July 17, 2025 • 45 mins
Ep. 725 - When Kurt Warner came to Arizona in 2005, he was determined to reignite the success he once enjoyed with the St. Louis Rams. As a two-time MVP and Super Bowl champion, Warner faced the challenge of proving himself all over again. Defying expectations, he earned the starting role, quieted his critics, and ultimately guided the Cardinals to their first-ever Super Bowl appearance. Paul Calvisi and Ron Wolfley explore the highs and lows of Warner’s time in Arizona—an unlikely chapter that cemented his legacy in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
Strap on the boots and scrape up the knuckles.
Speaker 2 (00:04):
Hold ahead.
Speaker 3 (00:05):
He got jacked.
Speaker 4 (00:06):
This is the Big Red Rage presented by santan Ford
and Gilbert.
Speaker 5 (00:12):
Barry's Gonna score touchdown Slim to the ground by Buddha
Baker Like a torpedo. He came flying into the backfield.
Speaker 4 (00:21):
The rage is brought to you by santan Ford and
Gilbert right on the Price right on the corner of
the Santan two to two Freeway in bal Vista Seek
your Ticket to Great Seats, and by Arizona Cardinals Podcast.
Visit Azycardinals dot Com, Slash Podcast, A.
Speaker 5 (00:40):
Red Seeds Rising Up, Jimp You, Rising Vision, Flurry Rage,
take it over.
Speaker 4 (00:48):
Here's Paul Calvici.
Speaker 5 (00:50):
I'm ready.
Speaker 6 (00:51):
I'm one hundred percent ready.
Speaker 5 (00:52):
I'm telling you I'm ready.
Speaker 2 (00:54):
And Ron Woopley.
Speaker 3 (00:55):
It doesn't get any better than that.
Speaker 6 (00:59):
Fre Kurt Warner isn't just a Cardinals Ring of Honor player,
not just a team record setting quarterback. As if that's
not enough, Kurt Warner stands as his own chapter in
team history. Again, we're not talking about the record books here,
because Kurt set plenty of those. We're talking about if
(01:21):
the book was a Cardinals Big Red Dictionary, and you
looked up the word culture, there'd be a picture of
Kurt Warner, Paul Calvic here, Ron Wolfley there, and wolf
you were there every game of Kurt Warner's career. A
very special Cardinals Folkdales edition of The Big Red Rage,
presented by Santan Ford in Gilbert. What's that old saying?
(01:44):
Be the change you want to see? Kurt Warner was
basically that as a player upon his arrival in Arizona, Old.
Speaker 3 (01:53):
Graybeard Polly, of course everyone, that's what everyone thought he
was when he showed up here from the New York Giants,
and the Giants whatever they did to him, I have
no idea. Kurt has talked about it from time to time,
but the Giants tried to put him in a much
more traditional type offense, I think than what he was
(02:13):
known for, that being the greatest show on turf, and man,
he came here and I'll never forget the buzz of
Old gray Beard Kurt Warner being an Arizona Cardinal. And
then to see where he took it. You want to
talk about a renaissance, Polly, His career was big time renaissance.
Speaker 6 (02:31):
It took a while to figure it out as well.
You know, we'll hear from Denny Green with some all
time colorful sound bites and Wizna reflecting on the greatness
of Kurt Warner. But eventually, when it hit, it took off.
There's no doubt about it. And it's interesting because not
long after his retirement, he did an interview with Dick
Vermal on stage, his old Saint Louis Rams coach. Yeah,
(02:53):
and he actually looked at Dick Vermeal and he said,
you know what, in hindsight, I consider my Cardinal's success
ratifying and rewarding than my Rams career, even though I
want to ring with Saint Louis, just based on the
amount of change that he was responsible for.
Speaker 3 (03:10):
Yeah, Paul, you stop and think about h Iman. Kurt
Warner came in here and he was the fire. He
was the fire, the spark that hit the wood, the
fuel that was here metaphorically speaking, when you think about
it, it was a Kwon Bolden, It was Larry Fitzgerald that
was here. It was Carlos Dansby, Darnell docketed Er, Trian Barry, Paul,
(03:32):
these guys that were great pros. That fuel that was here,
and Kirk came in here, and he was like the
spark that ignited that fire. Just watching him go about
his business too, in the professionalism that he brought, the
poise that he brought to that position. It was like
when he stepped into the huddle, he looked at his
(03:52):
teammates and said, I got this.
Speaker 6 (03:55):
And he brought that accountability which is always a core
part of culture. I can't tell you how many times
as the sideline reporter, especially if you're a young receiver
and you messed it up, you would hear from Kurt
Warner before he even got off the field. How many
times did he have a shouting match with Todd Haley
on the sideline over what was going on with the
game plan or what Kurt was it was not seen,
(04:16):
and they'd scream at each other for ten seconds, and
then ten seconds later they'd be looking over each other's
shoulder at some film clips or some pictures like their
BFFs all over again.
