University of Northern Iowa Athletics
Hall of Fame
- Induction:
- 2026
- Class:
- 1993
One of UNI's most recognized and accomplished alumni, Warner joins the UNI Athletics Hall of Fame after a career that could only be written in Hollywood.
Playing quarterback for the Panthers from 1989 to 1993, Warner's 15-year professional career, including stints in the Arena Football League and NFL Europe, became a legendary story as one of the NFL's greatest undrafted players.
A Burlington, Iowa native, Warner was a member of four consecutive Gateway Football Conference championship teams during his time as a Panther (1990-93). As UNI's starting quarterback during his senior season, he earned First Team All-Gateway honors and was named the Gateway's Offensive Player of the Year in helping lead Northern Iowa to the NCAA Division I-AA postseason.
Following a stint on the Green Bay Packers' training camp roster and iconically stocking shelves at the Cedar Falls Hy-Vee grocery store, Warner played three seasons in-state for the Arena Football League's Iowa Barnstormers in Des Moines. He twice earned First Team All-League recognition and led the Barnstormers to consecutive ArenaBowl appearances in 1996 and 1997. He was inducted into the Arena Football Hall of Fame, as well as the Iowa Barnstormers Hall of Fame with his No. 13 jersey being retired by the organization.
In 1998, after leading NFL Europe in touchdowns and passing yards with the Amsterdam Admirals, Warner joined the NFL's St. Louis Rams and became the team's starting quarterback heading into the 1999 season. Surrounded by a core that included future Hall of Famers in Isaac Bruce and Marshall Faulk, plus Torry Holt, Az-Zahir Hakim and Ricky Proehl, Warner produced one of the top seasons by a quarterback in league history with 4,353 passing yards, a league-leading 41 passing touchdowns and a 65.1% completion percentage en route to becoming the NFL's Most Valuable Player.Â
St. Louis' high-powered offense, nicknamed "The Greatest Show on Turf," helped propel the Rams to an appearance in Super Bowl XXXIV in Atlanta, which resulted in a 23-16 win over the Tennessee Titans. Warner's 414 passing yards and two passing touchdowns earned him Super Bowl MVP honors.
In 2001, Warner led the NFL once again with 36 passing touchdowns and over 4,800 passing yards in helping the Rams return to the Super Bowl for the second time in three years with a 14-2 regular season record. Warner earned his second NFL MVP honor and was also named First Team All-Pro for a second time.
Following six years with the Rams and one season with the New York Giants in 2004, Warner signed with the Arizona Cardinals in 2005. In his fourth season in the desert, Warner revitalized the organization, starting all 16 games and leading the Cardinals to an NFC West division title in 2008, en route to the franchise's first-ever Super Bowl appearance, tying an NFL record with 11 postseason touchdown passes. Warner was also recognized in 2008 as the NFL Walter Payton Man of the Year, honoring a player's commitment to philanthropy and community impact. He retired from professional football following the 2009 season.
Since 2010, Warner has served as an analyst for the NFL Network and continues his philanthropic work with the First Things First Foundation and Treasure House Phoenix in supporting children, special-needs individuals and single parents. A 2017 inductee into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, his life story was also portrayed in the 2021 biopic, American Underdog.
Warner currently resides in Arizona with his wife, Brenda. The couple have seven children in Zack, Jesse, Kade, Jada, Elijah, Sierra and Sienna.
