Former Broncos Kicker Jim Turner Has Passed Away

The Denver Broncos and their long-time fans are mourning the death of a player that helped put them on the map during their early years.

Placekicker Jim Turner, who played for the team from 1971 to 1979, passed away on Saturday.

We’re deeply saddened by the passing of #BroncosROF K Jim Turner.

Retiring as the second-leading scorer in NFL history, Jim was instrumental in helping establish our winning tradition as a key member of our first Super Bowl team.

Our hearts go out to the entire Turner family. pic.twitter.com/P3Sq9w5Wh4

— Denver Broncos (@Broncos) June 12, 2023

The Broncos were established as a franchise in the old American Football League (AFL) for the 1960 season, and a decade later, they joined the established NFL when both leagues merged.

Back then, they were not a good team, but Turner was a piece that would help turn things around.

He started his career with the New York Jets, who were also an AFL team, in 1964, and in 1968 he had a season to remember by converting 34 field goals in the regular season.

He then scored 10 of the Jets’ 16 points in Super Bowl III when they upset the heavily favored Baltimore Colts.

With Denver, Turner continued to be one of the NFL’s more accurate field-goal kickers, and by 1977, he helped them become an elite team for the first time.

That year, they went to their first Super Bowl, where they got blown out by the Dallas Cowboys, 27-10.

But the highlight of that season came when they faked a field goal attempt and he subsequently caught a touchdown pass against the Oakland Raiders.

Turner would play two more seasons with the Broncos before retiring following the 1979 season.

When he retired, he had scored 304 field goals, which was, at the time, the most in league history.

He soon became a commentator for NBC’s NFL telecasts, and he was inducted into the Broncos’ Ring of Fame in 1988.

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