Kurt Warner Biography
Saturday, July 17th, 2010Kurtis Eugene “Kurt” Warner (born June 22, 1971) is a retired National Football League quarterback who played for the St. Louis Rams, New York Giants, and the Arizona Cardinals. He was originally signed by the Green Bay Packers as an undrafted free agent in 1994, after playing college football at Northern Iowa where he did not start until his senior year. Warner would go on to be considered the best undrafted player of all time following a 12-year career regarded as one of the greatest stories in NFL history.
Date of birth: June 22, 1971
Place of birth: Burlington, Iowa
Height: 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Weight: 213 lb (97 kg)
Career information: College – Northern Iowa / Undrafted in 1994 / Debuted in 1995 for the Green Bay Packers / Last played in 2009 for the Arizona Cardinals
Career history: Green Bay Packers (1994) / Barnstormers (1995–1997) / Amsterdam Admirals (1998) / St. Louis Rams (1998–2003) / New York Giants (2004) / Arizona Cardinals (2005–2009)
Career NFL statistics as of Week 17, 2009: Pass attempts – 4,070 / Pass completions – 2,666 / Percentage – 65.5 / TD-INT – 208–128 / Passing yards – 32,344 / QB Rating – 93.7
- Kurt Warner
Warner first attained stardom during his highly successful stint with the St. Louis Rams from 1998–2003, where he won two NFL MVP awards in 1999 and 2001, as well as the Super Bowl MVP award in Super Bowl XXXIV. He also led the 2008 Arizona Cardinals to Super Bowl XLIII (the franchise’s first-ever Super Bowl berth), and owns the three highest single-game passing yardage totals in Super Bowl history. Warner is ranked among the top QB’s all-time in career passer rating, behind Steve Young, and several active players, such as Peyton Manning, Tony Romo, and Philip Rivers. Warner has the second-highest completion percentage in NFL history. (trailing only Chad Pennington), with a career percentage of 65.5%. He also holds the highest completion percentage in a single game during the regular season, at 92.3 percent (24/26), on September 20, 2009, against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Tom Brady is the only player to have thrown for a higher single game completion percentage, with 92.9 percent (26/28) in a playoff game. He announced his retirement on January 29, 2010
Kurt Warner Talks about Jesus at the Super Bowl Video
Retirement: On January 29, 2010 at 1:00 PM, Kurt Warner announced his retirement from his career in the National Football League. He said he is looking forward to finally being a true father to his seven kids, and he wanted to spend time with his wife. He spoke largely on the impact and influence of his family, former players, and God. He will be eligible for induction into the Hall of Fame following the 2014 season. Kurt Warner is now an Iowa Barnstormers broadcaster. On May 22, 2010 he became the first player inducted into the Arena Football Hall of Fame for the 2010 season. He is also in the Iowa Barnstormers Hall of Fame.
Personal life: Kurt Warner was born to parents Gene and Sue Warner on June 22, 1971, and has a brother, Matt Warner. Warner’s parents divorced when he was 6. His father, Gene Warner remarried a year later. Warner’s stepmother, Mimi Warner, also had a son named Matt (Post). The three boys formed a close relationship soon thereafter. He graduated in 1989 from Regis High School in Cedar Rapids, where he distinguished himself as a quarterback of the school’s Class 3A football team.
During college, Warner met his future wife, the former Brenda Carney Meoni; they married on October 11, 1997. Brenda was a United States Marine Corps veteran and a divorcee with two children when she and Kurt wed. She had also recently lost her parents, Larry and Jenny Carney, when their Arkansas home was destroyed by a 1996 tornado. After Kurt was cut from the Packers’ training camp in 1994, he got a job working the night shift as a stock boy at a local Hy-Vee grocery store, in addition to his work as an assistant-coach at Northern Iowa. While Warner was working as an assistant-coach, he and Brenda were living in Brenda’s parent’s basement in Cedar Falls, IA. Warner was still hoping to get an NFL tryout, but with that possibility appearing dim and the long hours at the Hy-Vee for minimum wage taking their toll, Warner began his Arena League career.
Warner officially adopted Brenda’s two children, son Zachary and daughter Jesse, after they became married. The Warners also have 5 children of their own: sons Elijah and Kade, daughter Jada, and twin girls Sierra Rose and Sienna Rae.
Both Kurt and his wife are active evangelical Christians. Kurt’s faith first emerged on the international scene following the Rams’ Super Bowl victory, where he was named the game’s MVP:
Mike Tirico from ABC: “Kurt, first things first — tell me about the final touchdown pass to Isaac.”
Kurt Warner: “Well, first things first, I’ve got to thank my Lord and Savior up above — thank you, Jesus!“
Nine years later, upon leading the Arizona Cardinals to the franchise’s first ever Super Bowl, Warner’s response was similar:
Terry Bradshaw from FOX: “You’re not going to like this, but you’re the third oldest quarterback to ever play in the Super Bowl. How does that make you feel?”
Kurt Warner: “Everybody’s going to be tired of hearing this, but I never get tired of saying it. 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, you knew I was going to do it, but I’ve got to do it. And secondly, I’ve gotta say thanks to you guys (motioning to the Arizona fans); when nobody else believed in us, when nobody else believed in me, you guys did. And we’re going to the Super Bowl!”
Warner has also appeared in several public service announcements for Civitan International, promoting their volunteer efforts and their work with the developmentally disabled. This issue is personally close to Warner, as Zachary, his adopted son from Brenda’s first marriage, suffered major brain damage as an infant when his biological father accidentally dropped him.
On October 24, 2006, he was featured in a political advertisement opposing a bill supporting embryonic stem cell research in Missouri. The advertisement was in response to a pro-embryonic research ad featuring Michael J. Fox. He appeared in the advertisement with James Caviezel, Patricia Heaton, Jeff Suppan, and Mike Sweeney. The advertisement aired during Game 4 of the 2006 World Series.
Warner has devoted time and money to his First Things First Foundation, the name of which was derived from his interview after winning the Super Bowl in 1999. The foundation has been involved with numerous projects for causes such as children’s hospitals, people with developmental disabilities and assisting single parents.Warner’s work both on and off the field resulted in him being awarded the NFL Walter Payton Man of the Year Award 2008. In March 2009, Warner was honored with the Muhammad Ali Sports Leadership Award.Warner was selected by USA Weekend as the winner of its annual Most Caring Athlete Award for 2009. In December 2009, Warner topped a Sports Illustrated poll of NFL players to name the best role model on and off the field in the NFL. In February 2010, Warner was the recipient of the annual Bart Starr Award, given for outstanding character and leadership in the home, on the field and in the community.At the award presentation, Bart Starr said of Warner: “We have never given this award to anyone who is more deserving”.