Southern Illinoise University Athletics
Bryan Turner Uses Basketball to Escape Turmoil of Inner City
01/28/2004 | 12:00:00 | Men's Basketball
Jan. 13, 2004
By Seth Whitehead
www.SIUSalukis.com
CARBONDALE, Ill. - A 2002 report named St. Louis the most dangerous city in the United States.
The ranking was based on the city's crime rate in six categories: murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary and motor vehicle theft.
Predictably, city officials scoffed at this dubious distinction.
But Southern Illinois University senior guard Bryan Turner knows all too well about the validity of that report. A native of poverty-stricken north St. Louis, violence was just a part of life where Turner grew up.
He saw many of his friends fall victim to their bleak environment. At best, they amounted to nothing. At worst, they got killed.
"St. Louis was real tough for me," Turner said. "It was hard growing up."
That's why getting out of that environment and going to college was such an important step in Turner's life. And basketball was his ticket out.
