Former Clemson safety Nolan Turner was the star of the show in Clemson’s pro day on Thursday, finishing with some of the best results among the nine participants.
In his second attempt at the event, Turner ran a 4.46 40-yard dash, the fastest of all eight players who chose to run. He also had the highest vertical, jumping 37.5 inches.
In the broad jump event, Turner jumped 10 feet, 2 inches, which tied the furthest jump with linebacker Baylon Spector and tight end Braden Galloway.
“I’ve been training for this day and for this moment for a while now, so it was good to come out here and perform well, and up to my expectations, and hit a lot of the numbers,” Turner said.
According to Tuner, his 40-yard dash time was consistent with the times that he recorded in his training. With that time and his performance in the other drills, he believes he is worthy of being drafted to the NFL in April.
“I came out here and proved I was athletic enough,” he said. “I’ve got the tape. At the end of the day, I think I have the speed and the athleticism to play at the next level.”
Compared to the other participants, there was much more of a buzz from spectators after Turner ran his 40-yard dash.
As for his bench press, Turner completed 17 repetitions of 225 pounds, which would have been tied for fifth among safeties at the NFL Combine.
Meanwhile, former linebackers James Skalski and Spector, Turner’s roommates, also participated in Thursday’s events. Skalski, who is roommates with Turner, was proud of the safety’s results.
“I knew he was going to put on a show too,” Skalski said of Turner’s performance. “We’ve been talking for weeks about this day, and he had a great day too, so we’re definitely going to take a deep breath and enjoy today.”
Both Turner and Skalski did not receive invitations to the NFL Combine, but as Skalski put it, the lack of an invitation has caused him to have a chip on his shoulder. 
Skalski benched the most repetitions with 26 and ran the 40-yard dash in 4.7 seconds. Spector had the highest vertical with 36 inches.
“I was really happy with it,” Skalski said of his performance. “I thought I hit my marks and then exceeded some expectations in some places.”
Particularly, Skalski thought his 34-inch vertical jump was an area that he was proud of, and his 40-yard dash time was the outing he was looking for.
Turner, like Skalski, was also proud of his performance Wednesday, and with his results, his chances of being drafted in April have certainly risen.

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Matt Mynes, Contributor

Former Clemson safety Nolan Turner catches a ball in position drills during Clemson's pro day on March 17, 2022.