Dallas Turner ended Sept. 9 with a “sickening” feeling.

Texas had just handed Alabama the worst home loss in the Nick Saban era. The Crimson Tide’s national title hopes cratered. Turner, who was heralded as one of the best defensive players in the country had gone a second-straight week without a sack. All he produced was five quarterback hurries in eight quarters. He tossed and turned in Tuscaloosa, unable to sleep. Finally, at 2:30 a.m. CT, Turner grabbed his phone desperate for a solution and made a call.

“We gotta make this happen,” Turner told Javon Gopie, a pass-rush training specialist whom Turner’s worked with for six years. ” … I gotta get (to the quarterback. I gotta touch him.”

Gopie, who started The Sack Sensei training group in Turner’s home state Florida, had moved to Seattle for the NFL season and was watching film for the Miami Dolphins’ Bradley Chubb when Turner called. Gopie was editing Chubb’s ‘Pregame Pass Rush Plan’ or a specialized breakdown of opposing offensive tackle tendencies. Gopie quickly realized he could offer Turner the same service.

Gopie studied Turner’s tape and that of his next matchup with South Florida. The two then discussed a plan of attack, getting as specific as what moves Turner could use on third-and-long scenarios. Then Turner brought bring their notes to Alabama’s scout team offensive tackles, requesting they mimic whatever habits Gopie and Turner identified.

In a quasi-homecoming in Tampa, Turner burst out for 2.5 sacks, notching his first of the year on USF’s opening drive of the game. Since then, the pair have replicated the process each Sunday and Monday, leading to Turner’s terrorizing of the Southeastern Conference.

“Pressures is cool, but the culture that we create in South Florida? Sacks get you paid and that’s our goal, man,” Gopie told AL.com. “He was very eager to be able to touch somebody and ever since then, he has been rolling. He’s worked for every single part of it.”

Each of Turner’s nine sacks has come since his call, so have two forced fumbles and 13 of his tackles for loss. All of those personal bests coincided with No. 8 Alabama’s (11-1, 8-0) run to the SEC Championship in Atlanta, where Turner could be playing one of his last games for the Crimson Tide.

Most early mock drafts predict Turner as a clear first-round NFL Draft pick and earlier this week, Turner was nominated as a finalist for the Bednarik Award. If Alabama wishes to get back to the College Football Playoff, it’ll need Turner to make life hell for the Bulldogs’ (12-0, 8-0) offense. First-year quarterback and former UA commit Carson Beck is at risk of joining Turner’s quarterback graveyard.

Turner has ruffled fanbases across the league for delivering big hits. Across 21.5 career sacks, there have been a few standouts. In 2022, Turner knocked Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers out of a game, drawing a roughing penalty and spraining Ewers’ shoulder. Against Ole Miss, Turner yanked the facemask of Ole Miss’ Jaxson Dart and later shoved his head into the ground after a sack.

Most notably, Turner flattened LSU’s Jayden Daniels during the second half on Nov. 4, making a near-perfect form tackle aside from inadvertent contact with his helmet on Daniels’. The quarterback’s head bounced off the grass, eventually landing Daniels in concussion protocol and Turner in the court of public opinion.

“That guy that hit Jaden Daniels was trying to knock him out. You can say whatever you want, but that’s what he was trying to do,” Tigers coach Brian Kelly said days later, once LSU had formally requested an explanation from the SEC for the lack of a targeting penalty, which would’ve triggered a suspension.

Turner, ever stoic in media opportunities and described as “cerebral”, hasn’t played with hesitancy this fall. He said back in October he tries to feel “no pressure” ahead of games. Like watching Will Anderson and Bryce Young lead UA a year ago, he tries to “go out there, have fun, run around, make plays,” cracking jokes between drives.

Watching Turner’s film after the LSU victory, the continuation of a great defensive stretch, Gopie surmised that Turner’s pre-game planning, mindset and execution had brought him to another level. From the origin of his name, Turner was on the path. It only helped that he was born and raised in South Florida, an incubator of talent.

As Gopie described it, Turner’s development benefited from the “Steph Curry treatment.” Turner was surrounded by elite talent after his dad Delon Turner’s pro basketball career surrounded a younger Dallas with all-world athletes. He played at American Heritage St. Thomas Aquinas, two Florida powerhouses. At the latter, his defensive coordinator was NFL Hall of Famer Jason Taylor.

“He had an opportunity to train with the best trainers his entire life,” Gopie said. ” … I joke and say he was very privileged to be in his position.”

“It’s not a surprise. This was the expectation.”

Added Saban: “Dallas has always been a good player for us. He’s always a hard worker, really conscientious guy, has sort of a high standard for how he wants to play and do things. This year I think he’s trying to take on a little bit more of a leadership role in terms of how he can impact and affect other people on the team, which I think he’s done a good job.”

Like over the final two months of the season, Turner started his prep for the Bulldogs shortly after the game, in this instance a historic Iron Bowl. It’s been a little different than normal with UGA having injury questions with tight end Brock Bowers and guard Tate Ratledge, but Gopie still did the research.

In Athens, Ga., coach Kirby Smart said they “can’t really mimic” a player like Turner. They’ll try to do what no other SEC team has done this year: Stop Dallas Turner.

Nick Alvarez is a reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @nick_a_alvarez or email him at [email protected].