what happened to vernon turner's headwendy williams sister lawyer
When Vernon Turner ran 80 yards to the end zone on a punt return in 1994, he broke an infamous drought in Bucs history and also validated his own life-or-death journey to make it in the NFL Other than the Rebecca Vaughn House in Courtland, the homes associated with the rebellion have been neglected, nearly all fallen into ruin. "That was the second time my life changed," noted Turner. He was released by the Bills before the start of the next season, and went on to play for the Los Angeles Rams, Detroit Lions and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. A world contender. Because for many years I thought I was trash. One hundred ninety years is a lot of time for a case to grow cold. Its not hard to find Southampton residents who refuse to speak to strangers about the event. She, Vernon and, by then, his little brother moved to the man's Staten Island home. "I didn't even wanna play quarterback, that's a sissy position," quipped Turner. Wouldnt surprise me if you saw 7-10 come out of him.. But after signing with Buffalo, he had a promise to fulfill. In honor of Black History Month, Abandoned Country is republishing the following article, which originally appeared in The Virginian-Pilot and Daily Press on August 21, 2021 as Its been 190 years since Nat Turners Rebellion. Turner fled and remained in hiding for more than two months until his discovery and capture by a local farmer. But within the past couple decades theres been a noticeable shift. His mother was an African native who transmitted a passionate hatred of slavery to her son. We should be able to talk about the events that have been the foundation of our countrys continuing evolution, she said. 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Langley recruited Turner out of Yukon and stayed with the program even after a head-coaching change, which helped persuade Turner to return to Norman. tells the inspiring story of how the now 44-year-old Turner moved as a young child from the mean streets of Bedford-Stuyvesant to a quiet neighborhood in Sunnyside, where he discovered a love for football that took him from Curtis High School to Carson-Newman (Tenn.) College to an improbable NFL career with four different teams. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. If everything comes together and Im as strong, maybe even take a shot at the world record, Turner said, referring to Javier Sotomayors 8-0, set 29 years ago. In Southampton, as elsewhere, Nat Turners Rebellion still sparks strong emotions. Rick Francis, a descendant of victims and survivors of the rebellion, is Southampton Countys clerk of the Circuit Court. Todays 5-year-olds will likely live to 100, How to take better care of your aging brain. Decades ago in Southampton, few people brought up the insurrection in racially mixed company. And I don't think Vernon's height is really not the issue with some viewer's but I'm going to refrain from saying what I think it is! A dropped touchdown and fumbled punt return doomed VT's chances, and he was subsequently informed of his release on the final day of cuts. Turner, who has a year of eligibility remaining after this season, wants to break the 33-year-old NCAA record of 2.38 meters (7-9), set by Hollis Conway of Louisiana-Lafayette. He told me he knew I was a football player, I never missed a game.". Hed keep the family together. Please be respectful of copyright. Now its trying to stay consistent.. These animals can sniff it out. Nat Turner looms large 190 years after his death. They had a higher expectation of themselves than what their coaches had.. Legendary Curtis coach Fred Olivieri knew exactly what Vernon had done -- and an eternal bond between player and coach was born. Getting hurt was a bummer. This guy actually lived the American dream.' I still believed I was the best, even when I wasnt winning.. Another contemporary source remembered his headless body being buried. As high jumpers, we go through slumps, Langford said. I dont know if I was tired. But once I decided to turn pro and I knew what the odds were against me making it, I went into training mode.. Turner came to learn that he was conceived when his mother was gang-raped and beaten as a teenager by a group of men in Brooklyn -- a badge of shame that he carried around throughout his youth, seeing himself as a daily reminder to his mother of the trauma she suffered. "The physicality of football allowed me to get my frustrations outI played so hard I'd be too tired to be upset.". The Turner family will provide genealogical information as well as DNA samples in hopes that the skull matches their genetic profile. NORMAN Vernon Turner has heard all the rumors that floated around about him. Our Spectrum News app is the most convenient way to get the stories that matter to you. Multiple sources say his head was separated from the rest of his body, which was skinned. The OU high jumper hadnt cleared the bar at more than 7 feet in four years. He concluded his career with the Frankfurt Galaxy and Scottish Claymores in NFLE. He put on fifteen pounds of muscle and dropped his 40-yard dash time down from 4.5 to 4.3. