by Anthony Strait, OTSL Panelist
The
summer breeze is a mist of fresh air that marks both the beginning of a journey
or the end of one. Around NFL training camps the sense of hope, renewal and
optimism flows as rich as the Gatorade leaving the buckets. Men young and old
push themselves through the grueling heat as if they embraced the proverbial
kitchen and coaches watch them with careful eyes. All for the chance to earn a
spot among the elite group of men who will be allowed to embark on a road that
32 teams hope will take them to Atlanta and the Super Bowl.
The
intensity of the summer heat is followed by a stormy cloud that leaves many
thunderstruck and a wake of destruction in the broken dreams of many. For that
gray cloud of NFL atonement holds no sure form, just the words that could be
confused with daggers: "Coach wants to see you...bring your
playbook." It is called The Turk and it is the Turk who for five
weeks becomes the most powerful force in an organization. It is the Turk who
bears the news that allows men to continue the dream or pick up the pieces of
said dream.
The
identity of the Turk can vary from team to team. It can be a young intern
tagging along with a head coach or even the equipment manager with acne. Perhaps it is a young coach looking to work their way up the ranks who is tasked
with being the voice of doom. How about that very nice secretary whose calm
demeanor becomes a double edged sword? Whomever it is, who takes on the role, they
realize that it is not a easy job to track down a player to tell him his dream
is over. No one even knows for sure where the term originate. The closest
and perhaps most logical explanation can be found in a quote from 2001 by
Pittsburgh 970AM's Scott Paulsen:
“I
imagine that the NFL started using "Turk" because of theTurkish
soldiers of the 17th and 18th century and their long, curved scimitars.
It's
a wonderful visual. Beware the Turk. He comes late at night,armed
with a long, curved sword that he'll use to cut you from the team!"
While clearly not
the actual origin of such a name, it is arguably the best description. The Turk
with his or hers daggers stalking the halls, acting as the Grim Reaper and
beginning to "cut" down targets one by one in a slow agonizing manner.
For 700 players cut
day might as well be called another name: D-Day. They will be trying to avoid
the inevitability of the Turk catching up to them. Perhaps turning the phone on
vibrate and pretending to accidentally miss that call helps. Maybe going into
physical hiding is the way to go. For the younger players, getting cut from a
NFL roster could be their first taste of football failure. For the veterans, the
realization of going from making millions to nothing in a second is enough to
leave anyone humbled. The idea that a man will be told by one individual that
their dream will not continue is a gut punch even if some land on other teams. For
the Turk, the delicate balance between compassionate human being and strictly
following instructions is part of the role. Anyone who has ever watched Hard
Knocks should know these encounters aren’t pretty. Players are angry,
heartbroken and even dumbfounded when they are told the coach want to see them.
There are stories
of guys who were cut threaten physical harm to coaches, as was the case when
former coach Lovie Smith cut a guy while an assistant in Tampa Bay. Friendships
between teammates are tested when both players are on the bubble. It all leads
to a simple sit down with the coach, a hand shake, and a trip to the secretary
to confirm your booked flight home. The Turk does the job no one wants and the
players never want to be on the other end.
But there is hope
for those who do get the ax. Guys
like Kurt Warner, Wes Walker and even James Harrison have been cut from teams
and put together stellar careers. Even a famous movie star like Dwayne Johnson
was once cut from his CFL team. There is always the chance a player gets added
to the practice squad. It’s the NFL version of a paid internship. Run the other
team’s playbook and make everyone look good. Those who survive the final cuts
breathe a sigh of relief as their dreams continue.
September 1st
looms as final cut down day before the start of the regular season. The rosters
begin to shrink after the second preseason game and continue until every team is
down to the required 53 players. In the meantime, the Turk is watching with
keen eyes. He or she is stalking his potential next victims during the dog days
of August. The Turk is the voice of NFL doom and it is his (or her)
responsibility to carry out a hit job on the coaches’ orders.
The players will
spend the next few weeks looking over their shoulder for the most powerful
being in training camp may not be far behind. They are the Turk and cutting
down dreams is their business. And
between now and September 1st business will be good and plentiful.
