Dallas Cowboys return man KaVontae Turpin returned to practice after missing the start of training camp due to the birth of his second child. Turpin and his partner welcomed his second daughter on the day of training camp check-in, sending the former TCU star right back to Texas after a flight to Oxnard.
“Right now, it’s just a wonderful feeling,” Turpin said of welcoming his second child, via DallasCowboys.com. “I brought my baby girl a couple of days ago, it helped me become a new man. Come out here, and now I’m just happy to be back out here with my team. Come out here and learn with these guys, with this team. I’m just in a wonderful spot right now.”
As Dallas’ first success story out of the USFL, Turpin is going through his first full preseason with the team. Last year, he went straight from one league to the other with no opportunity to refresh his body. That’s been the biggest difference for him so far, along with being more familiar with the playbook.
“Last year, coming from the USFL and not being able to do OTAs and the mini-camp,” Turpin said. “I feel like this year, being able to do those things, I’m ahead of where I need to be at coming from the offensive end. Come in, learn the plays. I feel like I’m in a wonderful spot right now just coming in and being able to do those two things during the offseason.”
“[I wanted to] show them that I don’t have to meet with any of my coaches,” he added. “I can just come out and get straight to it. I had to just show them that I’m here and I’m dedicated to it. That’s all I had to show them, and that’s what I came out here and showed them. I feel like I did.”
Turpin ready for Year 2 jump
One person thrilled to see growth from Turpin is Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy. During OTAs, he made it clear he wants to expand the former Horned Frog’s role in the offense.
“He needs to take a second-year jump offensively,” McCarthy said during OTAs. “He’s a piece you want to move around. We don’t want to be in a position where he has to line up at just one spot.”
Already an All-Pro as a returner, Turpin is eager to factor in as a weapon for Dak Prescott.
“I just feel like this year I want to do everything,” Turpin said. “All-Pro, anything I can do since I got my rest during this offseason and coming in here with fresh legs. I feel like right now, I’m at 100-percent of where I need to be. [My daughters] are what I’m here for, live for them, come out here and show that’s what I’m here for.”
Last season, Turpin recorded 508 kick return yards and another 303 on punts during the regular slate. In the Cowboys’ two playoff games, he totaled 155 yards on kickoffs. As a receiver, he had one catch for nine yards.
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