november2011

Stephanie Turner, daughter of the San Diego Chargers’ head coach Norv Turner, pro-

vides an alternative to mainstream NFL coverage through her blog, footballbrat.com.

What made you jump on the blog bandwagon? I felt that there was a perspective

missing in mainstream coverage of the NFL. I feel that a lot of the people hired as

‘insiders’ ... aren’t saying what insiders would say. All of my life I’ve sat and listened

to coaches and players talk football in an honest and practical way. For the most part,

I don’t see that when I see them talking on TV. I try to keep it real, and correct people

when I feel they have missed a point or have gotten something wrong.

Where did you get the nickname “Football Brat”? When people used to ask me

where I was from, I’d list all the cities I grew up in—Los Angeles, Dallas, Washington,

D.C., San Diego—and people would say, “Oh, Army brat?” I’d say, “No, my dad is a

football coach.” And once someone said, “Oh, football brat.” It kind of stuck.

Tell us about Norv. He’s smart and fun to be around, in addition to being extremely

supportive and available whenever I need him.

You’ve snagged some A-list NFL interviews. Do you have special

access to these VIPs? Having grown up around the NFL, I

do have relationships with people in the league. There

are only 32 teams and they tend to hire the same peo-

ple again and again. I interviewd the Dallas Cowboys’

head coach Jason Garrett. My dad coached Jason in

Dallas in the early 90s so I’ve known him since I

was a kid. He’s a great family friend.

What’s your favorite post so far? My favorite

has had to do with the NCAA education system for

student athletes. It’s an issue that is rarely talked

about and I think it’s incredibly unfair.

We heard about your blog from Charger fans

in San Diego who follow it regularly. Do you

have a sense that your following is growing?

I feel that my following grows and spreads based

upon the content I post. For example, the Jason

Garrett interview attracted all the Dallas fans

out there; writing about Aaron Rodgers attracts

Green Bay people and so on. I’ve been very

pleased and thankful for all the comments and

emails I’ve received from readers.

You’re a brat—you’ve lived everywhere. What

makes San Diego special? I love the small

beach communities, especially in North Coun-

ty. I love that you can walk from the beach

to a restaurant, the grocery store, or a place

to shop. My favorite spot in Encinitas is

Lotus Cafe. 3rd Corner has great food and

wines. I also love the new Whole Foods. In

Del Mar, I enjoy Flavor, Burlap, and Sbicca.

// RYAN SCHULER

Stephanie

Turner

❯❯ LAST WORD

DANA PATRICK PHOTOGRAPHY

If anyone can talk football with the boys,

it’s the coach’s daughter, natch.

152 SanDiegoMagazine.comNovember2011