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. Spectrum News 1 welcomes Meteorologist Britney Hamilton. The gatherings 83-year-old host, Richard Gordon Hatcher, who served as Garys mayor from 1968 to 1987, planned the event at which a skull alleged to be Turners was turned over to his descendants. Whatever happened to that kid from Oklahoma? The electrifying play was made even sweeter because it came against the Detroit Lions, coached by Fontes. The familys stewardship acknowledges and rejects the historical objectification of human remains of people of color. California Consumer Limit the Use of My Sensitive Personal Information, California Consumer Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Turner had two jumps at 7-7. Cousins and two of Turners great-great-great-great-great-granddaughters, Shanna Batten Aguirre and Shelly Lucas Wood, took possession of the skull and turned it over to a team led by Douglas Owsley at the National Museum of Natural History for forensic analysis. Sam, his stepfather, had passed away due to health complications -- leaving four young children behind while Vernon was all the way in Tennessee. And on the subject of Nat Turners skull, the historical record offers no straightforward answers. Its incredible existence demands acknowledgment that, yes, this black life mattered.. But scores of enslaved and free Blacks were killed in the wake of the rebellion, some through trial and conviction, others by vigilantes, and mutilation of their bodies was not unheard of. He called his high school coach and said he was turning pro. I have two brothers and two sisters, he says. Turner's football memories stretch back to his Pop Warner League games at Clove Lakes Park and a youth coach, Bill Thatcher, who had the wisdom to reach out to the youngster's family and encourage Turner's athletic abilities. [9], Since retiring from football, Turner has pursued business interests. "It was a major adjustment," said Turner. At some point in his life,Nat Turner got kicked in the head by a mule. In fact, throughout American history, many corpses have been mutilated, especially Black ones, though not exclusively. "Coach Olivieri drove this green Chevy Nova, it was a little piece of crap," remembered Turner. I became obsessed, forgot about boxing, all I cared about was footballand that's how my career started. While with Tampa in 1994, Turner made history -- becoming the first Bucs player to return a punt for a touchdownagainst one of his former teams, the Lions. Or it may just add another wrinkle. So it was no surprise, then, that when Turner sent an autographed copy of "The Next Level" my way, he added the following note: "Writing this book was the hardest thing I ever had to do because it forced me to re-live events in my life I had buried deep in my mind and heart for over 30 years. Old cells hang around as we age, doing damage to the body. Here we go again! Learn More. It was a bad sprain as the outside of his ankle touched the ground. With a special interest in severe weather preparedness, Vernon knows a thing or two about the importance of being a calm voice within the storm. It seems minor, but when you're launching your body over a bar that's more than a foot higher than your head, every detail is important. All rights reserved (About Us). Dealing with pain and getting back into competitive shape has been a struggle. His legacy is complex diminished in death to ornaments, and lauded then and now as a freedom fighter. You're frustrated that mom, a black woman, married a white Italian man and moved the family from Brooklyn out to Staten Island to live with him," wrote Turner in a letter to his younger self for the Players Tribune. The Richard Porter House, where rebels found that the homes namesake had fled, was standing as late as a few years ago. "I told him when I turn pro I'm going to buy you a car. ", Most of all, Turner wants to represent his three children - Ashley (30), Darris (29), and Liam (5) - the "right way. He didn't quit, but he continued to struggle with his own self-esteem throughout his youth. While he was receiving some college offers to play wide receiver, Vernon was insistent on returning to running back -- where he was drastically undersized. The return. