Douglas Turley

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Douglas Turley began his outstanding athletic career at Nanticoke High School where he was All-Scholastic in football and basketball. He also played baseball and participated in track. Turley holds the Wyoming Valley Shotput Record of 47 ft. 6 in, (1936); and won the Rogers Memorial Tournament Nanticoke Reds in three consecutive years: 1937-38-39. He was the Nanticoke Red Country League Champion in 1937-38-39. After high school Turley played three years of varsity football with the University of Scranton. In 1941 he began playing for the Wilmington Clippers and he joined the Washington Reds as a two-way end from 194 to 1948. Turley helped the Clippers win the American Football League championship during two seasons in Wilmington, 1941-42. He sat out the ’43 season after the AFL disbanded, then made it big with the Redskins as a 6-foot-4, 235-pound two-way end. A starter all ‘five years with the Redskins, he played in the December 16, 1945 National Football League Championship game vs. the Cleveland Rams. Turley played all but 30 seconds of that game, which the Redskins lost 15-14. Turley rejoined the Clippers for the 1949 season, his last as an active player. Later he coached St. Elizabeth’s Grade School to all five CYO football championships. He was inducted into the Deleware Sports Hall of Fame in 1986, having played Deleware semi-pro baseball in ‘1942-43 and pro basketball with Wilmington in 1942. Turley maintains membership in the Redskins Alumni Association, N.F.L. Alumni Association and the DuPont Country Club. His many awards include the CYO Medal of Merit and Special Merit Award of the Touchdown Club. Turley resides in Elsmere, Deleware with his wife Sylvia. They have two children, Barbara and Elizabeth and three grandchildren. He retired from the DuPont Company in March, 1981.