The Tampa Bay Buccaneers today signed safety Nolan Turner (No. 34) from the team's practice squad to the active roster and elevated cornerback Don Gardner (No. 36) and linebacker J.J. Russell (No. 51) from the team's practice squad for tonight's Week 8 game vs. the Baltimore Ravens. This will mark the first elevation of the season for both Gardner and Russell.
Gardner (6-1, 180) entered the league as a college free agent with the Buccaneers on May 13, 2022 and was added to Tampa Bay's practice squad on August 31. Gardner played five seasons at South Dakota State (2017-21), appearing in 48 career games for the Jackrabbits and tallying 133 tackles (11 for loss), 20 passes defensed, four interceptions, two defensive touchdowns, one fumble recovery and one blocked kick. The Chicago native earned All-MVFC (Missouri Valley Football Conference) honors twice and was second-team All-America in 2020-21. Gardner also played in the 2020-21 FCS national title game for the Jackrabbits.
Russell (6-1, 225) entered the league as a college free agent with the Buccaneers on May 13, 2022 and was added to Tampa Bay's practice squad on August 31. Russell played five seasons at Memphis (2017-21), starting 50-of-61 games for the Tigers and compiling 306 tackles (24 for loss), eight passes defensed, 5.0 sacks, five forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, one interception and one blocked kick. The Grenada, Mississippi, native was named first-team All-AAC (American Athletic Conference) in 2021 after leading the AAC in solo tackles per game (6.5) and total tackles per game (10.2), which ranked fourth and ninth in the nation, respectively.
Turner (6-1, 202) originally entered the league as a college free agent with the Buccaneers on May 13, 2022. He was added to Tampa Bay's practice squad on August 31 and has been elevated for each of Tampa Bay's last two games, appearing exclusively on special teams. Turner played five seasons at Clemson (2017-21), appearing in 65 career games for the Tigers and ranking fourth all-time in games played in program history. The Vestavia Hills, Alabama, native was a two-time team captain and earned second-team All-America honors in 2020. He was a member of Clemson's 2018 national championship team. His late father, Kevin, had an eight-year career in the NFL with New England (1992-94) and Philadelphia (1995-99).
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