The Chargers drafted tight end Oronde Gadsden II, right, in the fifth round of the 2025 draft out of Syracuse. (Rebecca Blackwell/The Associated Press)
Gadsden, who took a top-30 visit with the Vikings this past spring, is the son of former Miami Dolphins wide receiver Oronde Gadsden I.
The South Florida community the pair grew up in was filled with former DI or professional athletes whose kids were all playing sports together. Turner’s father, Delon Turner, played professional basketball overseas for 10 years after attending Florida A&M.
Pat Surtain I coached Turner and Gadsden for three years at American Heritage School, where his son, Denver Broncos cornerback Pat Surtain II, overlapped with them for one season. Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Daryl Porter Jr. and Florida State safety Earl Little Jr., both sons of former NFL safeties, were also among the pair’s high school teammates, as was current Jacksonville Jaguars cornerback Tyson Campbell.
Turner said being around former pros gave their younger generation “a little bit of a head start,” with “little lessons, little corrections” setting them up for success both on and off the field in the NFL.
The cycle continued with the friends themselves as they each entered the league.
Gadsden said that during Turner’s rookie season last year, they would chat while playing video games about what life in the pros was like, from the general schedule and structure of the day to how team meetings went and what he was learning in his studies of that week’s opponent.