Turner talks, plays good game for UNLV

CHRIS GIVENS
ARKANSAS DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE

LAS VEGAS -- Nate Turner seemed confused by the compliment.
"You think that was a good season?" UNLV's top wide receiver said when congratulated for a season that saw him lead the Mountain West Conference in every receiving category. "Well, I'm not so sure I'm satisfied with that."
It takes a lot to satisfy Turner, who will play his last game for UNLV in the Las Vegas Bowl tonight against Arkansas.
Turner, who transferred to UNLV from Compton (Calif.) Community College, completed his senior season for the Rebels with 66 catches for 947 yards and 10 touchdowns, all totals which led the league. The numbers that Turner said he needed to consider it a good season were slightly different -- 80 receptions, 1,400 yards, 21 touchdowns.
Instead, he'll have to be satisfied with being UNLV's clutch player and big-play threat. Turner's reputation among teammates for making the key plays, especially on third down, has led to his clever nickname.
"I like to be depended on as a clutch player, a franchise-type player," Turner said. "They call me 'Third-and-Nate,' so the whole country knows on third down we'll be looking for No. 6."
Turner's stats weren't the only thing he was unhappy with this season. Despite his league-leading totals, Turner was overlooked in all-conference voting. He was second team in the media poll and honorable mention in the coaches voting.
"It was pretty disappointing," Turner said. "I felt I did a lot of dirty work and I led the whole conference in everything possible, and still they looked over me and said some other guy is better.
"I'm a big reason we're in the bowl game, as opposed to [Utah's] Steve Smith [who made the first team], who's sitting at home and is going to turn the TV on at 5 o'clock and see who the real first-team all-conference receiver is."
Turner may get the last laugh because his size (6-3, 215) could earn him a shot in the NFL, UNLV Coach John Robinson said.
"He's a playmaker, the type of player who wants the ball in crunch," said Rebels quarterback Jason Thomas, who played Pop Warner football with Turner in Compton, both players' hometown. "If you're a quarterback, in any league, that's the kind of receiver you want."
There is one thing Turner is satisfied with -- the Rebels' first winning season since 1994.
Individually, well, that's another story.
"I think I could have done a lot more," he said. "A good receiver is always greedy, always hungry, always wants more.
"If you ask me, I'd want them to throw me the ball every play, but that won't win the game for us. I'm very satisfied with our season as a team."

This article was published on Thursday, December 21, 2000

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