From stocking supermarket shelves to playing in two Super Bowls with the Rams and from being consigned to the NFL scrap heap to starring in a third Super Bowl with the Cardinals, Kurt Warner’s story is a saga of dreams realized and opportunities rewarded against all odds. It’s also a vivid testimony to the faith of a man and his wife to whom tragedy is no stranger and whose commitment to family and community is an inspiration for all. This stunning, full-color volume is a treat for both the eyes and the spirit. Warner’s story starts in the heartland, where he dreamed of playing quarterback for the Iowa Hawkeyes. But he was rejected by the Hawkeyes, started only his senior year at Northern Iowa, and was cut as an unsigned free agent by the Green Bay Packers. Warner’s dream was seemingly over, and he took a nighttime supermarket job just to pay the bills. But strengthened by the support of his soon-to-be-wife, Brenda, he decided to keep trying, and his unlikely journey took him to the Arena Football League, NFL Europe, and a successful tryout with the St. Louis Rams. In 1999 Warner shocked the sports world by posting one of the most spectacular seasons in NFL history and leading the Rams to the Super Bowl title. Twice he was named the NFL’s Most Valuable Player. Yet by 2005 Warner had been released by the Rams and, after a year, by the New York Giants. Too old, too slow, too injury prone “experts” said. Signed by lowly Arizona, Warner spent two years regaining his championship form while nurturing and inspiring all around him. And in 2008 he surprised the NFL once more by quarterbacking the Cardinals to their first Super Bowl. Richly told with spectacular photos and thoughtful prose, Warner’s memorable story will delight football fans everywhere.
