COLUMN: Kurt Warner is a class act

OFF THE MARK COLUMN
By: 
Mark Spensley
Express Co-Publisher

     Late on Sunday evening I came across a video of Kurt Warner’s Hall of Fame speech. As I expected it was like many other HOF speeches, filled with gratitude for family, coaches, teammates and God.

     In case you did not know this, Warner is the first native Iowan to be elected into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. I must admit I wouldn’t have guessed that and I am sure that’s based on the knowledge that there are three Iowa Hawkeyes in the HOF, but none of those great players were born in our great state.

     Warner’s story should be well known to most Iowans. He spent his high football years at Regis in Cedar Rapids. He spent most of his college career riding the bench at UNI. He first signed on as an undrafted free agent with the Packers in 1994. After the Packers cut Warner, he headed back to Iowa and spent time stocking shelves in a grocery store, hoping for at least a chance to prove himself to a NFL team.

     When those calls didn’t come, Warner tried out for the Iowa Barnstormers of the arena Football League. After successfully making the team, he honed his passing skills at Iowa.

     According to his HOF speech, Warner mentioned the importance of one individual who decided to take a chance on the quarterback. Al Luginbill, the then coach of the Amsterdam Admirals of NFL Europe fame, convinced Warner to spend a year overseas.

     Warner agreed with one stipulation, he wanted a guaranteed tryout with an NFL team. Luginbill was able to secure a tryout with the St Louis Rams in 1997 and the rest is history.

     Warner’s second big break occurred when in his second year with the Rams, starting quarterback Trent Green went down with a season ending injury. Under the direction of Rams coach Dick Vermeil, Warner and the Rams went on to one of the most surprising seasons in NFL history, ending with the Rams winning Super Bowl XXXIV.

     The following season Warner once again led the Rams to another Super Bowl win and in the process earned the MVP award. Warner was a 4x Pro Bowler, the NFL MVP twice and is the only player in the Hall of Fame of both the Arena Football League and NFL.

     The father of seven, Warner has been a charitable person his whole career, being named the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year in 2008. He holds a few Super Bowl passing records, passed for over 32,000 yards in his career to go along with 208 TDs.

     Congratulations, Mr. Warner, the state’s first NFL Hall of Famer!

 

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