He’s the Stopper on Ball State’s Defense : Football: Former Corona del Mar standout Sean Turner is an expert at defending against the run. And he’s equally proficient against the pass.

Sean Turner doesn’t mind playing against the pass as a defensive back at Ball State in Muncie, Ind.

And it doesn’t bother him to chase receivers all over the fields of the Mid-American Conference.

It’s just that he’d rather defend against the run. Even the name of his position--strong safety--seems to imply that Turner should be more concerned with the physical aspects of the position. When Turner talks about pass defense, his answers seem routine.

“I don’t mind it,” he said. “It’s part of the position.”

But his voice suddenly becomes quick-charged when the topic turns to the run.

“The safeties here are involved in run support a lot,” said Turner, 6 feet 2, 190 pounds. “I like it a lot. You’re right up there where the action is all the time. That’s what I like.”

Ball State opened its season on Saturday with a 13-3 victory over Illinois State and is leading the nation in total defense. The Cardinals play at Wisconsin Saturday.

Turner said his desire to stop the run started in the Orange County High School all-star game in the summer of 1986 after he had graduated from Corona del Mar High School. He played fullback and defensive back in high school, but in the all-star game he concentrated on defense.

Suddenly, he was set on a position, but as for a college, that would change a few times. He started at Division II UC Davis. He said he chose UC Davis because it was one of the best of the schools to recruit him.

In the fall of 1986, he started at Davis, and was an all-Northern Athletic Conference selection. His success proved to him that he could play on the Division I level, so he left.

First, Turner tried to walk on at USC.

“It was hard to leave (UC Davis),” he said. “I liked it there. But I just felt I had to give it (Division I) a chance. And you’ve got to set your goals high.”

After a redshirt year at USC in 1987, where the coaches hardly learned his name, Turner decided to try something a little closer to home. So he attended Orange Coast College in 1988. He was an instant hit with the Pirates, and with opposing ball carriers. He was OCC’s leading tackler, setting a single-season school record with 101.

“He always knows what he’s doing on the field,” OCC Coach Bill Workman said. “Basically, he’s a coach’s dream. He’s a big-time hitter with tremendous leadership ability.”

After his standout season at OCC, Turner was close to getting his wish. He was being recruited by several Division I colleges, including Ball State. Turner decided to go there, because he would have a chance to start right away and the defensive plan called for the safeties to be heavily involved in stopping the run.

“He’s a really good run defender,” Ball State secondary coach Tim Burke said. “But he’s equally good against the pass. He can play free safety, as well, if there is a need.”

Turner was a starter last fall and helped the Cardinals to a 7-2-2 regular-season record. Ball State won the conference title and a berth in the California Raisin Bowl against Big West champion Fresno State.

That gave Turner a chance to play in his home state, but he would have to endure some pain to do so.

In its final regular-season game, Ball State needed a victory over Ohio University to clinch the bowl berth. Early in the second quarter Turner got his left arm caught between two helmets, smashing a bone in his forearm. He played the rest of the game--a33-14 Ball State victory--but a post-game examination revealed he had a broken bone.

“There was a little swelling during the game,” Turner said. “But later it was pretty bad. They wanted to operate. But I told them ‘No way.’ I was going home to play in a bowl game no matter what.”

Turner’s arm instead was put in a cast from his hand to his elbow. Just before the California Bowl, the cast was trimmed so it protected only the break. His arm was wrapped up so much it looked like Turner had a club, but he was able to play in the 27-6 loss.

The day he returned to Ball State he had surgery, in which a plate and two screws were inserted. The plate is large enough that it once set off a metal detector at an airport terminal, but it won’t be a life-long accessory. It can be removed once Turner’s playing career is over.

“It’s not that big a deal,” Turner said. “The bone healed correctly and the scar is pretty small.”

Turner spent last summer working at the beach and lifting weights to prepare for this season. He also received an unexpected honor before the season when he was elected defensive team captain.

“There are some people who have been around here longer than me,” Turner said. “But I guess through playing hard I was picked. They must respect the way I play.”