Kurt Warner is the man

[JohnStOnge]

I just wonder what he could've accomplished if he'd been given a fair shot from day one.

[JayJ79]

How was he not given a fair shot?

He signed with the Packers as a free agent in '94 (right out of college) and was in their training camp, but was then cut prior to the regular season. Which is unfortunate, but I wouldn't call that "unfair".

And he had a tryout scheduled with the Bears in '97, but ended up getting bit by a venomous spider on his throwing elbow prior to the tryout. Which is freakish bad luck.

Of course, it is possible that it might have been his development in the Arena League and NFL Europe that honed his skills to their high levels. And he might not have been successful if he hadn't had those experiences.


In any case, I agree that Warner IS the man. (as is Larry Fitzgerald)

[JohnStOnge]

How was he not given a fair shot?

If Trent Green hadn't been injured for the Rams, Warner would never have seen the field. He got a shot to show what he could do in game situations only because of an injury. Now, in retrospect, I don't think there's any question that he has been a better NFL quarterback than Trent Green ever was and also better than an awful lot of guys who have started in the NFL. To me, it's pretty obvious that he did not get a fair shot. I don't see how noting that he went into a camp and was cut indicates that he got a fair shot.

[BDKJMU]

-That last cardinals TD was scored by UR's Hightower.

-2nd yr TE Ben Patrick, of UD caught the 2 point conversion.

-2nd yr Eagles LB Akeem Jordan, JMU, made a tackle on hightower on that 3rd down stop before Hightower made it on 1st down. It was JMU tackling UR.

-And of course have Westbrook for the Eagles, former Nova star.

-Flacco up in the next game.

CAA is in the House!

[JohnStOnge]

-
CAA is in the House!

Yeah, but the biggest impact of all was by Warner. Gateway now MVC. Hard to say how big of an impact Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie had, though he had that pass go through his hands on the long Eagles TD.

[BDKJMU]

-That last cardinals TD was scored by UR's Hightower.

-2nd yr TE Ben Patrick, of UD caught the 2 point conversion.

-2nd yr Eagles LB Akeem Jordan, JMU, made a tackle on hightower on that 3rd down stop before Hightower made it on 1st down. It was JMU tackling UR.

-And of course have Westbrook for the Eagles, former Nova star.

-Flacco up in the next game.

CAA is in the House!

Left off Steelers OT Willie Colon, 3rd yr from Hofstra.

[FCS_pwns_FBS]

Yes, he is the man. He and Favre are my favorite players.

[malibudude]

-That last cardinals TD was scored by UR's Hightower.

-2nd yr TE Ben Patrick, of UD caught the 2 point conversion.

-2nd yr Eagles LB Akeem Jordan, JMU, made a tackle on hightower on that 3rd down stop before Hightower made it on 1st down. It was JMU tackling UR.

-And of course have Westbrook for the Eagles, former Nova star.

-Flacco up in the next game.

CAA is in the House!

I think the Eagles Chris Gocong, 3rd year from Cal Poly SAM LB got credit for the 3rd down stop on the Cardinals last drive. CBW

[Go Lehigh TU Owl]

He probably sealed his spot in Canton today.

[BEAR]

Let's not forget Flacco threw 3 INTs...xrolleyesx

[Chi Panther]

I just wonder what he could've accomplished if he'd been given a fair shot from day one.

How bout he gets starting nod at UNI in 1992....

[turfdoc]

How bout he gets starting nod at UNI in 1992....

Kurt had a tough road as far as luck went.

He might have deserved the starting spot in 1991 and definitely deserved it in 1992. Many UNI fans wonder why he does not talk about his time at UNI very much (I do not think I have ever seen him at a UNI event or fund raiser). I always believed it was because it probably wasn't the best of times for him. I think he felt the same way I did back then, he was being overlooked because the coach and the guy starting in front of him were such good buddies.

In the Fall of 1994 he was invited to the Packers' camp. He was cut because in front of him he had Favre, Hasselback, and of a rookie he is/was much better than Ty Detmer (excuse spelling please). He was the casualty of a bad draft pick and poor front office decisions.

He could have gone to Europe earlier but decided to stay home (I always assumed to solidify his relationship with his wife). But could you imagine if he would have been kept by the Packers that season and then gotten a chance to go with another team after 2-3 years?

As it is he still has done quite well, and maybe you don't see much him around the UNI camp because he is so busy with his own charitable organizations, he has a full plate.

[JohnStOnge]

I really regret that I didn't have an inkling that a future great like Warner was on the field when I watched Northern Iowa play at McNeese in what must've been his first game as a starter. I can't remember much about the details of the game at all.

In contrast, I can remember watching Joe Delaney and Bobby Hebert of Northwestern State. Bobby Hebert was really a deadeye passer in college. And he could move around. Very frustrating to be pulling for the other team. I can also remember watching Art Monk and Joe Morris of Syracuse play against McNeese. Moreso Morris. But I can't specifically remember Warner. A shame.

Of course I also watched Fred Dean play against McNeese for Louisiana Tech and Darrell Green play against the Cowboys for Texas A&I and can't specifically remember them either. Probably some future greats I still don't realize I watched as well.

[seantaylor]

Warner is an O.G.

[blukeys]

Kurt had a tough road as far as luck went.

He might have deserved the starting spot in 1991 and definitely deserved it in 1992. Many UNI fans wonder why he does not talk about his time at UNI very much (I do not think I have ever seen him at a UNI event or fund raiser). I always believed it was because it probably wasn't the best of times for him. I think he felt the same way I did back then, he was being overlooked because the coach and the guy starting in front of him were such good buddies.

