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Editor’s note: This is first in a series of three stories highlighting Windsor High School student-athletes signing to continue playing a sport at the college level.

Windsor High School senior football standout Fleetwood Turner formally committed on Wednesday, April 2, to take his talents on the gridiron to the college level.

Turner signed to play football at The Apprentice School (TAS) amid a signing ceremony on April 2 in the WHS auditorium that included a crowd of coaches, friends and family.

He has played football for nine years, including time in a Pop Warner league in Suffolk and also five years at WHS. It was during the latter tenure that he began thinking about playing college football. He was a member of the WHS junior varsity team as an eighth grader and started seeing playing time on the varsity squad as a freshman. He emerged as a captain and All-Tri-Rivers District First-Team player in his senior year.

Reacting to his college signing, he said, “To be able to play the sport that I love at the next level, it’s everything, it’s everything I’ve worked for. All the hard work finally paid off. There’s not much to say for it other than it’s a blessing.”

When asked how many sports he has played, Turner said, “Most of the ones that are known.”

He listed off lacrosse, football, baseball, basketball and track.

“Pretty much anything I could try, I did,” he said.

He noted that there was a time when he was interested in playing college lacrosse, but the opportunities to develop his skills were limited outside of travel teams.

On the gridiron, Turner went on to establish a legacy of leadership and talent.

During the April 2 signing ceremony, Windsor Varsity Football Head Coach Benjamin “DB” DuBois shared what he indicated was a defining story about Turner.

“(In 2024,) we hit a little speed bump during the middle of the season, and Fleetwood and I had a nice long talk, and after that happened, he took off like I told him he would and went into a great direction, and it showed the younger kids that even families disagree sometimes, but they come back from it, and they work hard. He ended up finishing a strong senior season and ended up making first-team wide receiver for an offense that only threw the ball a couple times…”

As for Turner’s college choice, the opportunity to work in a trade and get paid while going to school and also playing football is what helped convince him that The Apprentice School was the place for him.

“I start as a maintenance electrician, and that’ll be my trade for at least two years, if I don’t go into the advanced program, which I’m looking to do,” he said.

He can have four years of playing eligibility.

His mother, Shannon Turner, shared what it meant to see him sign on the dotted line to play college football.

“Me and his dad were actually talking about that last night, and one of the biggest things I think that stuck out for us is that he set a goal, and he achieved that goal, so that makes us so proud that he was able to achieve that goal,” she said.

She indicated she was pleased Fleetwood was able to contribute to the rebuilding of the WHS football program, helping reestablish it as something students can be proud of.

Fleetwood said that as far as he knows, he will be utilized at the wide receiver position by the TAS Builders coaching staff.

TAS announced on March 20 that the Builders’ football team had joined the New South Athletic Conference.

When asked if there was anyone he would like to thank for helping him reach his current level of achievement, Fleetwood said, “Definitely my parents and my coaches. Coach DB was definitely a big part in me getting to this college level. He pushed me through many things and showed me that not at all times are things easy, that it definitely comes with hard work. And my parents showed me the same thing growing up — that nothing’s given to you, you’ve got to earn it.”