and Star-Forum|date=August 19, 1960|page=15|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/10912651/this_was_news_10_20_years_ago/|via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref> He moved from Chicago to the ranch on a full-time basis in April 1958.<ref name=GM60>{{cite news|title=Turner Tabbed for Niche In Football Hall of Fame (part 2)|newspaper=The Gatesville (TX) Messenger and Star-Forum|date=October 7, 1960|page=8|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/10912540/turner_tabbed_for_niche_in_football/|via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref>

After spending 1962 in New York as coach of the [[Titans of New York|New York Titans]], he returned to his ranch and began racing horses.<ref>{{cite news|title=Turner's Horse Wins First Race|newspaper=The Gatesville (TX) Messenger and Star-Forum|date=June 12, 1964|page=9|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/10912753/turners_horse_wins_first_race/|via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref> In 1965, he purchased a second ranch in [[New Mexico]] to pursue his interest in breeding horses. He also raced his horses at [[Sunland Park Racetrack & Casino|Sunland Park]] and [[Ruidoso Downs Race Track|Ruidoso Downs]] in New Mexico.<ref>{{cite news|title=POST-ed|newspaper=The Gatesville (TX) Messenger and Star-Forum|date=March 26, 1965|page=13|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/10912807/posted_bulldog_turner/|via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=POST-ed|newspaper=The Gatesville (TX) Messenger and Star-Forum|date=March 4, 1966|page=13|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/10912877/posted_bulldog_turner/|via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref>

In the 1970s, Turner moved to [[Omaha, Nebraska]], where he took a job as a manager for Interstate Steel Co.  In 1974, while on a business trip to Chicago, he suffered a stroke at age 55.<ref>{{cite news|title=H-SU Great Has Stroke|newspaper=Abilene Reporter-News|date=August 30, 1974|page=58|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/10904624/hsu_great_has_stroke/|via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Ex-"Monster" Has Stroke In Chicago|newspaper=El Paso Herald-Post|date=September 13, 1974|page=26|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/10913433/exmonster_has_stroke_in_chicago/|via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref> In the 1980s, Turner developed further health problems, including [[diabetes]], [[cancer]], and heart disease requiring installation of a pacemaker. His wife, Gladys, also contracted lung cancer, and the couple lived in a house trailer on their Texas ranch.<ref name=CT87>{{cite news|title=Ill-fated Turner still a Bulldog|newspaper=Chicago Tribune|date=June 7, 1987|pages=3–1, 3–10|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/11046337/illfated_turner_still_a_bulldog/|via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref> Suffering financial troubles, he qualified in 1987 for an NFL pension of $780 per month.<ref name=CT87/>

His wife died in October 1988 after 40 years of marriage.<ref>{{cite news|title=Gladys Turner, wife of former Bears great|newspaper=Chicago Tribune|date=October 27, 1988|pages=3–23|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/10904558/gladys_turner_wife_of_former_bears/|via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref> In his later years, Turner also suffered from [[emphysema]], and in March 1998, he was diagnosed with [[lung cancer]]. He died at age 79 at his ranch near [[Gatesville, Texas]].<ref name=CTobit1>{{cite news|title=Bulldog Turner, star on Bears of '40s, dies: Center-linebacker earned 4 title rings (part 1)|newspaper=Chicago Tribune|date=October 31, 1998|pages=3–1|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/10890796/bulldog_turner_star_on_bears_of_40s/|via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref><ref name=CTobit2>{{cite news|title=Bulldog Turner, star on Bears of '40s, dies: Center-linebacker earned 4 title rings (part 2)|newspaper=Chicago Tribune|date=October 31, 1998|pages=3|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/10890828/bulldog_turner_star_on_bears_of_40s/|via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref> He was buried in Greenbriar Cemetery in Gatesville.

==Head coaching record==
===NFL===
{| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 90%; text-align:center;"
|-
! rowspan="2"|Team !! rowspan="2"|Year !! colspan="5"|Regular season !! colspan="4"|Postseason 
|-
!Won!!Lost!!Ties!!Win %!!Finish!! Won !! Lost !! Win % !! Result 
|-
![[1962 New York Titans season|NYJ]]||[[1962 AFL season|1962]]
||5||9||0||.357||'''4th in AFL East'''||-||-||-||
|-
!colspan="2"|Total||5||9||0||{{winpct|5|9|0}}||||||||||
|-
|}

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==External links==
{{commons}}
* {{Profootballhof|id=218}}
* {{cfbhof|id=1487|name=Bulldog Turner}}
* {{Footballstats |nfl=Bulldog-Turner|espn= |cbs= |yahoo= |fox= |si= |pfr=TurnBu21 |dbf=TURNEBUL01 |rotoworld=}}
* {{Find a Grave}}

{{New York Jets coach navbox}}
{{Navboxes
| title = Bulldog Turner—championships, awards, and honors
| list1 =
{{1940 NFL Draft}}
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{{1940 Chicago Bears}}
{{1941 Chicago Bears}}
{{1943 Chicago Bears}}
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{{NFL1940s}}
{{NFL season interception leaders}}
{{1966 Football HOF}}
{{Pro Football Hall of Fame members}}

}}

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[[Category:1919 births]]
[[Category:1998 deaths]]
[[Category:American football centers]]
[[Category:American football linebackers]]
[[Category:Chicago Bears players]]
[[Category:Hardin–Simmons Cowboys football players]]
[[Category:National Conference Pro Bowl players]]
[[Category:New York Jets coaches]]
[[Category:College Football Hall of Fame inductees]]
[[Category:Pro Football Hall of Fame inductees]]
[[Category:People from Gatesville, Texas]]
[[Category:People from Yoakum County, Texas]]
[[Category:Players of American football from Coryell County, Texas]]
[[Category:United States Army Air Forces personnel of World War II]]
[[Category:NFL players with retired numbers]]
[[Category:New York Titans head coaches]]