SW Dekalb alum giving back to community before taking first collegiate snap

Former Southwest Dekalb standouts Sam Turner, Therrian Alexander and Brandon Gunn host back to school event at alma mater, Southwest Dekalb High School

You often hear of former high school student athletes returning to their alma maters to to host an event which supports the local community and on Sunday, such was the case for former Southwest Dekalb football standouts, Sam Turner, Therrian Alexander and Brandon Gunn.

However what made Sunday unique in the case of Turner and Gunn, the 'Back 2 School Bash' they hosted along with Alexander, the Quincy Carter Foundation and Paw Kids, took place before they hit the field for their first collegiate snaps of the season.

"This always meant a lot to me," Turner, now a wide receiver for the Auburn Tigers, said of wanting to be a part of an event to help support the Southwest Dekalb community where he grew up. "I always said, always try to pour into what poured into me so that the next generation and the next person that's a young Sam Turner has a vision of what it can look like," Turner said.

Sunday's event provided free school supplies and haircuts for hundreds of young students preparing to go back to school for the 2025-2026 academic school year and provided Turner, Alexander, heading into his sophomore season at BYU, and Gunn, a freshman at University of West Georgia, a great opportunity to give back.

"I always wanted to be an example for the community and have a positive impact in my community," Turner added as he spoke of Sunday's event hosted at Southwest Dekalb. "This is just a testament of who their parents are. That means they were raised right and because they were raised right, they're coming back to give back," Southwest Dekalb head coach Marion Bell said of Turner, Alexander and Gunn's altruistic efforts to their community.