After playing year-round in 2022, Dallas Cowboys’ Kavontae Turpin is rested, recharged

Former TCU kick returner KaVontae Turpin missed the start of Dallas Cowboys training camp for the second straight season.

In 2022, his excuse was understandable.

Turpin didn’t sign with the Cowboys until a few after camp started, parlaying an MVP campaign in the USFL just a few weeks earlier into a life-changing opportunity that would result into him making the Pro Bowl as a rookie.

This time his excuse was even better.

Upon arriving at Cowboys camp last week, Turpin learned his girlfriend was going into labor. He got on the first flight back to Dallas to witness the birth of his daughter Kaori.

Turpin, who now has two daughters, spent a couple of days with his new baby girl and called it one of the best moments of his life.

He returned to camp late last week feeling rejuvenated and inspired.

“Right now, it’s just a wonderful feeling,” Turpin said. “It helped me become a new man. Come out here, and now I’m just happy to be back out here with my team. Come out here and learn with these guys, with this team. I’m just in a wonderful spot right now.”

You can also add refreshed to Turpin list of emotions and feelings.

And he hopes to parlay that into a bigger role in his second year with the Cowboys.

Turpin took some time off following the 2022 season, the first time in years, after a long an tumultuous journey to realizing his NFL dream after from being dismissed from TCU in 2018 when he was accused of assault.

After NFL teams bypasseed him in the 2019 draft, Turpin played in the indoor Fan-Controlled Football League, the Spring League and the European League of Football for three years before signing with the New Jersey Generals in the USFL.

He played in 11 USFL games including the playoffs between April and June for the Generals and was named the league MVP after the season.

Add in 22 more games with the Cowboys (including the preseason and the playoffs), and Turpin played 33 football games from April of 2022 through January 2023.

He is rested and back at camp with a full off season of OTAs and mini camp with the Cowboys under his belt.

“Last year, coming from the USFL and not being able to do OTAs and the mini-camp,” Turpin said. “I feel like this year, being able to do those things, I’m ahead of where I need to be at coming from the offensive end. Come in, learn the plays. I feel like I’m in a wonderful spot right now just coming in and being able to do those two things during the offseason.”

Turpin hopes to make an impact as a receiver in the regular offense as well as on kick and punt returns. He is competing with Jalen Tolbert and Simi Fehoko for the the fourth and fifth receiver spots behind CeeDee Lamb, Brandin Cooks and Michael Gallup.

His blazing speed makes his a threat every time he touches the ball and the Cowboys would like to take advantage of his big play ability on more than just returns.

With a new baby and rested legs, there is nothing Turpin believes he can’t do in 2023.

“I just feel like this year I want to do everything,” Turpin said. “All-Pro, anything I can do since I got my rest during this offseason and coming in here with fresh legs. I feel like right now, I’m at 100-percent of where I need to be. [My daughters] are what I’m here for, live for them, come out here and show that’s what I’m here for.”