87 Renaldo Turnbull

Hometown: St. Thomas, Virgin Islands

Career: 1986-1989

Record: 29-17-1, Bowl Record: 0-3

Renaldo Turnbull was one of the many Mountaineer recruits in the mid-80s that would help turn the program into a national title contender. Turnbull would see limited action during the 1987 season before earning a starting spot at defensive end in 1988. Turnbull would prove to be a monster for the Mountaineer defense his junior and senior seasons, stacking up 20 sacks for WVU. For his career, Turnbull would record 154 tackles, 22 sacks, and 4 forced fumbles. Renaldo’s outstanding play during his time in Morgantown would earn him a first round selection in the 1990 NFL draft by the New Orleans Saints.

Memorable Game: Renaldo but in so many memorable games for the Mountaineers, it is hard to pick just one. Today, we’ll highlight the 1988 home game against the Boston College Eagles. The 1988 season was a magical one for WVU, as the Mountaineers would finish with a perfect regular season. To get there, WVU would have to put away good teams like BC. WVU was ranked #6 at the time they hosted the Eagles. West Virginia would make short work of the Eagles as they would smash BC by a final score of 59-19. Turnbull and the West Virginia defense would force 4 turnovers. Turnbull would contribute 3 tackles for loss and 2 sacks to the win.

Competition: Turnbull was by far the most memorable Mountaineer to wear #87. Some of the honorable mentions for this selection include Antwan Lake, John Adams, and Chad Wable. I would be remiss if I did not mention arguably one of the best special teamers in WVU history: Cody Nutter.

Teaser: Tomorrow, the selection is going to be a tough call. There are not many stand-outs at #86 for the Mountaineers, so I’ll have to use a heavy dose of personal bias in my selection. My selection was a fan favorite, but wasn’t given much of a chance to play. However, when this player was finally given a shot he made the most of it, like Eminem in 8 Mile. Although I’m pretty sure he could rap about as well as Chad Pennington.