TEMPE, Ariz. — Kurt Warner announced his retirement Friday after a dozen years in a league that at first rejected him, then revered him as he came from nowhere to lead the lowly St. Louis Rams to two Super Bowls.
Then, as if going from stocking groceries to winning NFL MVP awards wasn’t improbable enough, Warner was written off as a has-been but rose again to lead the long-suffering Arizona Cardinals to the Super Bowl last year.
“It’s been an amazing ride,” he said. “I don’t think I could have dreamt it would have played out like it has, but I’ve been humbled every day that I woke up the last 12 years and amazed that God would choose to use me to do what he’s given me the opportunity to do.”
A man of deep faith who carried a Bible to each post-game news conference, Warned walked away with a year left on a two-year, $23 million contract, knowing he still had the skills to play at the highest level.
Warner leaves the game with a legacy that could land him in the Hall of Fame even though he didn’t get his first start until he was 28. He played three seasons in the Arena Football League and one in NFL Europe, mixed in with a stint stocking grocery shelves back in Iowa.
Warner made the Rams as a backup in 1998, then was thrust into the starting role in 1999 when Trent Green was injured.
In the season that followed, he led the Rams to a 13-3 regular-season record, then a Super Bowl triumph over Tennessee. He was named the league and Super Bowl MVP.
In 124 regular-season games, Warner completed 65.5 percent of his passes for 32,344 yards and 208 touchdowns. He has the top three passing performances in Super Bowl history, and compared to the 14 quarterbacks to make the Hall of Fame in the last 25 years, Warner has a better career completion percentage, yards per pass attempt and yards per game.
He knows what he wants his legacy to be.
“It’s not the way I threw the football, it’s not particular games that I won, but that they remember that here’s a guy that believed, that worked hard,” he said. “Although things didn’t always go in his favor, he continued to press through, and with his faith in himself and his faith in God, he was able to accomplish great things.”
NFL claims ‘Who Dat?’
NEW ORLEANS — Who owns “Who Dat?”
Some T-shirt makers are asking that question after they were hit with cease-and-desist letters from the NFL demanding that they stop selling shirts with the traditional cheer of New Orleans Saints fans.
The National Football League says the shirts infringe on a legal trademark it owns. Separately, two brothers and longtime Saints fans claim they own the phrase, which was around before the long-downtrodden team’s inception in 1966. The chant — “Who dat say dey gonna beat dem Saints” — is often shortened to “Who Dat” on shirts and signs and has been a mainstay at the Superdome since the 1980s.
Shirts bearing the Saints cheer are big business as the team prepares for the big game against the Indianapolis Colts in Super Bowl XLIV.
Saints fans, still jubilant after the Saints’ win over the Minnesota Vikings for their first Super Bowl appearance, have voiced their dismay on radio talk shows, blogs and Web site posts. Many say it’s something that can’t be owned.
Eagles make Roseman GM
PHILADELPHIA — The Philadelphia Eagles promoted Howie Roseman to general manager Friday, although coach Andy Reid still has final say on personnel decisions as the team’s president of football operations.
Taylor wants to play again
MIAMI — NFL active sacks leader Jason Taylor said Friday he wants to play in 2010 and hopes to remain with the Miami Dolphins, but concedes he might not be wanted back.
A six-time Pro Bowl pick, Taylor has spent 12 of his 13 seasons with the Dolphins.
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