This ex-NFL player has been a key in turning around the Miami Christian football program

Early in 2017, Miami Christian approached former NFL safety Nick Turnbull with a proposal: Help build their football program from the ground up.

Turnbull presented a plan, a schedule, and even the uniforms.

A business graduate at FIU, he retired from the NFL in 2013, and became a designer for custom uniforms.

Without much experience as a coach and with only 20 juniors who had to play defense and offense, his 2017 season ended at 2-6, cut short by Hurricane Irma.

This year, Turnbull has turned the Victors (6-0) into winners, and he now has 37 players on his roster.

FROM THE GROUND UP

Turnball’s players are still either developing or full-blown stocky defenders, and it shows. Their enthusiasm has yet to turn into intensity on the field.

What they are developing is extreme confidence and big goals.

“State championships,” defensive-back Carlos Gonzales said. “We are working hard, we practice every day, we go a 100 percent.”

Turnbull measures this by their social media interactions with him. On nights that college teams or NFL teams play, his players will stay up late, texting him videos of something they saw that they did in practice.

“They show me something we went over at practice, how they are translating what we’re doing to the higher levels,” Turnbull said.

Recruited in part for his image as a role model, the former Falcons player considers that access to elite players a pro and a con for teen footballers these days.

“Ever since they’re 7 or 8, they are getting clinics and help from all-americans and professionals,” he said. “By the time they get to high school, they think they know everything, that everything is about talent, and it’s not enough for success.”

His boys might be a step ahead this time, though. In a group conversation about progress and recurring mistakes, offensive tackle Jovens Janvier underlines the efforts to not go down on someone who makes a bad play.

“Sometimes we can forget the next play, that’s why we practice, but I want to make my teammates feel great so they play great,” he says.

Miami Christian will try to keep its undefeated streak this Friday against Everglades Prep (3-5) at 4 p.m.