Becoming the first underclassmen to earn this honor in 2026, Spanish Fort’s Ford Turner is already making a sizable impact for the Toros’ football team.

The speedy tailback racked up over 120 total yards during his team’s 28-0 win over Baldwin County on Friday, and his efforts earned him Gulf Coast Media’s latest Athlete of the Week honor after public voting concluded Tuesday evening.

At 5-foot-10, 178 pounds, Turner toted the rock 20 times for 92 yards to go along with 31 receiving yards last Friday. The youngster was a thorn in the side of the Tigers, as they struggled to take him down in the open field and couldn’t keep the ball out of his hands.

A two-sport athlete in football and baseball, Turner averages a whopping 6.2 yards per carry and is becoming more of a focal point for the Spanish Fort offense as weeks go by. That’s evidenced by the fact that Turner carried the ball just twice in the opener, then 30 times combined in Games 2 and 3 before registering a season-high of 20 rushes last week.

Turner and the Toros (3-1, 2-0) next visit Blount at 7 p.m. on Friday.

Our other nominees for the week include Bayside Academy quarterback Davis Barnett, St. Michael runner Emily Friedel and Fairhope safety/linebacker Gus Faulkner.

And be sure to check back here Monday at noon to cast your vote in GCM’s next Athlete of the Week ballot!