Turner was born on February 11, 1879 in Ross, Ohio. Nicknamed "Old Head", he attended Miami University where he was a member of the football team. He lettered in football in 1901. That year he played tackle and was team captain and under coach Thomas Hazzard. The team went 1–3–1 with the only victory being a 23–6 victory over Antioch. He later transfer to Dartmouth College where he lettered in football in 1903. He helped the 1903 Big Green football team, coached by Fred Folsom, to a 9–1 record including the school's first-ever win over Harvard. Turner scored both touchdowns in the 11–0 victory over Harvard. After the 1903 season he was named 2nd team All-American by Caspar Whitney in Outing magazine and 3rd team All-American by Walter Camp in Collier's Weekly. Included on the 1903 All-Amer