Kurt Warner facts for kids
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Warner in 2022
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| Position: | Quarterback | ||||||||||||
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| Born: | June 22, 1971 Burlington, Iowa, U.S. |
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| Height: | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | ||||||||||||
| Weight: | 214 lb (97 kg) | ||||||||||||
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| High school: | Regis (Cedar Rapids, Iowa) | ||||||||||||
| College: | Northern Iowa (1989–1993) | ||||||||||||
| Undrafted: | 1994 | ||||||||||||
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| Player stats at PFR | |||||||||||||
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Pro Football Hall of Fame
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Kurtis Eugene Warner (born June 22, 1971) is a former American football player. He was a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL) for 12 seasons. He played mostly for the St. Louis Rams and Arizona Cardinals. His journey from an undrafted player to a two-time Most Valuable Player and Super Bowl MVP is seen as one of the greatest comeback stories in NFL history.
After playing college football at Northern Iowa from 1990 to 1993, Warner spent four years without being on an NFL team. He signed with the Green Bay Packers in 1994 but was released. He then played three seasons for the Iowa Barnstormers in the Arena Football League (AFL). In 1998, Warner finally got his first NFL spot with the Rams as a backup. The next season, he became the starting quarterback.
In his first year as an NFL starter, Warner led the Rams' "The Greatest Show on Turf" offense to their first Super Bowl win in Super Bowl XXXIV. He was named the league MVP and Super Bowl MVP that year. Two years later, he won his second league MVP award and played in Super Bowl XXXVI. After leaving St. Louis in 2004, he played one season with the New York Giants. He then restarted his career with the Cardinals. In 2008, he led Arizona to Super Bowl XLIII, the team's first Super Bowl appearance.
Many consider Warner the NFL's best undrafted player. He is the only undrafted player to win NFL MVP and Super Bowl MVP. He is also the only undrafted quarterback to lead his team to a Super Bowl victory. Warner was the first quarterback to win a Super Bowl in his first season as a main starter. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2017. He is the only player in both the Pro Football Hall of Fame and the Arena Football Hall of Fame.
Contents
- Early Life and College Football
- Professional Football Career
- After Football: Broadcasting and Coaching
- Personal Life and Faith
- Public Service and Awards
- Media Appearances
- Endorsements and Investments
- See also
Early Life and College Football
Kurt Warner was born in Burlington, Iowa. He played football at Regis High School in Cedar Rapids. He graduated in 1989. After high school, he went to the University of Northern Iowa. He graduated in 1993. At UNI, Warner was third on the team's depth chart until his senior year. When he finally got to start, he was named the Gateway Conference's Offensive Player of the Year. He was also selected for the first-team all-conference.
Professional Football Career
Green Bay Packers and Grocery Store Days
After college, Warner was not chosen in the 1994 NFL draft. He tried out for the Green Bay Packers in 1994 but was released before the season. He was competing against famous quarterbacks like Brett Favre.
After being released, Warner worked stocking shelves at a Hy-Vee grocery store in Cedar Falls. He earned $5.50 an hour. Warner often talks about this time when he shares his story of becoming an NFL star. He also became more dedicated to his Christianity around 1997. Warner returned to Northern Iowa to work as a graduate assistant coach for the football team. He still hoped for another chance in the NFL.
Iowa Barnstormers and Arena Football
Since no NFL teams would give him a chance, Warner joined the Arena Football League (AFL) in 1995. He signed with the Iowa Barnstormers. He was named to the AFL's First-team All-Arena in both 1996 and 1997. He led the Barnstormers to the ArenaBowl championship game in both seasons. His performance was so good that he was later named one of the 20 Best Arena Football Players of all time.
Before the 1997 NFL season, Warner had a tryout with the Chicago Bears. However, an injury to his throwing elbow, caused by an insect bite during his honeymoon, stopped him from attending. In 2000, after Warner became famous in the NFL, the AFL used his name for its first widely available video game, Kurt Warner's Arena Football Unleashed. On August 12, 2011, he was inducted into the Arena Football Hall of Fame.
St. Louis Rams: The Greatest Show on Turf
Amsterdam Admirals and Early Rams Days
In December 1997, Warner signed a contract with the St. Louis Rams. In February 1998, he played for the Amsterdam Admirals in NFL Europe. He led that league in touchdowns and passing yards. When he returned to the United States, Warner was the Rams' third-string quarterback in 1998. He completed only 4 of 11 passes for 39 yards that season.
