Wagner, Turbin represent USU in Super Bowl
Two Utah State University alumni, Robert Turbin and Bobby Wagner, played in the Super Bowl on Sunday.
Wagner and Turbin have both been playing for the Seattle Seahawks since the 2012 NFL draft and both have Super Bowl rings from last season. Wagner was taken in the second round and Turbin in the fourth.
This season Wagner started at middle linebacker for Seattle and was part of a defensive unit that led the league, allowing only 185 passing yards per game. The Seahawks had the third-ranked rush defense, allowing 81 yards per game. Wagner was first on the team with 135 tackles on the year, despite missing five games due to injury. He was also named to the 2014 Pro Bowl and received one vote for league MVP.
“The way that he plays the game,” said Kevin Clune, who coached Wagner as a linebacker and will take over as USU’s defensive coordinator this season, “there’s still that youthful enthusiasm. I think the Seattle Seahawks have that. Watching him play the game, you know that he still loves the game. You can see that in what he does.”
The all-pro linebacker led all defensive players in the Super Bowl, recording 12 tackles, one pass deflection and one interception.
Turbin carried the ball two times for 21 yards in the Super Bowl and broke off a 19-yard run to jump start a scoring drive just before the end of the first half. Turbin rushed for over 300 yards on the season as part of the No. 1 NFL rushing attack, running behind Marshawn Lynch. He also caught 16 passes for 186 yards and two touchdowns.
While playing at Utah State, Wagner earned first-team all-WAC accolades for the for three straight seasons by leading the WAC and being ranked eighth in the Football Bowl Subdivision in tackles with over 11 per game. He was tied for third in the FBS in total tackles with 147.
“Bobby had a little bit of a chip on his shoulder,” Clune said. “You could see what he could do, but it wasn’t there yet. He wanted to show you that he could be the man.”
As a senior in 2011, Wagner posted nine double-digit tackle outings and led the Utah State defense with over 11 tackles for loss, including four sacks. He also led the Aggies with two interceptions and one fumble recovery.
“What a man he has become,” Clune said. “Not flashy, not bling, nothing like that. He’s just a guy that’s here to take care of his family and his life. I’m proud of who he’s become as a person. I’m very proud of him.”
Wagner ended his career with 446 tackles and tied the school record that was first set by Del Lyles who played from 1988 to 1991. He was the fourth player in the history of the WAC to record more than 400 tackles, breaking the league all-time record of 443 tackles by Robert Rodriguez of UTEP that was set in 2004.
“He wasn’t a seasoned football player. He didn’t play much in high school,” Clune said. “He had to learn a lot about football. At the beginning, Bobby wasn’t Bobby. But at the end, seeing him run everything, it was great to be able to see him transition while I was here.”
Turbin was named the Western Athletic Conference Offensive Player of the Year as a Utah State junior in 2011 as he rushed for 1,517 yards. It was only the third time a USU back had rushed for more than 1,500 yards in a season.
In the same season, Turbin scored a school-record 19 rushing touchdowns. He also had four receiving touchdowns, totaling 23 trips to the endzone. Turbin’s touchdowns and his 138 total points are also USU single-season records.
Turbin’s career at Utah State ended with 3,315 rushing yards to rank fifth all-time at Utah State and 19th all-time in the WAC. He is tied for the school record with 40 rushing touchdowns as an Aggie.
For his career, Turbin also set USU-career records with 51 total touchdowns and 308 career points scored. The explosive running style earned him 16 career 100-yard rushing games, good enough to tie for third all-time at USU.
— kalen.s.taylor@gmail.com
Twitter: @kalen_taylor