Speaker 3 (04:24):
You had a great relationship. I remember you specifically talking
about that bally being on the sideline and seeing that unfold.
Iron sharpens iron, right, and those two guys sharpened each other.
There's no doubt about that.
Speaker 6 (04:40):
Here's one of my favorite anecdotes. Super Bowl Sunday, super
Bowl forty three. You were on this bus. Well, we
got out of the team hotel, we got on the
bus and you remember us media guys get in the back,
and the tension on that bus. You needed a chainsaw
to cut through it. Yeah, the nerves, guys were so nervous.
You wondered if it was going to be debilitating. You
(05:01):
could hear a guy swallow five rows away and the
last out of board, no joke, Kurt Warner, and he
got on that bus without a care in the world.
And he's fist bumping the bus driver and he's dapping
guys up and he's having Nobody had said a word,
and Kurt Warner was a chatterbox and he's just and
everyone in the bus realized simultaneously, Oh, yeah, we have
(05:21):
a quarterback who's been here and done this twice. We
have a Super Bowl MVP quarterback. He's going to lead us.
And how often I think he was the catalyst of
change without even knowing it. Yeah, because all eyes were
on him at all times.
Speaker 3 (05:36):
Paully, you have no idea what kind of impact that
truly can have on a football team. I've talked about
it many times. When a legend like Kurt Warner, when
he steps into the huddle and he calls the play,
every head snaps up. It's the respect, the inherent respect
that Kurt Warner had that really added to all the
goodness that he brought here.
Speaker 6 (05:58):
And so when we come back, we're gonna hear it
for ourselves. Kurt Warner renaissance man on this very special
Cardinals Folktales edition of The Big Red Rage presented by
santan Ford in Gilbert, Welcome back into our special Cardinals
(06:19):
Folktales edition of The Big Red Rage presented by santan
Ford and Gilbert. I'm Paul Calvic and his current Warner
has always liked to say no one had ever gone
from Aisle seven to the Hall of Fame, meaning there
wasn't a precedent, There wasn't some roadmap that he could
follow for a football player to go from stocking the
(06:40):
shelves at an Iowa grocery store to having your bust
on display in Candon, Ohio. It's why Kurt's life story
literally became a movie script. American Underdog. By the way,
great watch as the Saint also goes some players take
the elevator to the top, and some take the stairs.
(07:00):
Kurt's path involved a few hard right turns, construction detours
to the Arena League, and overseas through NFL Europe. Kurt
k new he could play, but could he convince the
NFL decision makers? And then out of nowhere, it happened
in Saint Louis of the Rams, two time NFL MVP,
Super Bowl MVP, and then in Arizona. But for everything
(07:25):
fans saw of Kurt Warner out on that field and
up on that screen, it was Kurt behind the scenes
who was just as impressive and impactful. In Cardinal's folktales,
we dive into the archives, So let's hit the rewind
button on the renaissance man, Kurt Warner. When the Red
Sea witnessed see change in their football fortunes.
Speaker 7 (07:55):
Very few quarterbacks are able to go from place to
place to place and to have winning and to have
culture change follow them.
Speaker 5 (08:04):
Kurt Warner brings the Cardinals back from the dead.
Speaker 8 (08:07):
I mean he changed the team mentality inside out.
Speaker 7 (08:11):
I don't think there was any doubt in six of
what I could do. The doubt was whether I would
get the opportunity to do it.
Speaker 9 (08:18):
In Arizona, Cardinals select Matt Lioner a quarterback.
Speaker 5 (08:22):
Ussam, you have a quarterback controversy. Who's your starter next
week against Kansas City?
Speaker 6 (08:27):
What do you know about the quarterback situation going forward?
Speaker 5 (08:30):
Now?
Speaker 10 (08:30):
Oh, I don't know anything. I'm just going to be
ready to play whenever I can.
Speaker 11 (08:33):
Matti start next week.
Speaker 2 (08:34):
Matt stunt.
Speaker 7 (08:35):
I was never afraid of competition, but I was always
afraid of unfair competition.
Speaker 5 (08:41):
We have a quarterback change.
Speaker 12 (08:43):
We kind of honed in on what he did well,
what we did well, and we became a lot better.
Speaker 7 (08:48):
As the locker room knows, and oftentimes it's the locker
room that dictates things more than even the organization of
the coaching staff.
Speaker 6 (08:55):
Kurt Warner was the change. Kurt Warner was there. What
Kurt in the locker room knew the rest of the
world would soon find out.