1999 Season: A Cinderella Story
Before the 1999 season, the Rams signed Trent Green to be their starting quarterback. Warner became the second-string quarterback. When Green got a serious knee injury in a preseason game, Rams coach Dick Vermeil named Warner the starter. Vermeil famously said, "We will rally around Kurt Warner, and we'll play good football."
With help from running back Marshall Faulk and wide receivers Isaac Bruce, Torry Holt, Az-Zahir Hakim, and Ricky Proehl, Warner had an amazing season. He threw for 4,353 yards and 41 touchdown passes. The Rams' powerful offense, led by coordinator Mike Martz, was called "The Greatest Show on Turf." They scored over 500 points for three seasons in a row, an NFL record.
Warner threw three touchdown passes in each of his first three NFL starts, setting an NFL record. He gained more attention in the fourth game against the San Francisco 49ers. The Rams had lost their last 17 games against the 49ers. But Warner threw a touchdown pass on each of the Rams' first three plays. He threw four touchdowns in the first half, leading the Rams to a 42–20 victory. Warner finished that game with five touchdown passes. His unexpected rise to fame was so surprising that Sports Illustrated put him on their cover with the question "Who Is This Guy?" He was named the 1999 NFL MVP. He led the Rams to their first playoff spot since 1989 and their first division title since 1985.
In the playoffs, Warner and the Rams beat the Minnesota Vikings 49–37. They then defeated the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 11–6 in the NFC Championship Game. Finally, they won Super Bowl XXXIV against the Tennessee Titans 23–16. In the Super Bowl, Warner threw for two touchdowns and a then-record 414 passing yards. This included a 73-yard touchdown to Isaac Bruce that won the game with just over two minutes left. Warner also set a Super Bowl record by throwing 45 passes without an interception. He was given the Super Bowl MVP award for his great performance. Warner was the last player to win both the NFL MVP and Super Bowl MVP in the same year until Patrick Mahomes did it in Super Bowl LVII in the 2022 season.
2000 Season: Continued Success
On July 21, 2000, Warner signed a seven-year contract worth $47 million. He started the 2000 season strong, throwing for 300 or more yards in his first six games. He also had 19 touchdown passes in that time. Warner broke his hand and missed part of the season. However, Trent Green played well in his place. Together, Warner and Green led the Rams to the highest team passing yard total in NFL history. Despite a great offense, the Rams won only ten games and lost in the wild card round to the New Orleans Saints.
2001 Season: Another MVP Year
Warner returned to his MVP form in 2001. He led the league with 36 touchdown passes and 4,830 passing yards. He also had the highest passer rating (101.4). He led "The Greatest Show on Turf" to a 6–0 start for the third year in a row. This was an NFL first. The Rams finished with a 14–2 record and reached Super Bowl XXXVI. Warner was named the NFL MVP for the second time in three seasons.
In Super Bowl XXXVI, Warner threw for 365 yards and a touchdown. He also scored a rushing touchdown. However, the New England Patriots' defense caused him to throw two costly interceptions. The Patriots won the game 20–17 with a last-second field goal.
2002–2003 Seasons: Injuries and Changes
Warner started the 2002 season as the Rams' starter but played poorly. He threw seven interceptions and only one touchdown as the team lost its first three games. In Week 4, he broke a finger on his throwing hand. He tried to come back later but played only two more games, both losses.
In 2003, Warner was replaced as the Rams' starting quarterback. He had fumbled six times in the first game of the season. Warner later said his hand had not fully healed from the previous injury, making it hard to grip the ball. The Rams released Warner on June 1, 2004.
New York Giants
Two days after leaving the Rams, Warner signed a one-year deal with the New York Giants. He started the 2004 season as the Giants' quarterback. He won five of his first seven games. However, after two losses, rookie quarterback Eli Manning was given the starting job. Warner advised coach Tom Coughlin to tell the media that Manning was still the starter. This was Warner's last appearance as a Giant.
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Arizona Cardinals: A Second Comeback
2005 Season
In early 2005, Warner signed with the Arizona Cardinals. He was quickly named the starter. He played three average games before injuring his groin. He was replaced by Josh McCown. Warner returned later in the season and played well. He led the Cardinals to a 38–28 win over his old team, the St. Louis Rams. His season ended in Week 15 with a knee injury. Warner signed a new three-year contract with the Cardinals in February 2006.
