Dabo Swinney reveals touching tribute Tampa Bay Buccaneers gave Nolan Turner

Former Clemson safety Nolan Turner, now with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, was assigned a number at random just like any other rookie. But it turned out the number Turner now sports — No. 34 — is the same number his late father Kevin wore during his NFL career.

Kevin Turner played eight seasons in the NFL as a fullback with two teams, the New England Patriots for five seasons and the Philadelphia Eagles for three. He died of ALS shortly after his son committed to play football at Clemson in early 2016. In a Tampa Bay Times story by Rick Stroud about Turner’s life and football journey, Tigers head coach Dabo Swinney is quoted.

“They just threw him No. 34,” Swinney said. “And that was his dad’s number. His dad was No. 34 for the Patriots and the Eagles. I just laughed. I told him, that’s just a God wink right there.”

The relationship between Swinney and Turner runs deeper than just a coach-recruit or coach-player bond. Swinney was teammates with Kevin Turner for two seasons at Alabama, in 1990 and 1991. The two maintained a relationship after their playing days, including during Turner’s ALS battle.

ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis), commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, is a progressive disease for which this is currently no known therapeutic treatment or cure, meaning someone diagnosed with it will die.

After Kevin Turner died in March 2016, Swinney continued to be there for Nolan Turner as more than a coach throughout his Clemson career, something he promised to his father.

And while Swinney didn’t have anything to do with the cosmic forces that result in an undrafted rookie safety being tossed a random jersey number that just-so-happens to be that of his late father, he clearly doesn’t think it is any mere coincidence that Turner is sporting No. 34 for the Buccaneers.