Speaker 2 (09:05):
This is kind of how it's always been for me.
Speaker 8 (09:08):
I mean kind of since there's still a gas in
the tank.
Speaker 5 (09:13):
Kurt Warner looks like the man that won two MVPs.
In a Super Bowl MVP when he was in Saint.
Speaker 8 (09:19):
Louis, Kurt ended up taking over and he saw the magnificence.
Speaker 3 (09:23):
He still got that MVP form.
Speaker 12 (09:26):
It really kind of got your attention. Wow, this guy
still got some juice.
Speaker 7 (09:30):
Could I do enough in a short period of time
to convince people if we just ride this out, we've
got a chance.
Speaker 1 (09:38):
Well, gray Beard showing that his beard isn't quite as
gray as most people think.
Speaker 6 (09:43):
And think differently is what Kurt Warner forced people to do.
He changed minds both about his own career and the
state of the franchises he played for. Welcome in to
Cardinals Folk Tales Renaissance Man presented by seventy two sold
where we go in depth into Cardinals history, all time
(10:03):
anecdotes through the recollections and memories of those who lived
it or, in my case, those who covered it. My
name is Paul Calvic, Cardinals sideline reporter. Kurt Warner was
done more than once until he wasn't until he earned
one more chance and delivered.
Speaker 5 (10:19):
He did.
Speaker 7 (10:20):
There is nothing greater in team sports than being able
to be a catalyst for change.
Speaker 13 (10:25):
We're nobody else believed in us. We're nobody else believed
in me. You guys did, and we're going to the
Super Bowl.
Speaker 3 (10:35):
Give them that gold jacket they get when they go
to the Hall of Fame.
Speaker 14 (10:48):
I hope to have another chapter here that can weigh
evenly with what I did in Saint Louis. And that's
really the objective and why I came here, had to
do all about the Arizona Cardinals and what they're trying
to do here.
Speaker 6 (11:00):
In March of two thousand and five, the only one
who truly believed Kurt Warner would come anywhere close to
his Saint Louis Rams glory was Kurt himself. He inked
a one year, four million dollar deal at age thirty three,
his third team in three years. Kurt was fresh off
losing his job in New York to rookie Eli Manning.
(11:20):
In fact, his last game as a starter was against
the Cardinals, where Kurt was sacked how many times at
Sun Devil Stadium.
Speaker 5 (11:28):
It comes a blitz and Warner is sacked again by Berry.
Four sacks for pertrand Berry six for the Cardinals.
Speaker 6 (11:36):
Today, wellp if you can't beat them, join them. Kirk
played in ten games in two thousand and five. The
Cardinals went to and eight in those games. During a
five and eleven season, Kurt throwing for eleven touchdowns nine
picks before his season was cut short by injury. Former
Cardinals head coach Dennis Green.
Speaker 11 (11:55):
Well, he got MCL ligament early in the game. That's
the type of injury that's four to six weeks, maybe
without an operation, or sometimes it has to be operating
on also, so he'll basically be out for the rest
of the season.
Speaker 6 (12:08):
Before the knee injury, though, there were moments where Kurt
was surgical, especially when throwing to his two Pro Bowl
wide receivers Larry Fitzgerald and Ankwan Bolden back to throw
one er.
Speaker 5 (12:19):
A screen to Bolton over the middle, cut it a
ten bolding to the five, breaks a tack about the
two head Bolden's in touchdown.
Speaker 6 (12:25):
Warner with a five step drop lobs over the middle.
Speaker 5 (12:28):
Fitzgerald leaps got it touchdown. Cardinals.
Speaker 6 (12:31):
Both Fits and Ankwan had one hundred plus catches and
over fourteen hundred yards receiving a piece, so Kurt's expectations
were high for the two thousand and six season until
April rolled around.
Speaker 9 (12:44):
With the tenth choice in the two thousand and six
NFL Draft, the Arizona Cardinals select Matt Liner quarterback Ussam.
Speaker 7 (12:54):
When we drafted Matt. That was the first thing that
went through my mind, is like, is this it for me?
You know, will I even get a chance to compete
moving forward? And if I don't compete here, you know,
what are the chances that, you know, somebody else picks
me up and I get another opportunity.
Speaker 6 (13:11):
Kurt got his chance, his opportunity to stay the starter.
Week one, two thousand and six was game one in
the history of State Farm Stadium, and Kurt played so
well he was named NFC Offensive Player of the Week.
Alas it did not last Week two in Seattle, sacked
five times plus four Kurt fumbles, even though he didn't
(13:32):
lose any. Then back home Week three against Saint Louis,
Kurt was picked three times.
