Atlanta Falcons: Michael Turner was leaving Magic City
Flowery Branch – Falcons running back Michael Turner, who was arrested early Tuesday morning and charged with driving under the influence, apologized and was remorseful for his actions.
Click here for the news story from the police report. Turner was leaving renowned strip club Magic City when was arrested.
(Here’s a story on how the hard economic times have pushed more women to strip clubs.)
It was the second time in five seasons that a player was arrested in Gwinnett County after leaving a post-game celebration. Lawyer Milloy was arrested in a similar case in September of 2008.
“I’d like to apologize to Mr. Blank, Thomas Dimitroff, Mike Smith and the whole Falcons organization and the fans out there for the situation that I’m in right now,” Turner said. “It was a bad decision on my part.
Beverly (left) collects a tip while Marissa dances at Magic City. (Ben Gray/BGray@ajc.com)
I can’t say too much about it in detail right now. I’m just trying to move forward from here.”
The violation will lead to Turner entering the league’s substance abuse program as a first-time offender. If Turner doesn’t have any additional problems, he could eventually be dismissed from the program. If he has another alcohol related arrest, he could be suspended and face a fine from the league.
San Francisco linebacker Clark Haggans was suspended for three games for a 2011 DUI arrest after he pleaded guilty. He could have been suspended for up to six games.
Turner is expected to stay in the lineup while his case moves through the legal system.
“Nobody has told me that I’m not playing so, I’m just going to prepare like I am [playing,]” Turner said.
Turner is not sure why he didn’t call a driver or limo service to take him home. The league and team provide that service to players.
“Any time that you’re in a situation like this you don’t want this to happen,” Turner said. “You try to keep a clean slate throughout your whole life like everyone else. Unfortunately, this happened and I just have to move forward.”
Turner spoke with his father and then Falcons coach Mike Smith after the arrest.
“Disappointment,” Turner said was the tone of those talks. “I don’t think that anybody is more disappointed than myself. I just have to man up, talk to everybody and face it.
“I’m just taking it day by day. I’m around the guys right now and they are keeping me encouraged and telling me to keep my head up and take it day by day.”
He realizes that he made a mistake.
“It’s a tough situation,” Turner said. “You don’t want to disappoint anybody, family or friends, co-workers or anybody. It’s always tough.”
Turner doesn’t believe his has a drinking problem.
“I shouldn’t have been in this situation to begin with,” Turner said. “It’s tough.”
Turner rushed for 42 yards on 17 carries against Denver. He contends his play and the arrest were not related.
“I never really thought about it like that,” Turner said.
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137 comments Add your comment
4Eyes
September 19th, 2012
9:11 pm
Anyone notice the club picture? Caption says Magic City but photo clearly says Tattletales. Another sad result of AJC staff cuts!
enough.com
September 19th, 2012
9:17 pm
I’m tired of Michael Turner does not show up for big games,never consider him as a great back. Will not hit the or run trough defenders. PLEASE play Antoine Smith one of the most giffted bacs on the team. Please cut down Turners carries.
Logical
September 19th, 2012
9:19 pm
I can’t believe how many people can’t figure out why someone who has been drinking doesn’t call for a limo. Alcohol impairs judgment and you don’t necessarily do what is smart or what you would do if you were thinking clearly. Not making excuses for him but it is too bad no one around him or at the club itself could’ve taken his keys away. Hard to imagine he was not with “friends” who let him drive drunk. Most of us have done dumb things and lived to tell about it. Michael will learn from this. I appreciate what he has done for the Falcons in the past and am not ready to throw him under the bus for this. Go Michael, go Falcons!
FalconJim
September 19th, 2012
9:20 pm
Michael, be sure your sins will find you out, bro.
buckhead benny
September 19th, 2012
9:26 pm
Instead of the “burner turner”. Let’s call him “Magic Mike” and only way he doesn’t get called magic mike is taking falcons to super bowl and us winning it- otherwise his punishment should be being called Magic Mike the rest of the year?
D. Orlando- can u ask mike what he thinks about being called Magic Mike?
Maceo
September 19th, 2012
9:28 pm
Um, that picture is from Tattletales, not Magic City. How bout some journalistic integrity?
FIRE FREDI GONZALEZ
September 19th, 2012
9:30 pm
Should be 4-0. Mccann is enormous.
Maceo
September 19th, 2012
9:30 pm
FalconJim, take your sins and shove em up your ass. No place for talk like that. Keep it in church bub.
