Cal Football
Bryce Turner is a Cal football player who died over the weekend, after an undisclosed “medical emergency” that took place during practice last week, according to a team statement as relayed by the San Francisco Chronicle.
According to the publication, Turner was hospitalized after the non-team workout near his home in Southern California, and died on Saturday afternoon. The cause of death has not been released.
On January 3, Cal football released a statement on Turner’s hospitalization, writing in part, “We are grateful to those who have cared for Bryce and the doctors who continue to closely monitor him in the hospital. Please keep Bryce in your thoughts and prayers.”
Here’s what you need to know:
Cal Coaches & Players Pay Tribute to Turner
Following the official statement by Cal on January 3, head coach Justin Wilcox released an additional statement, which read in full:
“Our positive thoughts, prayers, and energy are with Bryce and his family. We are thankful to the medical professionals who have cared for Bryce and continue to monitor his condition. We will do everything we can to support Bryce and his family during this difficult time.”
After Turner’s death, teammates and officials took to Twitter to pay tribute to the young man. Defensive back coach Gerald Alexander wrote, “May the Lord be with the family during this time. Heal the hearts of the Turner family while dealing with the devastating lost of a son, brother, cousin, nephew and a great kid in Bryce Turner.”
Arizona State University football player DeMonte King tweeted, “Rest In Peace BRYCE TURNER. You was a real authentic dude with a great heart and lively spirit. Enjoyed our moments together. Proud to call you a true friend. #1Love”
Cal running back Alex Netherda wrote, “Rest in peace my brother. The warmth, energy, and laughter you brought with you will not quickly fade. Love you always”
Cal defensive back Traveon Beck wrote, “Man tears won’t stop falling as i type this.. we been rocking since 7th grade at Tetzlaff.. then high school at Bosco now College at Cal. Words can’t explain how i feel but i love you brother. Never would i have thought I’d have to bury one of my bestfriends. See you in heaven.”
Turner Was a Redshirt Sophomore Cornerback at the Time of His Death
At the time of his death, Turner was a redshirt sophomore CB. His bio reads that he hailed from Lakewood, California, and attended Long Beach City College prior to his enrollment at Cal. He attended St. John Bosco High School before that.
Turner’s highlights for his sophomore year read:
• Played in one game, making his Cal debut off the bench against Idaho State and recording one tackle
His highlights from Long Beach City College read:
• Played in 11 games as a 2016 true freshman and contributed 18 tackles, 2.0 tackles for loss (-12 yards), one interception that he returned five yards and one pass breakup on defense, as well as one rush for a loss of 14 yards on the offensive side of the ball for a team that finished 9-2 overall, 4-1 in the National Central Division of the California Community College Athletic Association and earned a victory in the Western State Bowl to finish the season on a five-game win streak
• Wore No. 13
Turner’s Last Tweet Was Written on December 29
We not stressing over anything that’s not touching our pockets 🤷🏾♂️💯
Turner’s last tweet can be seen above. He had 1,388 followers at the time of his death, and many have begun to comment on his tweets, writing “RIP” and other commemorative posts.
On December 27, Turner wrote, “I wish I grew up in 90s”
Earlier in the month he wrote, “Got all Bs this semester yeerrrrrppp”