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Scott Turner (politician)

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Scott Turner
Turner in 2019
United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development
Presumptive nominee
Assuming office
TBD
PresidentDonald Trump
SucceedingAdrianne Todman (acting)
Executive Director of the White House Opportunity and Revitalization Council
In office
April 4, 2019 – January 20, 2021
PresidentDonald Trump
Preceded byPosition established
Succeeded byPosition abolished
Member of the Texas House of Representatives
from the 33rd district
In office
January 8, 2013 – January 9, 2017
Preceded byRaul Torres
Succeeded byJustin Holland
Personal details
Born
Eric Scott Turner

(1972-02-26) February 26, 1972 (age 52)
Richardson, Texas, U.S.
Political partyRepublican
Spouse
Robin Turner
​
(m. 1995)​
EducationUniversity of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (BA)
Signature
American football career
No. 29, 21
Position:Cornerback
Personal information
Height:5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)
Weight:180 lb (82 kg)
Career information
High school:J. J. Pearce (Richardson)
College:Illinois (1991–1994)
NFL draft:1995 / round: 7 / pick: 226
Career history
Stats at Pro Football Reference

Eric Scott Turner (born February 26, 1972) is an American businessman, motivational speaker, politician, and former professional football player, who previously served as the executive director of the White House Opportunity and Revitalization Council.[1] Turner formerly served as a Texas state representative for the 33rd District, which includes part of Collin County and all of Rockwall County. Before entering politics, Turner was an American football cornerback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for nine seasons.

In November 2024, President-elect Trump announced his intent to nominate Turner to become Secretary of Housing and Urban Development in his second administration.[2]

Early life and education

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A fourth-generation Texan,[3] Turner grew up in the Dallas area.[4][5] As a child, he attended Mount Pisgah Baptist Community Church, where members of his family have been active since 1898.[5] At the age of 10, Turner’s parents divorced.[5] He told his mom that he was going to play in the NFL.[6]

Turner attended Pearce High School,[7] where he played football and ran track[6] and graduated in 1990.[5] In high school, he worked as a dishwasher at Spring Creek Barbeque in Richardson, Texas.[5]

Turner earned a full academic and athletic scholarship to the University of Illinois.[7] In football, he initially played wide receiver and switched to cornerback his senior year,[7] wearing number "21" and compiling forty-eight tackles for the 1994 Liberty Bowl champions.[8] In track and field, Turner specialized in the 200 and 400 meters,[8] winning Big Ten Indoor Freshman of the Year in 1991,[9] and a pair of Big Ten 400 meters indoor titles in 1992 and 1993.[8] He was named Big Ten Athlete of the Month (January) in 1993,[10] and earned First Team, All-Big Ten honors in 1992, 1993, and 1994.[4][11] As part of the Illinois men's 4x400 meter relay indoor team (1991) and outdoor teams (1993 and 1994), Turner received All-America status in track and field.[12]

Turner graduated from the University of Illinois with a degree in speech communications in 1995.[6]

Football career

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Turner was drafted in the seventh round of the 1995 NFL draft by the Washington Redskins.[5][4][13][14] He signed a three year deal with the team,[6] played cornerback for the Redskins from 1995 to 1997.[15] After three years, Turner was cut by Redskins coach Norv Turner.[5]

He then played four seasons (1998-2002) for the San Diego Chargers.[14][15] He was cut by the Chargers,[6] and did not play in the 2002 NFL Season. Turner was the last Charger to wear #21 before Hall of Famer LaDainian Tomlinson wore the number.[16]

Turner signed with the Denver Broncos in 2003.[14][15] A 2004 leg injury during training camp ended his professional football career.[6] He played in 101 NFL games, recording 89 tackles, five interceptions (including one for a touchdown),[8] and two sacks.[15][8]

Since his playing career ended, Turner has served as a coach for the NFL’s Legends Community transition program,[14] and as a senior advisor to the NFL’s executive vice president of football operations.[17][3]

Political career

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During the 2003 NFL off-season, Turner worked as an intern for Congressman Duncan Hunter.[14][5] After retiring from football, he accepted a full-time job in the congressman's office. In 2006, he ran for the vacated seat of California's 50th congressional district in the 2006 special election to replace Duke Cunningham. In the blanket primary election held April 11, 2006, Turner finished eighth out of 17 candidates.[18] After losing the election, Turner moved back to Frisco, Texas.

In 2012, Turner announced his candidacy for the newly created 33rd District of the Texas House of Representatives. Turner defeated Jim Pruitt in the Republican primary and defeated Libertarian candidate Michael Carrasco in the November 6 general election.

He was sworn into the Texas Legislature on January 8, 2013.[19] That same year, he was named by GOPAC to their list of Emerging Leaders in the Republican party.[20] Turner challenged Joe Straus for role of Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives in January 2015, the first recorded Speaker vote since 1976.[21] Though backed by the Tea Party Caucus, Turner lost to Straus by 127 votes to 19.[22] [23]

Turner served two consecutive terms in the Texas Legislature, representing the 33rd District from January 2013 to January 2017.[19][3]

Turner in 2019 at The White House Opportunity Zones Conference with President Donald Trump (right)

In 2019, President Donald Trump appointed Turner as the director of the White House Opportunity and Revitalization Council, created by Executive Order 13853.[24][25][17][3]

In 2024, Trump nominated Turner for the position of Secretary of Housing and Urban Development in his second administration.[26]

Business career

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From 2007 to 2023, Turner worked at Systemware, a content management software company, where he served in various capacities, including chief inspiration officer.[3][6][14]

