Jim Turner, Former Denver Broncos Star Kicker Who Won Super Bowl with New York Jets, Dead at 82
“We’re deeply saddened by the passing of Denver Broncos Ring of Fame kicker Jim Turner," the team wrote
Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire via Getty
Jim Turner, a star kicker for the Denver Broncos who helped the New York Jets win their only Super Bowl, has died. He was 82.
Turner passed away over the weekend with family by his side, according to multiple outlets.
The Denver football team announced the news on Twitter Monday, writing, “We’re deeply saddened by the passing of Denver Broncos Ring of Fame kicker Jim Turner.”
“Retiring as the second-leading scorer in NFL history, Jim was instrumental in helping establish the Broncos’ winning tradition in the 1970s as a key member of our first Super Bowl team,” the statement read.
“While his competitive spirit and reliability defined him as a player, Jim’s dedicated mentorship and support of youth following his career will leave a lasting legacy without our community,” the message continued.
“Our hearts go out to Jim’s wife, Mary Kay; daughters Lisa, Chris and Alison; and the entire Turner family,” the post concluded.
From Crockett, California, Turner played as a kicker and quarterback for Utah State University’s football team from 1959 to 1962, where he was inducted into the college’s Hall of Fame.
The university reported that he was drafted by the Washington Redskins in 1963, but later joined the New York Jets when they were still with the American Football League in 1964, per Yahoo Sports.
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Glen Martin/The Denver Post via Gett
According to the outlet, Turner helped the Jets win the 1969 Super Bowl with three field goals, the last of which was nine yards — setting a record for the shortest field goal in Super Bowl history that cannot be broken due to where goal posts are now placed on the field.
He also achieved a career-high of 34 field goals and a then-record of 145 points in the Jets’ 1968 regular season, the Denver Broncos reported.
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After seven seasons with the Jets, Turner played for the Broncos in 1971 and became the first kicker inducted into the Broncos’ Ring of Fame in 1988.
Turner played in the team’s first Super Bowl in 1977, winning against the Green Bay Packers. They lost to the Dallas Cowboys in the Super Bowl XII.
By the time Turner retired in 1979, he was the second highest-scoring player in the NFL with a total of 1,439 points, reported Yahoo Sports.
He also never missed a single game or got injured during his time with the Broncos, according to The Daily Mail.
Cyrus McCrimmon/The Denver Post via Getty
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After Turner retired, the Broncos said he was involved with the National Football Foundation’s “Play it Smart” campaign, which helped at-risk students in 150 schools across the country.
He was also a commentator for NBC Sports and a radio talk show host for KNUS and KOA radio in Denver, the Broncos reported.
For the remainder of his life, Turner lived in Denver, where he was an active Broncos alumnus, the team said. His family also told the Broncos that he enjoyed cycling, racquetball, woodworking, landscaping, and fishing in Whitefish, Montana.
Turner is survived by his wife Mary Kay, daughters Lisa, Chris, and Alison, and eight grandchildren.
In lieu of flowers, the Broncos said the family has requested donations be made to Denver Broncos Alumni Charities.
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