Kurt Warner
Warner in 2022 | |||||||||||||||
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| Position | Quarterback | ||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||
| Born | June 22, 1971 Burlington, Iowa, U.S. | ||||||||||||||
| Height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | ||||||||||||||
| Weight | 214 lb (97 kg) | ||||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||||
| High school | Regis (Cedar Rapids, Iowa) | ||||||||||||||
| College | Northern Iowa (1989–1993) | ||||||||||||||
| NFL draft | 1994: undrafted | ||||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||||
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* Offseason and/or practice squad member only | |||||||||||||||
Coaching | |||||||||||||||
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| Awards and highlights | |||||||||||||||
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Kurtis Eugene Warner (born June 22, 1971) is an American former professional football player who was a quarterback for 12 seasons in the National Football League (NFL), primarily with the St. Louis Rams and Arizona Cardinals. His career, which saw him ascend from an undrafted free agent to a two-time Most Valuable Player and Super Bowl MVP, is widely regarded as one of the greatest Cinderella stories in NFL history.[2][3]
After playing college football for the Northern Iowa Panthers from 1990 to 1993, Warner spent four years without being named to an NFL roster. He was signed by the Green Bay Packers in 1994, but released before the regular season and instead played three seasons for the Iowa Barnstormers of the Arena Football League (AFL). Warner landed his first NFL roster spot in 1998 with the Rams, holding a backup position until he was thrust into becoming St. Louis's starter the following season. During his first season as an NFL starting quarterback, Warner led The Greatest Show on Turf offense to the Rams' first Super Bowl title in Super Bowl XXXIV, earning him league and Super Bowl MVP honors. He won his second league MVP award two years later en route to an appearance in Super Bowl XXXVI. Released from St. Louis in 2004 amid a performance decline, Warner spent one season with the New York Giants before revitalizing his career with the Cardinals. He led Arizona during the 2008 season to Super Bowl XLIII, the franchise's first and only Super Bowl appearance.
Considered the NFL's greatest undrafted player,[2][4] Warner is the only undrafted player to be named NFL MVP and Super Bowl MVP and the only undrafted quarterback to lead his team to a Super Bowl victory.[5][6][7] He was also the first quarterback to win a Super Bowl during his first season as the primary starter.[8] Warner was inducted to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2017 and is the only player inducted to both the Pro Football Hall of Fame and the Arena Football Hall of Fame.
- ^ "NFL Passing Touchdowns Single-Season Playoffs Leaders". Pro Football Reference. Retrieved January 12, 2025.
- ^ a b Brandt, Gil (March 17, 2010). "Warner tops list of best undrafted players of all time". NFL.com. Retrieved March 17, 2010.
- ^ "'It's been an amazing ride': Warner retires after 12 NFL seasons". NFL.com. Associated Press. January 31, 2010. Archived from the original on March 12, 2010. Retrieved March 17, 2010.
- ^ "NFL Draft: Kurt Warner, John Randle highlight top 10 undrafted free agents in common-draft era". CBSSports.com. April 23, 2024. Retrieved February 23, 2025.
- ^ "AP NFL Most Valuable Player Winners". Pro Football Reference. Retrieved September 13, 2019.
- ^ Layman, Matt (May 10, 2020). "Kurt Warner sees underdog story, but always 'expected to be successful'". Arizona Sports. Retrieved August 11, 2023.
- ^ Talbott, Chris (December 21, 2021). "Kurt Warner talks about the movie based on his life, and whether he retired from football too soon". The Seattle Times. Retrieved August 11, 2023.
- ^ Abdeldaiem, Alaa (January 20, 2019). "Tom Brady's Super Bowl history, record". SI.com. Retrieved September 13, 2019.