Kurt Warner
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Kurt Warner (born June 22, 1971) is an American football quarterback.
Career
Kurt Warner was born in Burlington, Iowa. He played football in high school, and went on to attend the University of Northern Iowa where he also played. During college he met is future wife Brenda, whom he married in 1997. After college he attended the Green Bay Packers training camp in 1994, but was dismissed from the group. Later he worked at the Cedar Falls Hy-Vee Food Store stocking shelves before being signed by the Iowa Barnstormers, part of the Arena Football League, in 1995. Warner was named to the AFL's All-league team in 1996 and 1997. After leaving the Barnstormers he was signed by the St. Louis Rams and allocated to the Amsterdam Admirals of the NFL Europe League.
Kurt Warner was the backup quarterback for the St. Louis Rams during the pre-season of the 1999-2000 season. When the top quarterback, Trent Green, was injured in the preseason, Kurt Warner took over as quarterback. The accurate-throwing Warner, running back Marshall Faulk, wide receivers Isaac Bruce and Torry Holt were part of the high-scoring offense nicknamed "the Greatest Show on Turf." In the NFL Playoffs, Warner led the St. Louis Rams to a Super Bowl XXXIV championship against the Tennessee Titans. He threw for a record 414 passing yards that game. He was Super Bowl MVP in 1999, becoming one of the select few to win both the MVP award and Super Bowl MVP in the same year. The others are Bart Starr in 1966, Terry Bradshaw in 1978, Joe Montana in 1989, Emmitt Smith in 1993, Steve Young in 1994.
Warner broke his hand and missed the middle of the 2000 campaign, but Trent Green was able to step in and the Warner/Green duo led the Rams to the highest team passing yard total in NFL history, with 5,232 net yards. Due to a very poor defensive unit, the Rams were eliminated from the playoffs. Nine of the eleven defensive starters would be cut during the offseason.
The Warner-led "Greatest Show on Turf" returned the Rams to the Super Bowl in 2002, losing to the New England Patriots on a last second Adam Vinatieri field goal. For the second time, he was named the league's Most Valuable Player. Warner and Green's combined gross passing yard total was 5,492, which if held by only one, would easily surpass 5,084 yards, the single-season record set by Dan Marino.
After two injury-riddled seasons in 2002 and 2003, during which Marc Bulger established himself as the Rams' starter, the Rams released Warner for salary cap reasons on June 1, 2004. Two days later, he signed a two-year deal to be the quarterback for the New York Giants. Ironically, it was largely Warner's performance against the Giants in the 2003 season opener, in which he lost much of his credibility by fumbling 6 times, one shy of an NFL record.
Warner started the 2004 season as the Giants starting quarterback, winning five of the first seven games, but following a short losing streak, rookie number one overall draft pick Eli Manning was given the starting job. Warner is still the NFL's all-time leader in passer rating and completion percentage. In early 2005 Warner was signed to a one year, 4 million dollar contract with the Arizona Cardinals, and has been named the starter by coach Dennis Green. Warner's number 13 was retired by the Barnstormers during halftime of a 2000 home game against the Tampa Bay Storm.
External Links
Warner has recently launched 2 websites reflecting his family and Christian values:
First Things First Foundation (http://www.kurtwarner.org/) - First Things First Foundation
Good Sports Gang (http://www.goodsportsgang.com/) - children's videos and games focusing on good sportsmanship.