WASHINGTON — Apparently, nothing is too big for Jon Turner.

Including 300-pound offensive linemen.

Turner, a Freeport graduate and 6-foot-2, 225-pound sophomore defensive tackle for Washington & Jefferson College, made his first career start for the Presidents two weeks ago against Wooster.

All he did was record nine tackles, eight solo stops and two quarterback sacks in W&J’s 58-21 victory. For his efforts, Turner was one of two defensive tackles in the nation named to the D3football.com Team of the Week.

“Nothing fazes him,” W&J defensive coordinator Shawn Rohrer said. “He’s such a steady kid.”

Turner played defensive end in high school, compiling 233 tackles and 13 quarterback sacks while becoming a three-time Butler Eagle Sweet 16 selection. He was named Allegheny Conference Lineman of the Year as a senior.

Recruited by W&J as a linebacker, Turner was quickly moved to defensive end during his freshman season.

This year, he was moved to defensive tackle out of need.

“We graduated a bunch of guys from that position last year,” Rohrer said. “Jon’s a little light for an interior player, but he’s so athletic and he’s a tough kid.

“When we asked him to move, he didn’t hesitate. He has a steady demeanor about him and wanted to do what’s good for the team.”

That doesn’t mean Turner isn’t maintaining his personal goals.

“I want to break the single-season sack record here,” he said. “It’s at 18 1/2 and it would have been easier rushing in off the edge. Things are a little more crowded inside.

“But I feel like I can still get that record. I’ve got three years to go for it.”

Turner has already lined up against a 350-pound tackle this season.

“Just use my speed and strength to make plays,” he said. “That’s what the coaches tell me. I have to beat the bigger guy off the ball.”

And he does so with regularity.

Turner has compiled 14 tackles through two games.

“He makes plays in there that other defensive tackles just don’t make,” Rohrer said. “His quickness and athleticism create matchup problems for the other team.”

Rohrer knows all about being an impact defensive player. He was a linebacker and team captain of Slippery Rock University’s first-ever NCAA Division II playoff team in 1997.

“There’s usually a tough adjustment period for a kid stepping into college ball at any level, especially coming from a small school,” Rohrer said. “But Jon is making this adjustment effortlessly.”

Or so it seems.

“I was much more nervous during my first college start than during my first high school start,” Turner said. “But once the game started and I took that first hit ... hey, it’s football.”

Rohrer said college football may be trending toward more athletic interior linemen.

“Everyone is running these spread offenses now, even at the Division III level, and you need quick, athletic guys who are able to play in space,” he said.

Turner fits that bill.

“I like playing on the outside better because there’s more room to operate,” Turner said. “You face a lot of double teams on the inside.

“It’s OK, though. If we get back to the playoffs and go farther than last year (ousted in the first round), I’m fine with it.”