Paul Turner, Isaiah Johnson

Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Paul Turner (80) in action against Tampa Bay Buccaneers safety Isaiah Johnson (39) during the second half of a the preseason NFL football game, Thursday, Aug. 11, 2016, in Philadelphia. The Eagles won 17-9. (AP Photo/Chris Szagola)

When Paul Turner thudded into the ground Thursday night at Heinz Field with the ball tucked under his arm, he secured an acrobatic catch that solidified an undrafted rookie as the darling of the Philadelphia Eagles preseason and gave highlight reels across the country a lead clip.

And afterward, all he did was pop up.

The speedy receiver tossed the ball to the ref and jogged back to the huddle. No high-fives. No wacky first-down motion to celebrate the 23-yard gain. Nothing.

Turner, a deeply religious and family-oriented 23-year-old from northern Louisiana, might not have much a desire for showmanship in his personality. Or perhaps he just doesn't know how to handle being the main attraction of an offense.

The shifty, 5-foot-10 wideout rarely saw the field in two seasons at LSU, where a pair of future NFL Pro Bowlers joined him in position meetings. Then he transferred to Louisiana Tech and became the No. 2 receiving option and third offensive threat for a squad in Conference USA.

But thanks to plays like Thursday's one-mitted snag, Turner has developed into a popular figure in Philadelphia over the past month. He led the Eagles in receiving yards each of the first two preseason games, earned steady praise from head coach Doug Pederson and appears to be pushing for a roster spot at one of the Birds' thinnest position groups.

The success means fans are clamoring to see more of Turner and reporters are itching to learn about the soft-spoken playmaker's background.

And Saturday, with media circled around him, Turner opened up about how the need to care for his grandma altered the course of his college career and sent him on a winding road to Philadelphia.

OFF TO COLLEGE AND BACK HOME AGAIN

He didn't know it then, but Turner's path to the Eagles first accelerated when he arrived in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, about a three-hour drive south of his hometown of West Monroe.

There, coach Les Miles' staff decided once and for all that Turner should play wide receiver.

Turner was a star quarterback at West Monroe High School and also played in the defensive backfield, where his talents earned him a three-star rating from recruiting services as an athlete. It was unclear at first where he'd play in college. But during his redshirt season in 2011, the Tigers wanted to put Turner at receiver, a position he hadn't played before.

And early on in the transition process, Turner struggled with the fundamentals.

"The biggest thing is just learning how to run routes," he said, "staying low in and out of your breaks."

Luckily, Turner had some talented tutors. His new Eagles teammate, Rueben Randle, was a star wideout with the Tigers when Turner was redshirting. And Turner practiced alongside Odell Beckham Jr. and Jarvis Landry, who both made Pro Bowls this past season, at LSU's practices in 2012.

Turner said those players helped teach him how to play receiver. And soon, he was making breaks smoothly and catching passes like he'd been doing it his whole life.

Still, Turner stared at an uphill climb to earning playing time in Baton Rouge. The deep and talented pool of wideouts at LSU presented a challenge for any player to crack the lineup, let alone a former quarterback.

In his redshirt freshman season, Turner played in nine games -- with no starts -- as a backup receiver and on special teams.

But Saturday, Turner told Philadelphia-area reporters that a desire for more playing opportunities was not the driving force behind his decision to transfer to Louisiana Tech.

Paul Turner (3) was an honorable mention all-Conference USA selection at Louisiana Tech last season. (AP Photo/Michael Noble Jr.)

Instead, Turner said his grandma, who is in a wheelchair, was suffering from kidney failure and needed to be cared for constantly. Turner could pitch in if he played closer to home, so he transferred to Louisiana Tech in Ruston, about a half-hour trip from West Monroe.

Turner's dad worked long hours as a West Monroe Police captain. His mom was just as busy with her accounting job. And his brother had moved to Dallas, while his sister needed to focus on schoolwork.

That dynamic sometimes left Turner as the family member most available to care for his grandma. He made the 30-minute drive from campus to home often from 2013 to '15.

"They needed someone to be there at all times to help lift her, get her in and out of bed," Turner said. "I was able to drive back and forth and help out when I could. And that made everything easier on my family."

After NCAA transfer rules kept Turner off the field in 2013, he emerged as a strong compliment to Louisiana Tech's leading receiver, Trent Taylor, and running back Kenneth Dixon over the next two seasons.

While seeing his family whenever he could, Turner began to excel on the playing field.

As a senior in 2015, he caught 45 passes for 657 yards and earned his way onto the All-Conference USA honorable mention team, a feat he felt proud of but not one that guaranteed him much in terms of an NFL future.

CHANCE IN PHILLY

After he went undrafted this April, Turner fielded contract offers from the Redskins and Eagles. He said he picked the Birds because he felt he could fit in as a slot receiver in coach Doug Pederson's West Coast offense. And so far, he has.

Turner's been, by most accounts, one of the Eagles' best receivers in training camp. He's even played with the first-team offense some as starter Jordan Matthews sits because of a knee injury, and he's been a steady presence in the passing game through training camp and two preseason games.

"I love watching Paul, man," Matthews said. "He's played great. If there's one good thing that's come out of me being out, it's him being able to get some extra reps I think he's earned those reps. He's worked extremely hard, and been extremely consistent in camp."

Pederson and Eagles wide receiver coach Greg Lewis both enjoyed long NFL careers after they went undrafted. Turner, it seems, is close to follow his coaches' roadmap.

All the while, Turner's family remains on his mind, he said. His parents are still caring for his grandma back in West Monroe, watching their son play on TV and learning about his days through long phone calls.

Turner might want to show the people who mean the most to him his new his city of Philadelphia someday. And he could soon get the chance.

But before his parents come watch a game at Lincoln Financial Field, he'll need to take one more step forward in his whirlwind career.

"My dad said he's going to wait until the regular season, after preseason ends, to see how things go," Turner said. "He says if I make the team, then he'll come watch the games."

If his son makes one or two more plays like the head-turning catch from Thursday, Carl Turner might need to start searching the web for plane tickets to Philly.

-- @AaronKazreports