As I write this, Kurt Warner is speaking in Arizona and announcing his retirement. For football fans, especially fans of the St. Louis Rams and Arizona Cardinals, this is a bittersweet day. It’s sad to see Warner retiring, but it’s great to see him leave the game healthy and on his own time.
On the football side of things, Warner has had an incredible story. He wasn’t highly recruited out of high school. He didn’t immediately break into the NFL. In fact, after college, he found himself stocking shelves at a grocery store to make money. When he couldn’t make it in the NFL, Warner started with the Arena League. He then became the backup in St. Louis. After a season-ending injury to Trent Green, Warner was given the role of starter in 1999 for the St. Louis Rams. While no one expected greatness out of him, Warner went on to win the MVP that year and lead the Rams to a Super Bowl victory. In his career, Warner won 2 NFL MVPs, a Super Bowl, a Super Bowl MVP, and has the 3 highest passing games in Super Bowl history.
Unless you’ve lived in St. Louis or Phoenix, it’s difficult to understand exactly what Warner has meant to those teams and towns. Even though he hasn’t played for St. Louis since 2003, he is still beloved and followed. In fact today’s press conference is being shown on TV in St. Louis and heard on all St. Louis sports radio stations. Maybe this sounds obsessive, but as a fan, I have 2 Kurt Warner plaques in my living room, 2 Kurt Warner Christmas ornaments, 1 Kurt Warner Rams jersey, and 1 Kurt Warner Cardinals jersey. That’s how much of an impact he’s made.
Perhaps the reason he is so beloved is because of what he has done off the field. He has created the “First Things First” Foundation, a charity dedicated to impacting lives by promoting Christian values. He has started the “Winter Warm-Up” which collects coats for the homeless. Kurt and his wife give scholarships to teenagers and young adults looking to go on service-based mission trips. He has also helped flood victims in Iowa, as well as many other things involving charities. And when Warner left a town, he didn’t forget about the charities. He continues to go back to St. Louis and Iowa to do charity work for the community.
Maybe the thing that stands out about Warner the most is how outspoken he has been about his faith. While this may bother some, those who have been around him (both Christians and non-Christians) have said he is the finest man they have ever met. After winning the Super Bowl, before Warner would even talk about the game, he made sure he gave all the glory to God. Being lucky enough to hear Warner speak/preach, I can tell you he believes what he says. In his interviews and press conferences, he makes sure to give glory where glory is due. In fact, in most press conferences, Warner can be seen carrying his Bible to the podium. Today is no exception. He’s always been confident in his abilities, but he’s always made sure to tell where that confidence and those abilities come from.
Warner opened today’s press conference by saying, “The Bible is filled with a bunch of stories about average, ordinary people, where God came in and did something extraordinary in their lives.” He then remarked that God took an ordinary person like him and did something incredible in his life.
Thank you Kurt for letting tag along on your incredible ride!