Frank Thomas
Frank Thomas
Frank Thomas
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Warner Notable Sports Figures<br />
Kurt Warner<br />
Louis Rams’ quarterback in 1999 following a teammate’s<br />
injury. Ironically, Warner himself struggled during an injury-riddled<br />
and controversial 2002 season that left him<br />
with his own job in question—his coach, Mike Martz,<br />
said the first-string job may be up for grabs in 2003.<br />
Iowa Roots<br />
Warner, born in Burlington, Iowa, lettered in football,<br />
basketball, and baseball at Cedar Rapids Regis High<br />
School. He was a Des Moines Register all-state selection<br />
as a senior. At the University of Northern Iowa, where he<br />
graduated with a degree in communications, Warner<br />
didn’t start until his senior season, 1993, when he was<br />
Gateway Conference offensive player of the year and led<br />
the conference in total offense and passing efficiency.<br />
Green Bay drafted Warner in 1994, but cut him during<br />
training camp. Warner then made a living at a Hy-<br />
Vee supermarket in Cedar Rapids, stocking shelves. He<br />
and his wife, Brenda, needed food stamps. Tragedy also<br />
struck when a tornado killed Brenda’s parents at their<br />
home in Arkansas in 1996. “There were times I remembered<br />
praying that no matter what I had to do, just praying<br />
that the Lord would give me a job that I could take<br />
care of my family,” Warner said years later. “I didn’t<br />
care if I had to work till I was 90.”<br />
“We loved each other and he loved the kids, so our<br />
dates really involved him playing with the kids,” Brenda<br />
Warner said. “So it was a cheap date.”<br />
1714<br />
Chronology<br />
1971 Born June 22 in Burlington, Iowa<br />
1989-93 Quarterback at University of Northern Iowa<br />
1994 Cut by Green Bay Packers of National Football League; works<br />
as grocery clerk at Hy-Vee store in Cedar Falls, Iowa.<br />
1995-97 Plays for Iowa Barnstormers of Arena Football League; leads<br />
Iowa to two straight Arena Bowl appearances<br />
1998 Plays for Amsterdam Admirals of NFL Europe.<br />
1998 Makes NFL debut for St. Louis Rams against San Francisco<br />
49ers.<br />
2002 Quarterbacks Rams during 20-17 loss to New England<br />
Patriots in Super Bowl XXXVI (2001 season)<br />
2002 Misses part of the season with broken hand; Rams miss<br />
playoffs amid quarterback controversy.<br />
2002 Announces partnership with Back Home Studios to create the<br />
Kurt Warner’s Good Sports Gang children’s home video<br />
programs.<br />
Warner, meanwhile, persevered in football. He<br />
played for the Iowa Barnstormers for the Arena Football<br />
League from 1995 to 1997, twice leading the team to the<br />
championship game, the Arena Bowl, and passing for<br />
10,164 yards and 183 touchdowns in three seasons.<br />
(Arena football is an indoor version of the game played<br />
on a shorter field). The Rams signed Warner in December<br />
1997 and optioned him to the Amsterdam Admirals<br />
of NFL Europe. In the spring/summer 1998 season,<br />
Warner started all ten Admirals games and led the<br />
league in passing yards, completions and touchdowns.<br />
Warner, after the NFL Europe season ended in summer<br />
1998, was the Rams’ inactive third quarterback for<br />
fourteen of their first sixteen games that fall. He finally<br />
saw action in the team’s final game, against the San<br />
Francisco 49ers, completing four of eleven passes for<br />
thirty-nine yards.<br />
Warner, Rams Rise<br />
In August 1999, St. Louis starting quarterback Trent<br />
Green tore his left medial collateral ligament in an exhibition<br />
game against the San Diego Chargers, and was out<br />
for the season. Things looked dark for the Rams, who had<br />
lost twelve of sixteen games the year before. But Coach<br />
Dick Vermeil immediately embraced Warner, a 28-yearold<br />
second year player. “We will rally around Kurt Warner<br />
and we will play good football,” Vermeil said.<br />
“I always felt that I had the talent,” Warner told the<br />
Des Moines Register. “I just felt that I had to get in the<br />
right situation and organization to utilize my talent. That<br />
is what has happened here with the Rams.” Warner started<br />
the team’s final exhibition that summer and never<br />
looked back. The Rams opened the regular season with<br />
six straight victories and finished atop the NFC West<br />
with a 13-3 record. Warner, en route to winning the<br />
league’s Most Valuable Player, led the NFL in touchdown<br />
passes and completion percentage, and was second<br />
in the league in passing yards. He threw more
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