FIUGoldenPanthers.com

I haven't been to a game this year! smh, So I figured I come on the old FIU message board to catch up. I see the team is doing pretty good, and we have several guys in the League now! I remember when I was the only one!! lol

Also tonight Buffalo Wild Wings will be hanging my Chicago Bears Jersey at their Dolphin Mall Location if anyone wants to go.
Kind of doing it as a fundraiser for my high school team (we need lockers bad) lol

This is pretty dope...

$$$$ this is cool. Got any NFL stories to share?

Do you have a gofundme or something similar?

I don't have a go fund me as of now, I donated a lot of my own personal money for uniforms equipment etc.. so I figured I need to start Reaching out now. but a GoFundMe is a good idea.

lol I have thousands of NFL stories. Ill share a few.. Lets see... might get a little long..

Here are a few from my Rookie year..

When I Signed with the Falcons, it didn't hit me that I was in the NFL right away. The day I had to report was a pretty busy day, I was flown to Atlanta, Picked up from the airport in a limo and taken to the facility. I get there and there were a lot of things to sign, for fans, paper work etc.. had to do a detailed physical that took up most of the day. I go to the resort they had me staying in. The next morning I get picked up and brought to the facility. I was feeling excited and ready to get on the field and prove myself. but first we had a team meeting. I walk in their like I was still the big man on campus at FIU (being in the NFL still did not hit me) then it happened. I'm sitting in the middle of the meeting room minding my business, and walks in Jim Mora (head coach) I thought to myself (I just saw him on NFL network) then I look to my left and right next to me was Mike Vick, I look to my right and next to me was Warrick Dunn, then I looked straight ahead and there was John Abraham and Deangelo Hall.... Oh S#@T I'm in the NFL!! lol thats when it hit me.
Moments Later Coach Mora wanted each Rookie to stand up and say something about them that know one really knows about you.. So its my turn.. after talking for a while, I said, no one really knows that I Modeled in GQ and Vogue..... crickets..... I sit down, three more rookies go.. then Jim Mora goes.. and I quote.. "wait a F-ing minute, Turnbull stand up.. I stand up and in font of the entire team he said s@#t, your not a GQ model!! if your a GQ model, I can be a GQ model!!! lmao everyone starting laughing.

During training camp I was minding my business eating lunch.. (we were like 2 weeks into camp) and a vet comes up to me and hands me a banana, and sits down, I turn around and the entire team is looking at me in silence.. they had me stand on top of a chair and sing with the banana as the microphone.. lol.. I had to sing a full song! so I sang "if I ever fall in love again" by Shia (I got a Standing ovation when I was done)
They made me do a lot of crazy things... especially when I made the team I was the only Rookie DB so I had to do everything.
DB night out my bill was $15,000 (and that was dinner with just DBs) smh

When training camp ended, we had a rookie show, so I needed a way to get the vets back.... then it clicked. when I was at FIU, on this message board you guys use to get pictures of the player of our next opponent, and do a look a like.. so if a guy looked like big bird you would but a picture side by side.. so I did a slide show, and commentated the entire thing inside of a big Auditorium..I had the entire team and front office in tears!

I have so many stories, tell me a type of story you want to hear and I bet I have one.

$$$$ I wish I had seen this sooner! As an FIU student and huge Bears fan I would've loved to have been there for this.

Any chance you have some eligibility left?

I do not have a go fundMe as of now. I have mostly been paying out of my own pocket for things so now I am looking for outside sources to help build this program.

I have a thousand NFL stories, what kind of stories do you want? And will share them.

I wish I had eligibility left!!!

I should have posted about the jersey event before, i may have another one coming up, I will post it well in advance.

This is so $$$$ cool. Thanks for sharing those stories. Please post more often!

If you have time, I'd be interested in hearing your thoughts on the program over the past few years and what you think about the new coaching staff.

Really great of you to come on this board. This is a bunch of pretty rabid fans, so you can trust that it is much appreciated.

Hey there Nick, welcome back to the group. Hope you have a great event at Buff Wild Wings. I heard you were at one of the charter schools working for athletics department, Doral I believe.

Holy $$$$ the hazing im dying. We gotta bring back the look alike

And those stories were great by the way. Come out to some home games if you can. It's always great to have alumni around.

The next home game I am there, I haven't been to one all year, and I may even tailgate! when is the next game at FIU?

My thoughts on FIU, lets see...

1. I think FIU needs to start building its history, it seems like they hide our history. Example, honor players that deserve to be honored. Not saying to retire jerseys (way to many players on a roster to retire a jersey on a college team). But they should make a ring of honor around the stadium. FIU will never get to where they need to be without the history. You walk into the University of Miami facilities or any other college facility I have seen, you see the history of the program, from players, records etc.. FIU is missing this big time. Example, I bet most of the current players have no clue of who I am. I will never forget when I played against Tampa Bay my rookie season, I read an article in their local paper of a player from Tampa area that committed to FIU and he said "I want to be the Next Nick Turnbull" I don't remember this players name, but I have this article somewhere in my house. History is just as important as the future, you can't move forward without it.

I see attendance is an issue, to improve attendance they need to bring the bigger schools to FIU for home games or jump into a bigger conference (SEC, ACC etc..) and FIU needs to create a BUZZ. instead of being so friendly with UM go at them, make them a rival, make people start paying attention to FIU vs UM. Make people realize that FIU is in Miami too and won't be overshadowed by UM. People seem to forget that University of Miami first 10 seasons were winless! We are worlds ahead!
Also, publicity stunts that get people talking. For example, I have a 9 year old that plays football who is really good (ill share videos) I would offer him or/and TY Hilton son a scholarship (remember, scholarship offer means nothing until its signed) but the publicity this would receive has potential of going national. It also helps with recruiting in the future, it will make more kids want to attend games because they see what is possible. similar to how the Yankees offered a 12 year old pitcher a contract several years ago, they were smart by doing that. If you ask my son right now what his top 5 colleges are FIU is 1 just because I went there. (this could change) but this is my point.

2. I think the hire of Butch Davis was great. I liked the Ron Turner hire as well (he was my OC in Chicago). But What Butch Davis brings to FIU is History. Because of has ties in Miami, He was successful at UM, and the kids growing up that watched and witnessed what Butch Davis did are now the fathers and coaches, which is better for recruiting their local kids. He has a history of being successful and he is already proving that at FIU. It will get even better when he has a full roster of HIS recruits, right now he is doing this with Coach Turners recruits.

3. I was at a Charter School (Pinecrest Glades Academy) I left, I have my own Uniform Company "Truth Athletics" lol go figured! which is high performance uniforms and apparel brand. I make and design them just how Nike and Adidas does. Maybe one day I will be the FIU uniform provider how Nike is with Oregon, and Under Armor is with Maryland, both former student/player at those schools.
I am also the head coach at Miami Christian School which is 1 mile from FIU campus.

This is the stuff tradition is made of.