A few years ago, before Ezekiel Turner was a high-energy contributor for Washington, he was a guy with a goal.
He was a safety who wanted to play Division I football. He was a football player who believed he belonged among the nation’s elite.
So, as he was working through his one year at L.A. Pierce College, he saved some attention to follow the first year of the College Football Playoff.
He watched with interest those first playoff games: Oregon vs. Florida State and Ohio State and Alabama. And in that moment he thought to himself – “I hope I can play in that one day.”
Now here he is, a junior in his second season with the Huskies, who has helped the program earn a trip to the playoff, a matchup with top-ranked Alabama on New Year’s Eve in the Peach Bowl.
“It’s been a great year,” said Turner, who was named the team's Most Outstanding Special Teams player with Lavon Coleman at the team banquet, “a lot of wins, a lot of games just being with our team and all the success we’ve brought to this program. I’m just trying to enjoy the experience as much as I can, take it all in, look around and enjoy it.”
Getting to this stage with this team is the reason he traveled across the country from his hometown (Pasadena, Md.) to play junior college football in California. He was determined to prove he could play in the Pac-12.
That is exactly what he’s done.
“My whole life I wished I could get here,” he said.
With 22 tackles – 2.5 for loss – and an interception in the Pac-12 championship game, Turner's desire and hard work have been rewarded, not just with playing time, but the opportunity to compete the game’s biggest stage.
And, now that the Huskies have earned their place among the nation’s elite, they are working to keep building on this season’s success so far.
“No one ever knows if they’re going to make it all the way to the playoff, but I definitely knew this team had a lot of talent,” he said. “You see it every day. Especially this year, we knew we could get this far.
“Now the mentality we have is just looking at each game individually each week, not looking too far ahead, not reminiscing on the past, just looking at each week and focusing on that week.”
But, no matter what happens against the Crimson Tide, Turner’s goal is simple: “I’m just enjoying all of the experiences.”
Turner: Opportunity 'Pushes Me To Go Further And Further'
© 2026 Washington Huskies
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