Mother To Another Son
September 19th, 2012
9:34 pm
We all make mistake and we learn from them this is a young man who made one. Its good that in life we all get second chances. Learn not to be so quick to beat up someone but as a true FANS lets support him and surround him to make sure he learn to use this in a positive way to move forward with his life he to is human. My son made this one mistake while he was young and in college and now teaches.We wish you well Michael and this to shall pass.
tidog
September 19th, 2012
9:51 pm
The offensive line is offensivive in run blocking. This tandem isn’t opening holes for their backs the problem isn’t Turner. There is a silver lining to a limited running game though, Green Bay passed it’s way to winning a superbowl. The blueprint has been established, you can win with the big one with a awesome passing attack. Go Birds
alex
September 19th, 2012
10:27 pm
someone talk to the cop who busted him: find out that He’s a model guy…respectful, yea,right. Prediction: in 5 years he’s busted and broke….
MarkATL
September 19th, 2012
10:32 pm
What is with all the haters on here?? DAMN, some of you people have probably been caught with DUI also. No man is perfect. That includes Mike himself. He is only human like the rest of you are. So why cast judgement on someone like you have never sinned? As the Bible states, let he who has not sinned cast the first stone.
GT Alum
September 19th, 2012
10:47 pm
All right defenders, the league provides a service to take players home. Although it’s not like he couldn’t afford a cab to Alaska and back if he needed one. There’s no defense for him driving home in this situation. And a DUI is pretty damn serious. He could’ve hurt and/or killed people. And just because he was lucky enough that that didn’t happen doesn’t mean you dismiss the serious potential effects it could’ve had. And for the record, I’ve never had a DUI.
And since he’ll likely get a slap on the wrist compared to Joe Blow who gets caught DUI, I really don’t have a problem with the media and the public giving him a little crap about it. Especially since I doubt he’ll read or hear most of it.
My bigger question is when will athletes realize that strip clubs are a great place for them to get in trouble.
Freddy FalKon
September 19th, 2012
11:06 pm
Yeah We want to give you a trophy for not killing a bunch of people while youse was drunk and speeding at 100 mph. What a cool dude this Turner is ………………Sarcasm fans Sarcasm
If he had killed a bunch of people close to you or me, these lame goons making excuses would be dm mad at him . Mistake……………….H………….that was an intentional foolish act folks
Maceo
September 19th, 2012
11:22 pm
Amazing how you can get inside Juicybooty’s brain to gauge his intention. Dick.
Maceo
September 19th, 2012
11:55 pm
“while youse was drunk”. are you a saints troll trying to make falcons fans sound like 2nd grade dropouts?
Billy
September 20th, 2012
12:12 am
To all of the sanctimonious d-bags on this blog who are condemning Michael Turner – shame on you! The man has been a model citizen since coming to Atlanta, has been more than a serviceable player, has been humble when he has played great, has never whined or made excuses when he didn’t, and has otherwise done the Falcons and this city proud. Yet unlike the judgmental creeps on this blog who have never made a mistake in their desperate little lives and want to run the man out of town on a rail, he messed up and admitted he did so. He will face the appropriate legal and professional consequences and move on with his life. If you want to rag on him because he looks like he has lost a step and doesn’t hit the hole as quickly, fine. But otherwise, move out of the glass house, exercise a little Christian charity and get over yourselves. Yeesh, I bet y’all are a ton of fun to hang out with – or not.
DR. FALCON
September 20th, 2012
12:21 am
ALL IS FORGIVEN, MICHAEL! JUST WORK ON REPAIRING YOUR LEADERSHIP, IN THAT LOCKERROOM! THIS IS YOUR 1ST TRANSGRESSION, AND HOPEFULLY THE LAST! BUT, IT BEGS TO QUESTION: IF YOU WERE GOING TO GET ARRESTED, WHY DID YOU PICK GWINNETT COUNTY? DAMN! THAT’D YHE LAST PLACE YOU WANT TO GET INTO TROUBL! THAT COUNTY’S HISTORY, IS LEGENDARY, IF YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN! FORSYTH COUNTY, IS ANOTHER TROUBLE SPOT! LESSON LEARNED! IT’S STILL THE SOUTH!
