Turner runs off kick return curse Don Banks, The St.Petersburg Times, published 3 October 1994 In the long run, it was a long time coming. How special was Vernon Turner's 80-yard punt return touchdown Sunday? Let's run back over 18 years of Tampa Bay history and count any number of ways: Turner's tote was the first punt return score in team history, all 367 games worth. It came in the Bucs' 286th regular-season game, on Tampa Bay's 705th punt return, and the 1,320th opposing punt. It ended the Bucs' mind-boggling streak of no kickoff or punt return touchdowns in regular or post-season history - 1,788 scoreless returns Loosely speaking, stretched over 18 years, Turner's 80 yards of precious real estate was acquired at a rate of 4.4 yards per year. And one last digit to dwell on: When the 1976 expansion Bucs began their runback run, Turner was a lad of 9, growing up in his native New York City. And Turner's first NFL touchdown return wasn't even the lone special moment for Tampa Bay's beleaguered special-teams unit. Cornerback Rogerick Green blocked a Greg Montgomery punt in the third quarter, setting up a 2-yard Bucs scoring drive and sealing a 24-14 win over Detroit. It was Tampa Bay's first blocked punt since 1989's season finale, but it paled in comparison to Turner's touchdown, which fulfilled his preseason promise to be the return man with the plan. That it came against the Lions, the team that released Turner late last season, only added magic to the moment. "It was a very emotional, personal game for me," said Turner, whose touchdown came on Detroit's first punt and gave the Bucs a 10-0 lead. "This was the team that released me, and I left pretty much with bad blood. This was an extra-special victory, and it was icing on the cake that I returned this punt. The big relief is that ever since I signed here I've been hearing about no one ever returned a kickoff or punt for a touchdown. That's over with. (Everyone) can leave me alone about that now." Immediately after tightroping the right sideline for the score, Turner was anything but alone in the end zone. Leading the pack of revelers was Bucs special-teams coach George Stewart, who cut the rather unlikely figure of a man who had just exorcised a large demon. "George I think was the first one to tackle me in the end zone," Turner said. "I told him before the season started, I said: `My first return for a touchdown. I want you to be the first one in the end zone.' And he was." Stewart said he implored his special-teams unit to take chances this week, then unexpectedly found himself doing the same. "It was just one of those situations that you get caught up in the emotion of the game," Stewart said. "I'm embarrassed in terms of going on the field. I thought about when I was out there and said I can get a penalty because I'm out of the coaching box. You have to give credit to Vernon Turner and the other 10 guys on the field. And give credit to Sam Wyche. He came to me early in the week and said, `George we've been playing cautious too long. We've got to let the horse go. We've got to let them play.'