WASHINGTON, Pa. — Wherever he is needed, Jon Turner will go.

And he’ll produce.

The Freeport graduate and three-time Butler Eagle Sweet 16 football selection was originally recruited by Washington & Jefferson as a linebacker.

He was immediately moved to defensive end as a freshman and started at defensive tackle as a sophomore last year despite weighing only 225 pounds.

“We had a need there and they (coaches) thought it was important that I got on the field,” Turner said.

He wound up compiling 45 tackles and six quarterback sacks.

Turner was named to the D3football.com Team of the Week after making eight solo tackles and collecting two sacks in his first collegiate start.

This year, the 6-foot-2, 235-pound Turner moved back to defensive end.

“Next year, I see him being an All-American,” W&J defensive coordinator and Slippery Rock University graduate Shawn Rohrer said. “He’s got all of the tools.”

Turner wound up fifth on the team in tackles this season with 56, including 31 solo stops.

He had 11.5 quarterback sacks — seven more than anyone else on the roster — broke up three passes and forced four fumbles.

The Presidents finished 10-2, won the Presidents’ Athletic Conference title and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Division III playoffs.

“Jon is an impact guy who makes impact plays,” Rohrer said. “His flexibility has been a real plus for us. He’s played all four down positions for us at some point.”

Turner prefers to play defensive end.

“I feel like I’m more effective off the edge, where I can use my quickness,” Turner said. “Even out on the end, I’m a little under-sized.

“I just got back into the weight room after a month off. There’s no need for me to get physically bigger. I just want to get stronger.”

For the balance of the second semester, Turner will lift weights four days a week, go running one day a week. He said that’s a team-wide training regimen.

During the summer, Turner will run five days a week and lift for four. That’s his personal regimen.

“The summer is all about how good you want to be,” Turner said.

In terms of the W&J record book, he wants to be the best.

“My goal next year is to break the school’s (single season) record for sacks,” Turner said. “The record is 17 and I feel like I can get there.”

The Presidents return 18 of 22 starters next season, so Turner will have plenty on help.

“We look to be pretty good on paper,” he admitted.

Turner looks to be pretty good, period.

“He’ll be another year smarter and with his dedication and physical tools, there’s no telling what he might accomplish,” Rohrer said. “He played the second half of this season on a sprained ankle.

“Jon’s a leader on that defense. The other guys on that unit all respect him. He sets the tone.”

An accounting major, Turner hopes to close out what has already been a collegiate football career that’s gone beyond his expectations.

“My goal as a freshman was to just make the roster, then maybe get on special teams as a sophomore,” he said. “Being able to start my sophomore year definitely accelerated the process for me here.

“I’d like to have seen what my season might have been like if my ankle was healthy all year. Next year, I’m going to find out.”