Arizona Cardinals: Kurt Warner, a class act
By Scott Allen
Passion For The Game
In his 32-minute speech, you could hear in his voice how much football meant to Warner. It still means a lot these days to him.
He believes the passion was driven from forces above. The one above was the one he thanked last.
The statistics speak for themselves. Three Super Bowls, one of the in victory, two-time MVP, Super Bowl MVP, four-time Pro Bowler, and a Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award Winner.
Yes, the numbers were great. Career pass completion percentage of 65.5 percent, 208 touchdowns and 128 interceptions. He had 32,344 passing yards with a lifetime rating of 93.7. He doesn’t produce those numbers though if he doesn’t listen to Green or heed any coaching received.
Even in his short 12-year career, it was almost derailed halfway through. He went to two Super Bowls with the Rams but then left and played for the New York Giants in 2004.
He was there to teach a rookie named Eli Manning the ropes and eventually was replaced by him. That led him to Arizona in 2005.
He had to endure two years of not being the full-time starter until injury once again turned good fortune his way. Instead of giving up beforehand with a highly touted rookie on the team, he waited out his turn again.
His turn with the Cardinals gave the franchise their only Super Bowl appearance to date. After he retired in early 2010, years later he still had the dream.
His body told him no, but as the Cardinals struggled with injury at quarterback to Carson Palmer and Drew Stanton, again, even at age 44, thought about returning to help the team out.
Eventually he knew his time had come and gone. The fire was always there however. As Warner so succinctly put it, “we all don’t get to choose the substance of our moments.” No, we sure don’t but he certainly made sure we understood what the substance of his moments meant to him.