Eric Turner is widely regarded as the best high school basketball player in Flint-area history.
The maestro for Central’s unbeaten season in 1981, he was a McDonald’s All-American and finished second behind future college rival Sam Vincent in the inaugural Mr. Basketball voting.
Turner went on to play three seasons at the University of Michigan before embarking on a professional career that took him all over the world.
But to label Turner simply as a basketball player would be a grave disservice to one of the best all-around athletes the city of Flint has ever produced. He was also an outstanding football and baseball player before giving up both sports to concentrate on his real love.
Add it all up and Turner is a no-brainer for induction into the Greater Flint Area Sports Hall of Fame.
Surprisingly, Turner’s fondest sports memory isn’t of that magical 1980-81 Class A state championship season for Central, which some observers consider to be the best team Flint has ever produced. And it’s not his three-year stint in Ann Arbor or pro career.
Instead, you have go all the way back to the early-1970’s before Turner was a household name on the Flint-area sports scene.
“My fondest memories begin with the Punt, Pass and Kick and the process of becoming a champion,” said Turner, who will be inducted into the GFASHOF Dec. 4. “Just how it all started. Not knowing how to kick and punt and getting better by practicing every day.”
“My dad (Clif) and I spending all that time at the football field at Central. At dusk, you could barely see the ball. Then the rewards of being a national champion. Those were some of my fondest memories.”
In 1972, Turner finished second in the National Punt, Pass and Kick competition held at halftime of Super Bowl VI in New Orleans. The next year, he won it all at halftime of the Pro Bowl in Dallas.
He was 9 years old.
Turner obviously didn’t have a typical childhood and admitted it was sometimes tough constantly being in the spotlight while growing up. But it also had tremendous benefits once he reached high school.
“At the time, I probably didn’t understand how big a deal it was,” Turner said. “It goes back to having a solid family foundation; a support system to stay grounded and not get caught up in the hoopla. For the most part, it was a very positive experience I wouldn’t trade for anything.”
“The Punt, Pass and Kick brought me a lot of attention and notoriety. By the time I got to high school, we were selling out 3,000- and 4,000-seat gyms. I had been on TV in front of millions in the Punt, Pass and Kick so that prepared me for those times. (People) were expecting to see something exciting they could talk about the next day.”
“That made it easy to perform.”
And did he ever perform.
Turner was Central’s starting quarterback in football and a pitcher in baseball before giving up both sports prior to his senior year to concentrate on basketball after being named All-State as a junior.
“We won the City championship in football and I was a pretty decent baseball player,” Turner said. “I really didn’t care for football, but my father felt strongly about extracurricular activities and being part of a team as opposed to having a lot of idle time. So I went ahead and played.”
“A couple of days before (football) season started, we were in the back yard throwing the ball around and I couldn’t get excited about football. I was throwing the football around and thinking about shooting basketballs. Football isn’t a sport you can go out halfway and play.”
So he abruptly quit football, a move that disappointed Central football fans, but paid huge dividends that winter.
The Indians went 28-0 and won the first of three straight Class A state titles — a feat unprecedented at the time — as Turner earned All-America status by averaging 20.9 points and 8.9 assists a game. He set a school record with 25 assists in one game.
Most opponents that season never had a chance.
“We never took anything for granted,” Turner said. “We approached every game that way no matter who it was. We were pretty much entertainers. Everybody was coming to see us. It was hard to believe we got that kind of attention. Everybody knew who were were.”
“For the most part we handled it well. It was very exciting.:
At Michigan, Turner was a three-year starter and captain of the 1984 NIT Championship team before turning pro after his junior season.
He was selected by the Detroit Pistons in the second round of the 1984 draft — when Michael Jordan went third overall — but was never able to crack an NBA lineup and opted to play in Europe and the Continental Basketball Association.
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