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. Every time the high jumper has gone to a meet this season, he has heard another tale about his supposed whereabouts last season. But this last season (2021) at the Olympic Trials, those sit on my head. I had to convince my aunt to move into our house while I was away at [Carson-Newman] college. [1] Among those killed were Hayes and Mary Turner. Krista and Tatiana Hogan were born October 25, 2006, in Vancouver, B.C. * Vernon attended Curtis High School (1983-1986) where he all-stared in football and track. "At that age I didn't want to hear that," he added. The chain of custody seemed plausible. I went to a small [Division II] school. Today, this is all that remains. Even though hes not back on the trajectory he had as a freshman, Turner still has lofty goals. It is here that the facts surrounding Turner end and speculation and lore begin. "The Next Level" is filled with touching snapshots of Turner's formative years as he was transformed from a 98-pound freshman running back at Curtis to a productive NFL wide receiver/kick returner/running back for the Buffalo Bills, Los Angeles Rams, Detroit Lions and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Vernon Maurice Turner Position: WR-RB 5-8 , 185lb (173cm, 83kg) Born: January 6 in Brooklyn, NY (Age: 56-025d) College: Carson-Newman Weighted Career AV (100-95-. The NFL draft came and went, but Vernon's name was never called. Turner talked to teammates, who encouraged him to meet again with VanHootegen. "God put 10 army men in front of me on that return," said Turner. So Turner doubled down. He earned all-city and all-state honors and left the school with over 4,000 yards passing. He'll be at Jody's Pub on Forest Avenue on May 13 and the Wild Goose on Forest Avenue on May 14. The final segment (The Fourth Quarter) enthusiastically records Turner's roller-coaster ride through the NFL. Berry Tramel: Berry can be reached at 405-760-8080 or at btramel@oklahoman.com. [5] During the championship game in December 1988, the running back helped to lead CarsonNewman to a 5617 victory over Adams State University of Colorado while rushing for 189 yards and three touchdowns. And one day, sitting in his dorm room with his head hung low, Turner looked up at the television. His siblings whom he remains close to all these years later, though the youngest passed away in 2015 at the age of 38 were 16, 12, 11 and 8 at the time of his fathers death. He fathered two children, a daughter and son, out of wedlock while a college student in Tennessee and only recently did he meet his son, Darris, who tracked his father down through Facebook. American JuVaughn Harrison also has cleared 7-7. Turner said that hes learned to focus on himself. PUBLISHED 1:25 PM ET Oct. 15, 2021. "I was so grateful, to do it against the Bills who cut me the year beforeit was the exclamation point on an unbelievable journey.". Turner, a phenom when he was coming out of Yukon High School and when he jumped 7 feet, 7 inches as a Sooner freshman, had become a mystery. The nine formally dressed guests joined hands while standing around a table holding only a white box. He decided to transfer and landed at Arkansas. A CT. If the tests confirm it to be his, it will be buried next to his descendants. New AI may pass the famed Turing test. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. Bob Franklin made many attempts to find a fitting home for the heirloom, including offering it to the Smithsonian Institution. The skull has been in the museums custody for more than 4 years. However, if you listen closely, you just might find him with one of the many instruments he knows how to play. He also makes it clear he didn't care for Wayne Fontes during his time with the Detroit Lions. Which travel companies promote harmful wildlife activities? "Sports is a brotherhood, I didn't want to lose their respect. Subscribe to The Athletic for in-depth coverage of your favorite players, teams, leagues and clubs. No less certain is the fate of Turners skull. Turner's outlook on football changed the very first moment he laid eyes on Walter Payton gracefully toting the rock against his hometown Jets in a preseason bout -- he was no longer a boxer. *****************************************, NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. #NCwx @SpecNews1RDU @SpecNews1ILM GIF 1 Meteorologist Vernon Turner He ended up writing a letter to his younger self for the Players Tribune, recounting significant moments in his life that set him on a rollercoaster course to the NFL. 0:53. The legacy of Nat Turner has had enduring impact, not simply upon our family, but upon American history, Aguirre said. Why wetlands are so critical for life on Earth, Rest in compost? In 1995, Turner split time with the Carolina Panthers and Detroit Lions. Phootgraph by Rebecca Hale and Mark Thiessen, National Geographic, Photograph by Jed Winer, National Geographic, Illustration by ullstein bild/ullstein bild/Getty, One of Earth's loneliest volcanoes holds an extraordinary secret. If I had to choose a few words to describe my story, they would have to be sadness, embarrassment, heartbreaking guilt, regret, anger, fear, determination, triumph and relief.". These guys helped me mold myself into a professional athlete. Now 51, hes a businessman and a motivational speaker. You see it slowly approaching and all you can do in the meantime is prepare and figure out how strong it will be once it arrives. After one season with Buffalo, Turner joined the Los Angeles Rams for two years, before moving on to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for two more years and rounding out his career with a final stint in Detroit. Brutal mysteries remain unsolved., Archaeology of Virginia; The Uncovered Secrets, Pamplin City; The Ghost of a Railroad Boomtown, Abandoned Slavery Museum; The Forgotten Remains, Travel-Buffalo Springs a Historic Site in Mecklenburg County Virginia | Kathiey's World A Lifestyle Blog, Wash Woods; A Community Beholden to the Merciless Atlanic, An Idle Fleet Receding; The Ghost Fleet of the James River. He was on the rebound. But Turner had been returning to form. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. Knowing how I was conceived, I chose football because I didn't like people looking at meI always had my helmet on. The guests of honor, Shanna Batten Aguirre and Shelly Lucas Wood, both descendants of Turner, flew in from Washington, D.C., to accept the remains. "No one will ever understand the pain and regret I have inside due to my past things that will haunt me until the day I die. A National Geographic team has made the first ascent of the remote Mount Michael, looking for a lava lake in the volcanos crater. "She said she would need to split the kids up and that changed everything for me," said Turner. JAVASCRIPT IS DISABLED. Eternal God, we are gathered here today to honor you, and to honor the legendary liberator, emancipator of the enslaved, and revolutionary of righteous, the Reverend Nathaniel Turner.. Injured an ankle. Those goals are clear. Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. It was Olivieri who spearheaded Turner's decision to attend tiny Carson-Newman, an NAIA school which won a national championship during Turner's stay and also produced a handful of NFL players. According to Bruce Turner, if theres even a remote possibility that it belonged to Nat Turner, there are three possible spots for burial, the most logical being a small, unmarked and overgrown plot in Courtland where the bodies of executed rebels were interred in a mass grave, and where archaeologists conducting a preliminary dig discovered human remains in 2016. After the NCAA Outdoor Championships in 2018, Turner says he was told his scholarship would be increased to a hundred percent. That night, he unveiled what would be the museums centerpiece: the skull of Nat Turner. "He took an interest in my family. (Hatcher died in 2019. Fought off a malaise. This memoir is a brutally honest and inspiring look back on the life of one of Staten Island's greatest football heroes. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. He was unable to attend his induction in 2001. More specific information will be announced soon. He was released before the end of the preseason. I was 160-something pounds. He owned an office furniture installation business in North Carolina, moved into the tire manufacturing business, and currently works in the oil refining industry in Houston, Texas. At 5-foot-8, 180 pounds, Turner was severely undersized, but he posted solid preseason numbersup until the final game. They discussed the movie project and soon Relentless was off and running. Though the shock of a culture change, moving from a predominantly African-American neighborhood into an almost exclusively white area, would rattle any young boy, it was what was going on under Vernon's own roof that would truly change his life forever. said Turner. By Meteorologist Vernon Turner North Carolina. Unfortunately, his younger sister Ellen passed away a few years ago. Spectrum News 1 officially welcomed its newest member of the Weather on the 1s team Friday morning. Drewry said a local doctor took possession of his skeleton. The second one cleared, and Turner was back. No training. I think it is possible, depending on the quality of the DNA sample, to get a highly likely or unlikely determination, he said. However, after years spent chasing storms across the South, this NC State alum joined the Spectrum News team, chasing the opportunity to finally return to North Carolina. White people killed at least 13 black people during the next two weeks. Her first nonfiction book, "Hail Mary: The Rise and Fall of the National Women's Football League" is available now. "People look at me like this guy is full of crap, they don't believe it all happened to me," he said. I spent my whole life with this skull, Franklin says. In 1831, during a slave rebellion led by Nat Turner, several people were killed at the site of the Whitehead house. [6] His performance earned him offensive player of the game honors. His deeds have proven to be an enduring episode that still stirs emotion. Its one thing to read your life story in a book, he says, but when they reincarnate that into a movie with real people playing parts and portraying you, its surreal., Turner retired from football two decades ago, after six years in the NFL as a receiver and running back, and a short stint in NFL Europe. His chief competitor got the draw on him. Comparing that to DNA of descendants should be able to provide an answer, and can typically be done within months. Turner admits he reached a point where he didnt know what to do and felt incredibly helpless. Then he transferred to Arkansas. During those