Kurt Warner Hangs it Up

• January
• 29

2:53 pm NFL News, Arizona Cardinals

After 12 years in the NFL Kurt Warner has decided to retire from football. The announcement came Friday out of Tempe, Arizona that the 38-year-old quarterback will not complete the second year of the two year contract he signed with the Cardinals prior to the 2009 season. Warner led the St. Louis Rams to a Super Bowl victory in 1999 throwing for 414 yards and winning the Super Bowl MVP award.

The unlikely star out of Burlington, Iowa only started his senior year of college at Northern Iowa University where he earned the Gateway Conference Offensive Player of the Year award. After getting cut from the Green Bay Packers, who had another quarterback by the name of Brett Farve on roster, Warner returned to Cedar Rapids to work a minimum wage job stocking shelves at a grocery store.

The Arena league’s Iowa Barnstormers came calling and Warner led them to two Arena Bowl appearances. After a year in NFL Europe, Warner was signed by the St. Louis Rams. In 1999 starting quarterback Trent Green tore his ACL in the pre-season thrusting Warner into the Rams’ starting role. In what has to be one of the most unexpected occurrences in NFL history, Warner led the Rams to a NFL Championship with one of the finest seasons any NFL quarterback has ever had. The Rams made it back to the Super Bowl in 2001, but Adam Vinatieri kicked a game winning field goal to give the New England Patriots the championship. Warner had a number of other good years in St. Louis, but mediocre play and injuries eventually saw him lose the starting job to Marc Bulger.

The New York Giants signed Warner in 2004 as a free agent and the veteran had the Giants off to a 5-2 start before he was supplanted by draft pick Eli Manning. Some labeled Warner washed up as he made his way to Arizona the next year. The Cardinals drafted Heisman Trophy winner Matt Leinart in 2006 expecting the USC star to quickly take over the quarterbacking reigns, but Warner defied the odds again winning the starting job. In 2008 Warner had a Pro Bowl season earning the Cardinals their first division title since 1975 and first Super Bowl appearance in the team’s history. The Pittsburgh Steelers prevailed despite Warner throwing for 377 yards. This year the Cardinals made another run into the playoffs until they met up with the New Orleans Saints who pummeled Warner’s team 45-14.

The story of Kurt Warner is one of the best underdog stories of all-time in sports. He was a guy who came out of nowhere and became the best quarterback in the NFL. It will be debated in the years to come if Warner deserves a spot in the Hall of Fame, but I’d put him in Canton if I had a vote. Kurt Warner is a great reminder of what can be born out hard work and undying resolve.