Second-stringer finally gets his chance to shine and becomes a star in his own right. It's a time-honored theme that resonates with sports fans, and it's the hope of it happening again that has collectors intrigued by Atlanta Falcons running back Michael Turner.
A native of the Chicago area, Turner flew under the radar of many football fans during a very productive college career at Northern Illinois. He finished second in the nation in rushing in both 2002 and 2003, garnering enough attention for the San Diego Chargers to select him in the fifth round of the 2004 NFL Draft.
When Turner got to Southern California, he found himself as the apprentice to one of the NFL's best backs: LaDainian Tomlinson. But he opened eyes in the opportunities he did get, earning himself the nickname "The Burner" for his numerous big plays and leading many NFL pundits to speculate that he had enough talent to start if given the opportunity.
San Diego was initially willing to keep him in the fold as insurance for L.T., but Turner got his chance before the 2008 season when the Falcons signed him to a six-year deal. He gave Atlanta fans quite the show in his very first game, breaking the team's single-game rushing record by racking up 220 yards and two touchdowns in a victory over the Detroit Lions.
The squat but speedy Turner promises to turn a lot more collectors onto his 2004 rookie cards now that he's moved from understudy to leading man. Since he wasn't a high draft pick, he doesn't appear in every football set from that season, but he has a card in most of them and has a total of six autographed issues among them.
2004 Michael Turner Rookie Cards
- Absolute Memorabilia # 164 - #'d to 750
- Bowman # 272
- Bowman Chrome # 238 - autographed
- Bowman's Best # 133 - autographed
- Donruss Classics # 206 - #'d to 925
- Donruss Elite # 175 - #'d to 500
- Finest # 62
- Flair # 78 - #'d to 799
- Fleer Platinum # 181 - #'d to 999
- Fleer Showcase # 126 - #'d to 599
- Fleer Tradition # 359
- Leaf Certified Materials # 189 - #'d to 1000
- Leaf Limited # 187 - #'d to 350
- Leaf Rookies and Stars # 234 - #'d to 750
- Playoff Contenders # 160 - autographed with announced print run of 535
- Playoff Hogg Heaven # 138 - #'d to 750
- Playoff Honors # 113 - #'d to 750
- Playoff Prestige # 209
- Playoff Prime Signatures # 120 - dual autograph with Willie Parker #'d to 199
- Reflections # 108 - #'d to 750
- SkyBox LE # 120 - #'d to 99
- SP Authentic # 160 - autographed, #'d to 990
- SP Game Used # 118 - #'d to 425
- SPx # 171 - #'d to 799
- Sweet Spot # 246 - autographed, #'d to 699
- Topps # 348
- Topps Chrome # 203
- Topps Draft Picks and Prospects # 148
- Ultimate Collection # 66 - #'d to 750
- Ultra # 214
- Upper Deck # 246
- Upper Deck Legends # 133