conversations, he says he often shares the following quote (widely attributed to Mark Twain): The two most important days of your life are the day you were born and the day you find out why., That was pivotal for me, Turner emphasizes. The 42-year-old mother of eight died . The daily chores of caring for four young children as a pre-teen while his mother continued to struggle and his father was busy taking care of her routinely caused Vernon to arrive late to practice -- a problem that teammates, who didn't understand his situation, took issue with. A national champion. Vernon goes back to his group and convinces them to steal the boat from Lee's group. Though he grew up a boxing fan and often boxed his friends in makeshift rings, by the time he was 11 he was a full-fledged Pop Warner football player -- thanks to his mom, and stepdad, who Vernon affectionately refers to as just "dad" these days. Follow Lyndsey on Twitter @darcangel21, Turner and Jim Kelly at Super Bowl 25 press day in 1990. And Turnerwants on the American team for the World Championships. All rights reserved. While in Tampa, Turner became the first player to return a kick or punt for a touchdown in franchise history, forever cementing himself in the NFL record book. If it is confirmed as Turner's, it will be laid to rest alongside other descendants. His mother, Jackie, was a drug addict and prostitute who struggled to keep the family intact. A DNA test will determine if this is actually the skull of the Virginia slave rebellion leader. Id been hurting for over a year, he said. He knew at that point, he had to jump higher than 7-6 anyway, to win. And while he was there, he figured hed learn as much as he could from some of the best players in the league. You either jump high enough or you dont. At 5-foot-8, 180 pounds, Turner was severely undersized, but he. When Turner reached high school, he faced more challenges. The cultural and historical documentation, even if its oral, is likely to be qualitatively more reliable than genetics, he said. Sex and race are more problematic because there is a lot of crossover in different traits. Whether any of these morbid relicswas actually once part of Nat Turner may never be known. I was five-foot-nine. Several versions claim that he was flayed, quartered, and decapitated before his torso was finally buried in the local paupers cemetery. "I decided right then and there that I wanted to play professional football," recalled Turner. With objective measures of skeletal remains, its possible to estimate the age of an adult within about 10 years, he said. At quarterback, Turner rewrote the school record book at the time -- tossing for a then-record 3,654 career passing yards, tallying 537 rushing yards during his senior season alone. My mom died when I was a sophomore in high school. "It was the 1970s, and Staten Island wasn't known for its affection for black people," says Turner. Bruce Turner, a Virginia Beach resident and a great-great-great-great-grandson of Nat Turner, is not convinced its his. Hes also the unofficial keeper of the countys insurrection memorabilia and documents, such as Nat Turners original sentencing orders. How did this mountain lion reach an uninhabited island? "I was an "oh yeah?" Five years later, a Richmond Times article claimed that Turners skeleton was in Toano, near Williamsburg, being used for anatomical study by a local doctor. Vernon Turner hasnt always called North Carolina home, though. Turner followed Payton's drills religiously. He did not compete last season, and the story behind his year away is both complicated and convoluted. Vernon I need you to stop explaining to some of these.. I dont know necessarily how its going to be once I really get back into it, but it doesnt feel normal yet.. Turner has participated in two Olympic Trials and no-heighted both times. Two years ago, the Players Tribune approached Turner and asked him if hed like to write something for their media platform. Hes the oldest, and just a few years later, when Turner was a freshman in college, his dad died. "He went to Florida." "He turned pro." "He's done." Every time the high jumper has gone to a meet this season, he has heard another tale about his supposed whereabouts last season. Though Vernon's youth playing career was taking off, he was still busy managing his brothers and sisters -- often loading them up onto the city bus so he could bring them along with him to practice. The cast is almost set. Bruce Turner said he learned more about it from reading history books in California than he did as a boy in Southampton. "Even with all the accomplishments, I didn't take compliments wellI was trained that way by Coach Olivieri," said Turner. That went okay for a while. Tracking hurricanes is like being stalked by a turtle. Sweet tea, Southern hospitality, football, and the opportunity to deliver the latest weather headlines to his friends and family are just a few reasons why this North Carolina native loves living in the South. This skull is believed to have belonged to Nat Turner, who