Turner (5-10, 180) was originally drafted by the Washington Redskins in the seventh-round (226th overall) of the 1995 Draft out of Illinois. He played in 41 games over three seasons with Washington before being released and claimed off of waivers by the San Diego Chargers in 1998. In his four years in San Diego, Turner appeared in 51 games (4 starts) contributing 23 tackles and two interceptions.