Terps’ QB Turner is the son of a rocker
Posted by Jeff Quinton on September 30, 2007 at 2:21 pm

After yesterday’s upset of Rutgers by the Terps, I was poking around the Maryland Athletics website for more information on backup-turned-hero Chris Turner (pictured at left resembling a more athletic version of Napoleon Dynamite) when I found his bio page. I’d wondered where he was from and probably generalized a bit on his hairstyle (which is longer and curlier right now) when I read that he was from California. The personal section of his bio mentions his birthday, his parents’ name, and the fact that he’s a scuba diver and a government major. Near the end of the section is the following blurb, “father was the original drummer in the band RATT.”
After researching the RATT wikipedia entry, I’ve got more information. The predecessor to RATT, known as Mickey Ratt, was founded in San Diego around 1976 (11 years before the Terps’ signal-caller was born.) John Turner, father of Chris, was the drummer of that band.
In 1980, the band moved to Los Angeles and, in 1981, the name was shortened to Ratt. By 1982, it appears that John Turner had left the band and was replaced by Bobby Blotzer. The most recent incarnation of the band played a double bill with Poison (a.k.a. the Ratt-Poison show) at Pier Six Pavilion in Baltimore on August 29.
Had it not been for Josh Portis being suspended for the season for cheating, Turner may not have gotten the opportunity to lead his team to a win yesterday in the 2nd half.