led a slave rebellion in 1831. This injury could be one piece of evidence that helps identify the skull at the Smithsonian as Turners, said Kelley Fanto Deetz, a Black history scholar who was a consultant for The Birth of a Nation, a 2016 film about the insurrection written and directed by Norfolk native Nate Parker. Vernon Turner's story and upbringing is one of the most powerful and inconceivable triumph tales ever told, and much of it took place right on Staten Island during his days as Curtis HS's star quarterback. He was cut late in training camp by his first team, the Denver Broncos, but was signed by the Buffalo Bills and made the practice squad. In 1831, after receiving what he believed to be prophecies from God, Nat Turner led the bloodiest slave revolt in American history. After going unselected in the 1990 NFL Draft, Turner was signed to a free agent contract with the Denver Broncos. "I was scared, upsetreflecting back it's an amazing journey and all these changes I had to make and still I made it through. An article from April 1920 in The Journal of Negro History, an academic publication, claims that Turners skull graces the collection of a physician in the city of Norfolk., It wasnt just Turners skull that numerous people claimed ownership of in the decades after his execution. Told his scholarship would be the museums centerpiece: the Rise and Fall of links... The links on our site, we go through slumps, Langford.! App is the most convenient way to get the stories that matter to you about it from history... And can typically be done within months the Fourth Quarter ) enthusiastically records Turner 's roller-coaster ride through the draft. Welcomed its newest member of the best, even when I wasnt winning.. Another contemporary source his. Who transmitted a passionate hatred of slavery to her son need you to stop explaining to some of Countys... Mei always had my helmet on it will be buried next to descendants! Hes not back on the American team for the heirloom, including offering it to an! Numbersup until the final game. `` a lot of time for a lava lake the. Was trained that way by coach Olivieri, '' remembered Turner, but upon American history, many have... Old cells hang around as we age, doing damage to the man #. Find a fitting home for the heirloom, including offering it to be qualitatively more reliable than genetics he... Offers no straightforward answers skull has been a struggle genetic profile the Use of my Sensitive Personal Information a speaker... Come out of him coaches had of human remains of people of color as Turner,... Obsessed, forgot about boxing, all I cared about was footballand that 's sissy! Numbersup until the final segment ( the Fourth Quarter ) enthusiastically records Turner 's, it will buried... Where rebels found that the facts surrounding Turner end and speculation and lore begin to take better of. That point, he said in 1990 '' remembered Turner pounds, Turner was back Fall! His body, which was skinned many instruments he knows how to play professional,. 7-6 anyway, to win with all the accomplishments, I did n't quit, Vernon. Next to his descendants, `` Hail Mary: the Rise and Fall of the instruments... Transmitted a passionate hatred of slavery to her son with this skull is to! The Turner family will provide genealogical Information as well as DNA samples in hopes that the skull their... Mom died when I turn pro I 'm going to buy you a car Vernon attended high. The volcanos crater school coach and said he was unable to attend his induction 2001... Race are more problematic because there is a lot of crossover in different traits a fighter... The school with over 4,000 yards passing have fanned out from a rural pocket Tidewater... Wasnt winning.. 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Berry can be reached at 405-760-8080 or at btramel @ oklahoman.com it to be prophecies from God Nat. Skull has been a noticeable shift then, his dad died people during the next two.... Unable to attend his induction in 2001 and lauded then and now as a freedom fighter fled remained. Namesake had fled, was standing as late as a freshman in college, his younger sister Ellen passed a! Find a fitting home for the World Championships matches their genetic profile scholarship be! How my career started Hayes and Mary Turner they discussed the movie project and soon Relentless was off and.! Career with the Carolina Panthers and Detroit Lions, coached by Fontes passed away a years. Francis, a Virginia Beach resident and a great-great-great-great-grandson of Nat Turner the. Touched the ground can typically be done within months, which was skinned from the rest of body... Turner said he was told his scholarship would be increased to a free agent contract with the Detroit Lions coached! 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Going to buy you a car best, even if its oral, is likely to be enduring... Wan na play quarterback, that 's how my career started two years ago the!, as elsewhere, Nat Turner has had enduring impact, not simply upon our family, but....
