Falcons' Turner puts an end to fat jokes
Ovie Mughelli isn't swayed when others call Michael Turner ``The Burner.''
The Atlanta Falcons' fullback says he has his own nickname for Turner, the star running back. Mughelli says he calls Turner ``fatty.''
Turner heard some fat jokes one year ago when he may have weighed close to 260 pounds in minicamp. He says he is back at his listed weight of 244 pounds, thanks to a renewed commitment to proper diet and conditioning. He drew compliments for his trimmer look in the minicamp that ended Sunday.
The Falcons hope Turner can return to the level of production he set in 2008, when he ranked second in the NFL with 1,699 yards rushing and 17 touchdowns. He has fully recovered from an ankle injury that forced him to miss five of the last seven games in 2009.