Turner is the founder and president of Community Engagement & Opportunity Council (CEOC), an organization that suppports children living in poverty.[17][7] CEOC is credited with renovating the Literacy Lab in Bonton, a section of Dallas.[7]

In 2023, Turner was named Chief Visionary Officer of JPI, a national developer, builder, and investment manager of Class A, attainable and affordable multifamily assets across the U.S.[27][17]

Turner and his wife, Robin Turner, own Statesman Clothiers, a custom men’s clothing company.[14][8]

Personal

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Turner is married to Robin Turner,[14][3][5] a Champaign, Illinois native and an University of Illinois alumna.[8] The couple raised his nephew, Solomon,[3][5] who played football for and graduated from the University of Illinois in 2024.[25]

Turner and his family are members of Prestonwood Baptist Church, where he serves as an associate pastor.[28][17][5] He received an honorary doctorate from Dallas Baptist University in 2016.[3][14]

References

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  1. ^ "Trump Names Scott Turner as Head of Opportunity and Revitalization Council". www.novoco.com. April 4, 2019. Retrieved April 13, 2019.
  2. ^ "Trump picks Scott Turner to lead the Department of Housing and Urban Development".
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h Hon. Scott Turner. Executive Director, White House Opportunity and Revitalization Council, WHITE HOUSE. U.S. Department of Justice.
  4. ^ a b c Football (March 10, 2006). Catching Up with Former Illini Gridder and Sprinter Scott Turner. University of Illinois.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Prestonwood Baptist Academy (October 9, 2024). From the NFL to the White House | The Life of Scott Turner | The Journey Podcast (transcript). Youtube.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g Batheja, Aman (December 17, 2014). In Bid for Speaker, Turner Looks to Beat the Odds. Texas Tribune.
  7. ^ a b c d e Xavier, Diane (October 9, 2021). Former NFL athlete gives back to communities that helped him along the way. The Dallas Examiner.
  8. ^ a b c d e f g Pearson, Mike (February 25, 2017). Illini legends, lists & lore: Scott Turner. The News-Gazette.
  9. ^ Masters, Chris (February 22-23, 2019). 2018-19 BIG TEN CONFERENCE MEN’S AND WOMEN’S INDOOR TRACK & FIELD CHAMPIONSHIPS RELEASE. 2018-19 BIG TEN RECORDS BOOK, p. 449.
  10. ^ Masters, Chris (February 22-23, 2019). 2018-19 BIG TEN CONFERENCE MEN’S AND WOMEN’S INDOOR TRACK & FIELD CHAMPIONSHIPS RELEASE. 2018-19 BIG TEN RECORDS BOOK, p. 476.
  11. ^ Masters, Chris (February 22-23, 2019). 2018-19 BIG TEN CONFERENCE MEN’S AND WOMEN’S INDOOR TRACK & FIELD CHAMPIONSHIPS RELEASE. 2018-19 BIG TEN RECORDS BOOK, p. 472.
  12. ^ Huth, Jeff (April 8, 1998). Illinois 4x400 relay team continues winning tradition. The News-Gazette.
  13. ^ "1995 NFL Draft Listing". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved March 31, 2023.
  14. ^ a b c d e f g h i Zimmerman, Lisa (2016). Former DB Scott Turner’s post-NFL accomplishments are vast and impressive. NFL Enterprises.
  15. ^ a b c d "Scott Turner". espn.com. Retrieved November 23, 2024.
  16. ^ "Trump Will Introduce Scott Turner As The Executive Director Of The White House Opportunity And Revitalization Council :: The Pavlovic Today". Trump Will Introduce Scott Turner As The Executive Director Of The White House Opportunity And Revitalization Council :: The Pavlovic Today. April 4, 2019. Retrieved April 13, 2019.
  17. ^ a b c d e JPI (June 7, 2023) JPI ANNOUNCES APPOINTMENT OF SCOTT TURNER AS CHIEF VISIONARY OFFICER.
  18. ^ "Special Primary Election - April 11, 2006". Secretary of State of California. April 21, 2006. Archived from the original on April 24, 2008. Retrieved April 26, 2008.
  19. ^ a b Scott Turner (E. Scott Turner. Legislative Reference Library of Texas.
  20. ^ "GOPAC Announces 2013 Emerging Leaders". April 29, 2013.
  21. ^ Batheja, Aman (November 25, 2014). "Last Contested Vote for Texas House Speaker Was in 1975". Texas Tribune. Austin, Texas. Retrieved December 3, 2014.
  22. ^ "San Antonio Republican Joe Straus re-elected speaker with all El Paso votes". El Paso times. January 13, 2015. Archived from the original on January 18, 2015. Retrieved January 15, 2015.
  23. ^ Tribune, The Texas; Svitek, Patrick (June 25, 2015). "Rep. Scott Turner Not Running for Re-election". The Texas Tribune. Retrieved April 13, 2019.
  24. ^ "Scott Turner Named White House Opportunity and Revitalization Council Executive Director". April 17, 2019.
  25. ^ a b Solo Turner. University of Illinois Athletics.
  26. ^ Delouya, Samantha (November 26, 2024). "Trump's pick to lead HUD faces home affordability woes and possible budget cuts | CNN Business". CNN. Retrieved November 26, 2024.
  27. ^ "Scott Turner | JPI | Building What Matters".
  28. ^ "Prestonwood.Live Sunday Service 12/27/20". YouTube. Archived from the original on December 6, 2021.
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