Why Kurt Warner belongs in the Hall of Fame
Some have questioned whether Kurt Warner’s career merits enshrinement in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Since his retirement following the 2009 season, there had for years been lingering questions regarding whether Kurt Warner would be enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The questions always stemmed from the limited number of full seasons he spent as a starter, and a lean stretch in his production from 2002 to 2006.
But the heights of Warner’s career are matched by few moments in the annals of the National Football League. Hall of Fame voters apparently agreed, as it was recently announced that Warner had been elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. With Warner’s place in Canton secured, I would like to take the opportunity to articulate why, without caveat, Warner belongs among the greats in Canton.
Though Kurt Warner’s NFL career spanned 12 seasons, only five of those seasons had the look of a Hall of Fame career. The remaining seven seasons were limited due to his beginnings as a backup, injuries, and competition from young “quarterbacks of the future.”
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The case against Warner was not so much that his overall statistics were lacking – his total career passing yards and touchdowns compare favorably with other Hall of Fame quarterbacks, like Troy Aikman and Jim Kelly.
Instead, the concerns had to do with the years that were marred by poor production, and that he lost his starting job at least once with each of the NFL teams for whom he played – the Rams, Giants, and Cardinals.
While these facts are true, they do not constitute a sufficient argument for excluding Warner from the Hall of Fame. Rather, these facts are integral parts of why Warner does belong in Canton.
Kurt Warner belongs in the Pro Football Hall of Fame because his is, without question, one of the most compelling stories in the history of the National Football League.
His story is the archetypal underdog story. It is the story of a man who went from bagging groceries to winning a Super Bowl. It is a story of how, after reaching those heights, he experienced adversity. It is a story of how he overcame that adversity and returned to greatness. The unspectacular stretch from 2002 to 2006 is part of what makes his story so compelling.
This is not to completely dismiss the importance of his actual production. Had Warner not played at a Hall of Fame level for a reasonable stretch of his career – in this case, five seasons – his story alone would not be sufficient for induction. But that is, in a sense, a moot point. Just as the valleys of his career are part of what makes the story so compelling, Warner’s story does not occur without those years of greatness.
Quite simply, Kurt Warner belongs in the Pro Football Hall of fame because you cannot tell the story of the National Football League without telling the story of Kurt Warner.
His long path from bagging groceries and toiling in the Arena League, to becoming a Super Bowl winning quarterback; the down years after reaching the summit; his triumphant return leading the Arizona Cardinals to their first ever Super Bowl appearance. This is the kind of story arc one would expect from a screenwriter.
But this is not Hollywood. This is a true story that we watched unfold before our very eyes. This is one of the reasons we love sports. This is a story that belongs in Canton – along with its protagonist, Kurt Warner.
Quite simply, Kurt Warner belongs in the Pro Football Hall of fame because you cannot tell the story of the National Football League without telling the story of Kurt Warner.