2006 Season
In Week 1 of the 2006 NFL season, Warner won the NFC Offensive Player of the Week award. He threw for 301 yards and three touchdowns. Two weeks later, Warner reached 20,000 passing yards in his 76th game. This was the second-fastest in NFL history. After a few less successful games, Warner was replaced by rookie Matt Leinart. Warner returned to play in Week 16 and 17 after Leinart got injured.
2007 Season
Leinart started the 2007 season as the quarterback. However, in the third game, Warner came off the bench to replace an ineffective Leinart. Warner led a strong comeback, throwing for 258 yards and 2 touchdowns. The Cardinals tied the game but lost on a last-second field goal. After Leinart was injured, Warner became the starter for the rest of the 2007 season. He finished the season with 27 passing touchdowns.
2008 Season: Super Bowl Run
Warner was named the Cardinals' starting quarterback on August 30, 2008. That season, he threw for 4,583 yards and 30 touchdowns. He had a completion percentage of 67.1%. He was the top-ranked passer in the National Football Conference.
On December 7, 2008, Warner led the Cardinals to a 34–10 win over the St. Louis Rams. This win secured the NFC West Division title for the Cardinals. It was their first division title since 1975. This meant the Cardinals would host a playoff game for the first time in Arizona. On December 16, 2008, Warner was chosen as the starting quarterback for the NFC team in the 2009 Pro Bowl.
2008 Postseason
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On January 3, 2009, Warner led the Cardinals to a 30–24 victory over the Atlanta Falcons at home in the first round of the playoffs. He threw two touchdowns.
On January 10, Warner helped the Cardinals defeat the Carolina Panthers 33–13. This win was the first time the Cardinals had won a game on the East Coast all season.
On January 18, Warner threw for 279 yards and four touchdowns. He led the Cardinals to their first Super Bowl appearance in history. Warner became only the second quarterback to start a Super Bowl with two different teams.
In Warner's third Super Bowl appearance on February 1, the Cardinals lost Super Bowl XLIII 27–23 to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Despite the loss, Warner threw for 377 yards. He completed 72.1% of his passes. Warner had recorded the three highest single-game passing yard totals in Super Bowl history at that time. He also joined a small group of quarterbacks to throw a touchdown pass in three Super Bowls.
2009 Season and Retirement
Warner wanted to return to the Cardinals for the 2009 season. He signed a two-year deal worth $23 million. On September 20, 2009, Warner broke the NFL's single-game record for completion percentage. He completed 24 of 26 passes for 243 yards and two touchdowns. His 92.3% completion rate broke the previous NFL record.
On November 1, 2009, Warner threw five interceptions in a loss. However, on November 8, he threw five touchdown passes in a 41–21 victory. On November 15, 2009, Warner threw his 200th career touchdown pass. On November 22, 2009, Warner left a game after getting a concussion. He missed the next game. On December 6, 2009, Warner returned and the Cardinals won. He became only the second quarterback in NFL history to have four straight games with a passer rating over 120. On December 27, 2009, Warner became the second quarterback in NFL history to throw 100 touchdown passes with two teams.
2009 Postseason
On January 10, 2010, Warner threw five touchdowns and completed 29 of 33 passes for 379 yards. This was in a 51–45 victory over the Green Bay Packers. It was the highest-scoring NFL playoff game ever. Warner became one of the few quarterbacks to throw more touchdowns (5) than incomplete passes (4) in a playoff game. He also had the second-highest quarterback rating in NFL playoff history. He tied the NFL record for consecutive playoff games with at least three touchdown passes. Since this was his last home playoff game, he finished with a perfect 7–0 record in home playoff games.
On January 16, Warner was injured in the first half of a 45–14 loss to the New Orleans Saints. He returned for the second half but left the game later.
Warner officially announced his retirement from the NFL in January 2010. He said he wanted to spend more time with his wife and seven children. He became eligible for the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2014.
After Football: Broadcasting and Coaching
After retiring, Warner joined NFL Network as an analyst in 2010. He appears regularly on shows like NFL Total Access. He also worked as an analyst for Fox Sports' NFL coverage. In 2014, he became a radio analyst for Monday Night Football.
In May 2010, he was inducted into the Arena Football Hall of Fame. He is also a member of the Iowa Barnstormers Hall of Fame. In 2014, Warner was inducted into the St. Louis Sports Hall of Fame.
Warner was chosen for the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2017. He was inducted on August 5, 2017. He is the only person in both the Pro Football Hall of Fame and the Arena Football Hall of Fame.
