Flashback: 25th anniversary of Kurt Warner leading Rams to Super Bowl XXXIV win
1/30/2025 12:29:00 PM | Football
CEDAR FALLS, Iowa --- The date was January 30, 2000 and the stage was set for Super Bowl XXXIV at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta. QB Kurt Warner and his St. Louis Rams squad nicknamed "The Greatest Show on Turf," needed one more victory to cement their Cinderella season in NFL lore. After losing QB Trent Green to a season-ending knee injury in the preseason, Warner was thrust into a starting role and the University of Northern Iowa alum responded in glorious fashion, leading the Rams to a 13-3 regular season record during in 1999.
During that 1999 campaign, Warner threw for 4,353 yards with 41 TDs, earning NFL MVP honors. After a narrow 11-6 win over Tampa Bay in the NFC Championship Game, it was time for a Super Bowl showdown with the Tennessee Titans. Again, Warner rose to the occasion, throwing for 414 yards. His 73-yard TD pass to WR Isaac Bruce gave the Rams a 23-16 lead with just over two minutes remaining in the contest. The Rams defense then held Tennessee just short of the goal line on the contest's final play to secure the first-ever Lombardi Trophy for the franchise.
Super Bowl XXXIV Highlights
Via NFL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4GBNUNdfJcU
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Enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2017, Warner would go on to lead the Rams to another Super Bowl appearance in 2001 and guided the Arizona Cardinals to their first-ever trip to the NFL's Championship Game following the 2008 season. Warner was a two-time NFL MVP and was selected to four Pro Bowls.
His incredible saga was immortalized in the 2021 movie "American Underdog," which chronicled Warner's circuitous rise from Gateway Conference Player of the Year at UNI to stocking shelves at Hy-Vee and being cut in training camp by the Green Bay Packers. The undrafted Warner eventually played for the Arena Football League's Iowa Barnstormers and the Amsterdam Admirals of NFL Europe.
An all-state product of Regis High School in Cedar Rapids, Kurt eventually signed as a free agent with the St. Louis Rams in 1998. He went on to post a total of 52 300-yard passing games during his NFL career. He is one of only three players in NFL history to start at quarterback in the Super Bowl for two different teams and one of only 17 undrafted players to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He currently serves as an analyst for NFL Network.
UNI football action can be followed all season long on social media on Facebook (UNI Football), X (@UNIFootball) and on Instagram (@unipantherfootball). The full 2024 schedule and roster, along with the latest Panther news and information can be found online at UNIpanthers.com.
During that 1999 campaign, Warner threw for 4,353 yards with 41 TDs, earning NFL MVP honors. After a narrow 11-6 win over Tampa Bay in the NFC Championship Game, it was time for a Super Bowl showdown with the Tennessee Titans. Again, Warner rose to the occasion, throwing for 414 yards. His 73-yard TD pass to WR Isaac Bruce gave the Rams a 23-16 lead with just over two minutes remaining in the contest. The Rams defense then held Tennessee just short of the goal line on the contest's final play to secure the first-ever Lombardi Trophy for the franchise.
Super Bowl XXXIV Highlights
Via NFL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4GBNUNdfJcU
Â
Enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2017, Warner would go on to lead the Rams to another Super Bowl appearance in 2001 and guided the Arizona Cardinals to their first-ever trip to the NFL's Championship Game following the 2008 season. Warner was a two-time NFL MVP and was selected to four Pro Bowls.
His incredible saga was immortalized in the 2021 movie "American Underdog," which chronicled Warner's circuitous rise from Gateway Conference Player of the Year at UNI to stocking shelves at Hy-Vee and being cut in training camp by the Green Bay Packers. The undrafted Warner eventually played for the Arena Football League's Iowa Barnstormers and the Amsterdam Admirals of NFL Europe.
An all-state product of Regis High School in Cedar Rapids, Kurt eventually signed as a free agent with the St. Louis Rams in 1998. He went on to post a total of 52 300-yard passing games during his NFL career. He is one of only three players in NFL history to start at quarterback in the Super Bowl for two different teams and one of only 17 undrafted players to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He currently serves as an analyst for NFL Network.
UNI football action can be followed all season long on social media on Facebook (UNI Football), X (@UNIFootball) and on Instagram (@unipantherfootball). The full 2024 schedule and roster, along with the latest Panther news and information can be found online at UNIpanthers.com.
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