Keena Turner has been part of the San Francisco 49ers since they drafted him in 1980. On Monday night, the former linebacker became the 34th member of the team’s Hall of Fame in a halftime ceremony at Levi’s Stadium, with the 49ers leading the Washington Commanders 20-3 on their way to a 23-17 win.
“To the San Francisco 49ers, my home since 1980, thank you,” Turner, 67, told the crowd in his new red Hall of Fame jacket. Two of his teammates from all four of the franchise’s first Super Bowl winners, Eric Wright and Ronnie Lott, introduced him on the field.
“Not a single one was won alone”
Turner kept his speech short. He thanked the York family, who own the team, “for this honor and for your commitment to this franchise,” and his former teammates “for making me better every single day.” He also thanked Bill Walsh, who coached him for his first nine seasons, “for setting a standard that still defines this organization.”
“Four Super Bowl championships and not a single one was won alone,” Turner said. “To join the legends who wore the red and gold as the 34th member of this Hall of Fame is a profound privilege.”
He saved some of his words for the fans. “You have carried this team through every era,” he said. “Your roar has been the soundtrack of my life.” After thanking his wife and children, he spoke to his twin granddaughters: “I hope you remember this night.” Then he summed up his life with the franchise: “I wore this uniform. I’ve worked in this building. I am forever proud and forever grateful to be a 49er.”
Eric Wright and Ronnie Lott
Wright, the cornerback who played 10 seasons next to Turner, spoke first. Before the ceremony, Turner described him as a lifelong friend: “He’s godfather to my kids, and I am to his kids.” On the field, Wright called Turner “one of the best defensive players that we had the honor to play with” and thanked him for keeping him on track. “You kept me on the path, straight path, K.T.,” Wright said. “Thank you for everything. The honor is yours.”
Lott went next. “I just want everybody to understand one thing about this game. Not everybody can play it. Not everybody understands it,” he said. “Every time Keena Turner lined up, he found a way to make all of us better. He found a way to be a champion.” He finished by calling Turner “one of the greatest of all time.”
Four rings, 10 sacks and 10 interceptions
The 49ers took Turner out of Purdue in the second round of the 1980 draft, 39th overall. They went 6-10 in his rookie season and won their first Super Bowl the next year. He played all 11 of his NFL seasons in San Francisco, through 1990, and won Super Bowls XVI, XIX, XXIII and XXIV. Only five players were on all four of those teams: Turner, Joe Montana, Lott, Wright and Mike Wilson.
In 153 regular-season games, Turner made 562 tackles and had 19.5 sacks and 11 interceptions. He was the first player in franchise history with at least 10 career sacks and 10 interceptions, and he was picked for the 1985 Pro Bowl. He also played the 1981 NFC Championship Game against the Dallas Cowboys with chickenpox. “Who gets these opportunities to play in an NFC Championship game?” he said in a team interview before the induction. “So absolutely I played.”
He is the third linebacker in the team’s Hall of Fame, after Dave Wilcox and Patrick Willis.
Still in the building
After his playing days, Turner coached linebackers under Walsh at Stanford from 1992 to 1994 and then returned to the 49ers, where he worked in player development, alumni relations and football affairs. He is now vice president and senior advisor to general manager John Lynch, who played at Stanford while Turner was an assistant coach there.
Turner said his role today is “to support and, if asked the question, to be as honest as I can.” He was especially warm about the man who now leads the 49ers’ defense from his old position group, Fred Warner. “This dude is across the board, you know, twelves on a 10 scale in terms of commitment, approach, leadership, day in and day out,” Turner said. “You couldn’t find a better man or leader or linebacker to lead your defense.”
The induction was the centerpiece of the team’s Alumni Weekend in its 80th season, with 94 former players invited back and a banquet in Turner’s honor in San Francisco on Sunday. During the ceremony, the stadium announcer said a new statue of Turner had been unveiled in San Francisco the night before, and the team presented him with a replica on the field.
The 49ers then held on for the win. It moved them to 6-0 and gave them their 56th win on a Monday night, breaking a tie with the Pittsburgh Steelers for the most in league history. Turner turns 68 on Thursday, and the 49ers play at the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday.
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