Tony B
September 20th, 2012
12:55 am
Do Beverly & Marissa moonlight at Tattletales when they aren’t at Magic City! Haha… you just made up their names, right?
same stuff
September 20th, 2012
1:44 am
And people wonder why college sports is catching up in ratings and popularity to the NFL an NBA. Other sports are guilty but these two, mostly, allow felons and drug addicts to make millions. In just about any other mid to upper class job, you would lose your job and be hard pressed to find another with some of the things professional athletes get away with. I don’t mean Turner should get kicked out of the league but the punishment should match the crime. If you get a DUI you should get suspended without pay until you get your license back. Harsher punishments would stop a lot of this crap but the players unions would never allow it and this is going to be the down fall of the 4 major sports.
chucktownfalcon
September 20th, 2012
6:52 am
Mike messed up. He’s apologized, and accepted responsibility. There’s not much more that he can do. And I know that some of you have done it before…even though you weren’t caught, you’re just as guilty…..Let’s not be hypocrites.
FalconsFan4Life
September 20th, 2012
8:50 am
chucktownfalcon, there IS one thing he can do to make me feel better… GO HAM ON THOSE CHARGERS!!! I want 150yds rushing and 2 TDs… TURNER BURNER of OLD, PLEASE COME BACK!!!
Stupid
September 20th, 2012
8:50 am
Turner stated that he does not have a drinkking problem, reminds me of an alcoholic that I once knew that said the same thing. He drank vodka and orange juice and he thought that it was the orange juice that was going to get him.
Dan
September 20th, 2012
9:31 am
Turner seems like a nice guy who made a big mistake. We have all been there before. He may not be a PR genius but has expressed remorse for his actions. Also, one does not have to have a drinking problem to overdo it at Magic City on any occasion. Had he used a friend, cab, or limo service, like other players who overdo it, then this would not have happened. I am glad the players are encouraging him because some of the comments here are disgusting and judgmental. All the best to you Michael. Learn from this and come back better and smarter. It’s called life.
MaxxFalcon
September 20th, 2012
10:25 am
Yea, it’s easy for the public to pile it on the guy for his mistake. Nobody was hurt, he has been humiliated and will have to accept the consequences at come along with this. That’s enough for me, I’m certainly not going to pile it on the guy for this. I will however comment on DOL’s affinity for Magic City and strippers in general. Linking an article about more women stripping is a bit strange, but posting a Magic City picture where the strippers are named?? Did that come from the DOL iPhone files?? They told you once they told you a hundred times old man, no pictures!
Enkinan
September 20th, 2012
10:27 am
This could be good be good for the Falcons. He is going to do everything he can to make up for this on the field. Question is, can he?
Sean Frazier
September 20th, 2012
10:30 am
You say no to ratchet ratchet Juicy J he can’t
vpecora
September 20th, 2012
12:54 pm
To those sticking up for this guy – Quit writing this off as “just” a mistake. There were several horrible choices he made. 1) The guy could easily have managed a ride home via the NFL service or by his own means. 2) He was driving drunk. 3) As if 1 & 2 weren’t stupid enough, he compounded his stupidity by travelling at a rate of 97 MPH! The so-called “haters” are the ones who realize this could easily have been a real tragedy. “The Burner” should feel extremely fortunate it wasn’t.
Freddy FalKon
September 20th, 2012
1:08 pm
Maceo You missed the seriousness of what your boy did. He could have KILLED himself and a many innocent people while driving 100 mph drunk. Ask your dad or grandad to explain the significance of what he did so you will get it. LEARN BRO
@atlsportfan4eva
September 20th, 2012
1:26 pm
Wow so many people on here who have not done a single thing wrong in their entire life. You myy friends can talk about whomever you want. Me on the other hand, never had a DUI, but sure am not squeaky clean.
@atlsportfan4eva
September 20th, 2012
1:30 pm
Just to make sure I am clear. I do not condone what was done. But I am also in no place to past judgement. All I can say is learn from it and try not to make the same mistake twice. While most of you want to talk about this negative and that negative. PLEASE look in the mirror and ask yourself if you have ever done anything wrong (big or small)? Unless your name is Jesus I am sure you have a long list.
@atlsportfan4eva
September 20th, 2012
1:31 pm
Sorry “pass”, not past.
Freddy FalKon
September 20th, 2012
1:39 pm
@atlsportfan4eva
With your logic, no one should ever call out anyone for anything. Turner needs to be punished very hard on this matter,as YOU OR ME would be. Let him have killed a family driving like that and we willl see how eager you would defend him. Don’t BABY people
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