In the Fall of 1994 he was invited to the Packers' camp. He was cut because in front of him he had Favre, Hasselback, and of a rookie he is/was much better than Ty Detmer (excuse spelling please). He was the casualty of a bad draft pick and poor front office decisions.

He could have gone to Europe earlier but decided to stay home (I always assumed to solidify his relationship with his wife). But could you imagine if he would have been kept by the Packers that season and then gotten a chance to go with another team after 2-3 years?

As it is he still has done quite well, and maybe you don't see much him around the UNI camp because he is so busy with his own charitable organizations, he has a full plate.

For the record I love Kurt Warner and the stature he gives FCS. In the end though his journey is nowhere near as tough as Rich Gannon wop was another FCS star who was drafted by the NE Patriots as a Defensive Back!!!xconfusedxxconfusedxxconfusedxxconfusedx

It took years of effort and the failures of lame QB's such as Elvis Grbac for Gannon to finally get even a shot.

[El Gato]

Got this is my email a couple of minutes ago from a co worker. I didn't know any of this and thought it was worth sharing:


KURTIS THE STOCK BOY AND BRENDA THE CHECKOUT GIRL

In a supermarket, Kurtis the stock boy, was busily working when a new voice
came over the loud speaker asking for a carry out at register 4. Kurtis was
almost finished, and wanted to get some fresh air, and decided to answer the
call. As he approached the check-out stand a distant smile caught his eye, the
new check-out girl was beautiful. She was an older woman (maybe 26, and he


was only 22) and he fell in love.

Later that day, after his shift was over, he waited by the punch clock to find
out her name. She came into the break room, smiled softly at him, took her card
and punched out, then left. He looked at her card, BRENDA. He walked out only to


see her start walking up the road. Next day, he waited outside as she left the supermarket,


and offered her a ride home. He looked harmless enough, and she accepted. When he


dropped her off, he asked if maybe he could see her again, outside of work. She simply


said it wasn't possible.

He pressed and she explained she had two children and she couldn't afford a
baby-sitter, so he offered to pay for the baby-sitter Reluctantly she accepted
his offer for a date for the following Saturday. That Saturday night he arrived
at her door only to have her tell him that she was unable to go with him. The
baby-sitter had called and canceled. To which Kurtis simply said, "Well,
let's take the kids with us."

She tried to explain that taking the children was not an option, but again not
taking no for an answer, he pressed. Finally Brenda, brought him inside to meet
her children. She had an older daughter who was just as cute as a bug, Kurtis
thought, then Brenda brought out her son, in a wheelchair. He was born a
paraplegic with Down Syndrome.

Kurtis asked Brenda, "I still don't understand why the kids can't
come with us?" Brenda was amazed. Most men would run away from a woman
with two kids, especially if one had disabilities - just like her first husband
and father of her children had done. Kurtis was not ordinary - - - he had a
different mindset.

That evening Kurtis and Brenda loaded up the kids, went to dinner and the
movies. When her son needed anything Kurtis would take care of him. When he
needed to use the restroom, he picked him up out of his wheelchair, took him and
brought him back. The kids loved Kurtis. At the end of the evening, Brenda
knew this was the man she was going to marry and spend the rest of her life
with.

A year later, they were married and Kurtis adopted both of her children.
Since then they have added two more kids.

So what happened to Kurtis the stock boy and Brenda the check-out girl? Well,
Mr. & Mrs. Kurt Warner now live in Arizona , where he is currently employed
as the quarterback of the National Football League Arizona Cardinals and has his


Cardinals in the hunt for a possible appearance in the Super Bowl. Is this a
surprise ending or could you have guessed that he was not an ordinary person.

It should be noted that he also quarterbacked the Rams in Super Bowl XXXVI.


He has also been the NLF's Most Valuable Player twice and the Super Bowl's Most Valuable Player.








AND THE REST OF THE STORY:





Today at church our minister mentioned that when Kurt, his wife and 7 children go out to eat he


has one of his children pick out a family eating at the restaurant. Kurt then tells the wait staff he is


picking up the tab for that family's dinner anonymously. He remembers the days he was working nights


in the grocery store and feeding his family on food stamps.

[SteelCurtain]

Kurt Warner is one heck of a FB player but a even greater person

Kurt's story is an inspiration to everyone!!!

[Herdman]

Nice article by Jason Whitlockof the KC Star

http://www.comcast.net/articles/sports-general/20090129/Whitlock.12909/


To answer the initial question from post #1 of this thread. He got a fair shot from day. He didn't take advantage of it. He learned from that experience, took the looong road back and that is why he is as good as he is today.

[JohnStOnge]

Nice article by Jason Whitlockof the KC Star

http://www.comcast.net/articles/sports-general/20090129/Whitlock.12909/


To answer the initial question from post #1 of this thread. He got a fair shot from day. He didn't take advantage of it. He learned from that experience, took the looong road back and that is why he is as good as he is today.

I don't know if saying he didn't get a fair shot is the right way to say it but in my opinion it's been pretty well demonstrated that he was a better quarterback than Trent Green ever was when he was sitting behind Green for the Rams before Green got hurt and had his shot. If it wasn't not getting a "fair shot" it sure as heck was a "miss" by the Rams coaching staff on player evaluation. No way I believe he was suddenly that good and never had been before. The problem is he never really got to show what he could in meaningful, sustained game action until he was 28 years old.