a Lifetime movie waiting to happen

Kurt Warner announced his retirement today, ending one of the great storybook careers in sports' history.

It's so amazing it's fun to write about. Warner played college at Nortern Iowa. where he was buried in the depth chart until his senior year. He went on to win Conference Offensive Player of the Year. No NFL scouts seemed to have taken notice and he went undrafted. He was invited to Packers' training camp but was released before any preseason games.

At this point Kurt started working at a grocery store stocking shelves for $5.50 an hour.

Kurt went to the Arena Football League and played for his hometown Iowa Barnstormers. In his two years there he was First-Team All-Arena and the Barnstormers went to the championship twice.

Next he went to NFL Europe and led that league in touchdowns and passing yards.

In 1998 he was finally signed by the St Louis Rams, a team that hadn't been to the playoffs in a decade, and buried again behind legends Tony Banks and Steve Bono (a possible reason they hadn't been to the playoffs in a decade). And after they were cut the Rams signed iron horse Trent Green for 1999, who got hurt in the preseason. Coach Dick Vermeil emotionally and doubtfully exclaimed about his 4-12 team: "We will rally around Kurt Warner and we will play good football."

That season the Warner-led Rams became "The Greatest Show on Turf". They went from twelve losses to thirteen wins, won one of the most exciting Super Bowls ever against the Tenessee Titans, Kurt Warner won NFL MVP honors, and was also named Super Bowl MVP after throwing for a SB-record 414 yards including a long game winning touchdown with two minutes left to break my heart. He also helped me win my first fantasy football league championship when I picked him off waivers after Week 1.

Two years later the Rams won 14 games, Warner won league MVP for the second time, and the Rams again played in the Super Bowl. Warner threw for then-second all-time 365 yards and rallied the Rams back from a two-touchdown 4th quarter deficit (before Adam Viniateri won it for the Patriots) in another one of the most exciting Super Bowls ever.

A few years later Warner got signed by the Arizona Cardinals, a team with one playoff win in the modern era. In 2007 he helped them get to .500 for the first time in nine seasons. Despite the presence of Matt Leinhart, Ken Wisenhunt wisely changed his mind and started Warner under center in 2008, and Warner had another huge year leading the Cardinals to their first ever home playoff win (well, second including 1947). Three weeks later the Cardinals were making their first ever SB trip. Warner threw for 377 yards and three touchdowns, including one reminiscent of the winner in his first Super Bowl, before the Steelers had a miracle of their own in another one of the most exciting Super Bowls ever.

And Warner's final season is one to remember. On Sep 20, he broke the NFL single-game completion percentage, going 24 for 26 (92.3%). Nov 8, a week after throwing 5 INTs, Kurt threw for 5 TDs no INTs. And on Jan 10, Kurt Warner had one of the greatest playoff games ever, completing 29/33 passes with 5 touchdowns in the big win over the Packers.

Other than all that, it was a pretty normal career.

The Question: Does Kurt Warner belong in the Hall of Fame?

Argument against: Only had five or six great seasons, with five straight poor seasons in the middle. His NFL career started very late (age 28), and he received significant injuries his whole career. Therefore, he was unable to compile the huge numbers that compare with other quarterbacks in the Hall of Fame.

Argument for: A player virtually unknown when he started, Kurt Warner changed the climate of two terrible franchises, leading them to their only Super Bowl appearances ever. He was the leader of "The Greatest Show on Turf," the only team to score 500 points three seasons in a row. He was a big game player, a winner, holding a 9-4 playoff record. He also has the three highest passing games in Super Bowl history. He is one of the most accurate passers in history, completing 65.5% in his career, and second all-time in passing yards per game. He was incredibly tough; the reason why he got hurt so much was that he would hold onto the ball long enough for Isaac Bruce, Torry Holt, Larry Fitzgerald, and Anquain Boldin to get downfield, and he was never afraid to throw the ball knowing that he would get hit hard in the process. He went out on top, playing at as high a level as any in his career. And aside from all that, he is one of the most humble, best people in all of sports, appropriate for the Hall of Fame, and a great family man. Quoting the Cardinals general manager Rod Graves: "I've only had the privilege of being around one other person that I can say was close to him and that was Walter Payton. I think when you have an extraordinary player and one who is just as extraordinary off the field, then you realize you were in the presence of someone special."