Raiders’ Turner Says Reports ‘Erroneous’

After a long weekend of personal quiet while rumors swirled around him, Oakland and former UCLA safety Eric Turner said Monday that reports of his illness are overstated.

He also pleaded for privacy.

“It is unfortunate that I have to make this statement, but it has come to my attention that erroneous reports have gone out regarding my health,” Turner, 31, said in a statement released through the Raiders.

“I realize people are concerned, but I have chosen to keep this issue within my family. Contrary to published reports, I have not lost 70 pounds and am not gravely ill.”

Turner reportedly is being treated for intestinal cancer and is resting at his home in Westlake Village, where he has a school-aged son.

At odds with his statement on his condition is a report in the Contra Costa Times that he is being treated with Sandostatin and Paclitaxel (Taxol), which are often prescribed for cancer patients, and that he has been in a Ventura hospital at least 10 times since January for tests and gastrointestinal problems.

The San Jose Mercury News reported that he was 70 pounds under his normal playing weight of 215.

Turner, twice named to the Pro Bowl, was sidelined 12 of the last 32 Raider games because of various foot, calf and ankle injuries, and at season’s end was said to be undergoing treatment for ulcers. He also was having difficulty in keeping down food.

Reports that his illness was more serious surfaced when he failed to make minicamps in April and last week.

An unnamed Raider source has told several Bay Area papers that “it’s a terrible, terrible situation.”

Turner played at Ventura High and, after an All-American career at UCLA, was the second pick in the 1991 draft by the Cleveland Browns before they became the Baltimore Ravens--the highest selection ever for a defensive back.

He spent six seasons with the Browns/Ravens before becoming a free agent, with his link with the Raiders coming about when he ran into owner Al Davis on a plane to Florida in 1995.

“I would love to be a Raider,” Turner told Davis. “Don’t forget me come free agency.”

The Raiders signed him to a four-year, $6-million contract in 1997 after he told his agent to negotiate only with them, and he led Oakland in tackles in his first season with 111.

With family and friends rallying around Turner and his wishes for privacy, Bruce Allen, the Raiders’ senior assistant, said that “we don’t discuss personal issues about our players publicly.”

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Staff writer T.J. Simers contributed to this report.