From 2015 to 2018, Warner coached at Desert Mountain High School in Scottsdale, Arizona. Since 2019, he has been the quarterbacks coach at Brophy College Preparatory.
Personal Life and Faith
Kurt Warner's parents divorced when he was six. He and his brother, Matt, lived with their mother. Kurt's father remarried, and Kurt became close with his stepmother's son, also named Matt. Kurt graduated from Regis High School in 1989.
During college, Warner met Brenda Carney Meoni. They married on October 11, 1997. Brenda was a former United States Marine Corps corporal. She had two children from a previous marriage. One of her children had brain damage and blindness after an accident.
After Warner was cut from the Packers in 1994, he worked at a grocery store at night. He also coached at Northern Iowa. While living in his parents' basement, Brenda's parents died in a tornado in 1996. Warner and Brenda married in the same church where her parents' service was held. After marrying Brenda, Warner adopted her two children. They later had five more children together. His son E. J. is the starting quarterback for the Rice Owls. Another son, Kade, played wide receiver for the Kansas State Wildcats.
Kurt and Brenda Warner are devoted evangelical Christians. His faith became known after the Rams' Super Bowl win. When asked about his game-winning touchdown pass, he said, "First things first, I've got to thank my Lord and Savior up above — thank you, Jesus!" Years later, when leading the Cardinals to the Super Bowl, he said something similar: "There's one reason that I'm standing up on this stage today. That's because of my Lord up above. I've got to say thanks to Jesus."
Warner has attended churches that believe in spiritual gifts. He believes God healed him from a concussion in 2000. He told Charisma magazine in 2001, "I'm just a Christian."
Public Service and Awards
Warner has appeared in public service announcements for Civitan International. He promotes his and Brenda's volunteer work with people who have developmental disabilities. This cause is very important to Warner because his adopted son, Zachary, suffered brain damage as a baby.
Warner has given time and money to his First Things First Foundation. The foundation's name comes from his Super Bowl interview. It aims to help people by promoting Christian values and sharing experiences. It encourages everyone that "all things are possible" when they put "first things first." The foundation has worked on many projects for children's hospitals, people with disabilities, and single parents.
Because of his work on and off the field, Warner received the NFL Walter Payton Man of the Year Award in 2008. He was also honored with the Muhammad Ali Sports Leadership Award in March 2009. In December 2009, Warner was voted the best role model in the NFL by Sports Illustrated readers. In February 2010, he received the Bart Starr Award for his character and leadership.
Media Appearances
Television Shows
Warner has appeared on several TV shows:
- On January 27, 2009, he was a special guest on the NBC reality show The Biggest Loser.
- He made a guest appearance as himself on Disney's The Suite Life on Deck in the episode "Any Given Fantasy," which aired on January 18, 2010.
- On February 9, 2010, Warner was a surprise guest on the final episode of The Jay Leno Show.
- On August 30, 2010, it was announced that Warner would be a contestant on Dancing with the Stars. He and his dance partner, Anna Trebunskaya, were eliminated in week 8.
- Warner hosted The Moment, a reality series on USA Network, in 2013.
- He also appeared as himself on Bella and the Bulldogs (2015) and Life in Pieces (2017).
Movies
In 2003, GoodTimes Entertainment released a direct-to-video film called Kurt Warner's Good Sports Gang. It featured Warner as the "coach" of animated sports balls. The film focused on religious faith and moral values. A part of the money went to Warner's First Things First Foundation.
In February 2020, it was announced that a movie about Warner's life, titled American Underdog, was being made. Zachary Levi played Warner in the film. It was released on December 25, 2021, and received good reviews.
Endorsements and Investments
On December 3, 2010, Warner announced his first major endorsement deal after retirement. Amway North America signed him to represent their Nutrilite brand. Amway also donated $50,000 to Kurt Warner's First Things First Foundation.
Warner has also invested in the Elite Football League of India, a professional football league in South Asia. Other famous American backers include Mike Ditka and Michael Irvin. Warner's investment included a donation of footballs to schools and children in India.
In 2023, Warner was one of three Iowa college athletes honored with butter sculptures at the Iowa State Fair.
See also
In Spanish: Kurt Warner para niños
- Kurt Warner's Arena Football Unleashed, a 2000 video game
- List of National Football League and Arena Football League players
- List of National Football League quarterback playoff records
- List of NFL players who have posted a perfect passer rating