Speaker 5 (13:38):
Warner takes back to throw, has time, fires over the middle,
tipped and it is going to be intercepted at the
five yard line by a Toadway sends it over the
middle and it is going to be picked off at
the forty five yard line. Great diving interception. Warner in
the pocket, fires over the middle, picked off, intercepted in
the ends on by the Rams Dexter Cochley. He takes
(13:58):
a knee and the Ram we'll have the football at
their twenty yard line. Third pick of the day by
Kurt Warner. A nightmare game that just kept getting worse.
Warner under center and he fumbled the ball.
Speaker 15 (14:12):
They fumbled a snap and the Rams have it at
the seventeen.
Speaker 5 (14:16):
Will Witherspoon comes up with it for Saint Louis. Do
you believe that?
Speaker 3 (14:21):
Boy? This is one of those games where it's gonna
leave a mark.
Speaker 6 (14:25):
A faithful fumble that looked bad and sounded worse when
Kurt heard it from the Red Sea.
Speaker 2 (14:34):
I got boot out of stadium.
Speaker 6 (14:35):
Kurt Warner the final fumble there, What did you see
from where you were at?
Speaker 11 (14:38):
Just bumbled it quarterback in the center. We're not together,
you know, and it's hard to say why. We had
a couple of miscues in warm up, which you know,
sent me off my rocker to a certain extent, and
I yelled at the guys a little bit.
Speaker 3 (14:50):
I remember that play and it was the left guard
pulling that actually knocked the ball out of Kurt Warner's hands.
Kurt Warner never told anybody about that, and everyone was
asking in the media, why why did you say anything
about that? And Kurt said, remember it's always the quarterback's fault.
Speaker 6 (15:10):
That's Cardinal's longtime radio analyst Ron Wolfoy and quarterbacks. No,
there's truth to that old saying that QB's get too
much credit and too much Blaine, And in my postgame
interview with the head coach, it was about to be
the latter. Is there anything in particular going on you
think with Kurt?
Speaker 11 (15:27):
I don't know. I mean, I hope not. I mean
I think that we've just gone out and played. Here's
some things that took place that were very well and
some things that didn't. So obviously we're not all on
the same page.
Speaker 6 (15:36):
Foreshadowing because by the next game at Atlanta, Danny Green
was ready to turn the page.
Speaker 5 (15:46):
Warner takes the snap, seven steps straight, drop pressure coming,
Warner rolling right, sack of the ball's loose at the
twenty five and at Lanta recovers in the twenty one
Michael Bowley stripped it and Rob Pullman recovers that another
fumba by Kurt Warner is ten in the last three
games and Atlanta tanks over.
Speaker 6 (16:06):
The ball came out and so did Warner. Q the
Heisman Trophy winner the.
Speaker 5 (16:11):
Matt Lionert era about to begin, Liner ready to take
his first NFL snap.
Speaker 6 (16:16):
Cardinals still lose thirty two to ten, as Liner didn't
fare much better than Warner.
Speaker 5 (16:22):
But let there be a QB question. You have a
quarterback controversy. Who's your starter next week against Kansas City.
Speaker 6 (16:30):
Well, in the postgame locker room, we asked Liner live
on air, what do you know about the quarterback situation
going forward?
Speaker 2 (16:37):
Now?
Speaker 10 (16:38):
Oh, I don't know anything. I'm just gonna be ready
to play whenever I can.
Speaker 11 (16:41):
Matt a start next week.
Speaker 5 (16:42):
Matt stun You heard that right.
Speaker 6 (16:44):
The head coach bum rushed our interview just outside his
office in the Georgia Dome, grabbed the mic and name
Matt the starter on live radio.
Speaker 7 (16:55):
You know as much and as disappointing as that kind
of scenario is. At the same time, you say to yourself,
but I signed up be a part of the Arizona Cardinals,
and my job is not to just be a good
teammates and to help this team win. If I'm starting,
my job is to do whatever I can as a
teammate and an Arizona Cardinal to help this team win, no
(17:15):
matter what my role is.
Speaker 6 (17:17):
And Warner, the mentor was all too familiar with that role.
Speaker 7 (17:21):
You know, I'd been there before, you know, Mark Roger
in Saint Louis, Eli Manning in New York, now, Matt
Leonard in Arizona.
Speaker 2 (17:29):
I knew how to do that. As hard as it was,
that became my role.
Speaker 11 (17:34):
I think he's done a good job, as well as
you can do. I mean, I think that there are
a few veterans Kurt, you know, Bled so, a few
other guys that have been around the league a long
time have been major contributors to the National Football League,
and we're, you know, put in a situation where they
became backups. And Kurt's got a great attitude. He's a
tremendous guy, and I thought he handled it well.
Speaker 6 (17:53):
So even in the face of NonStop change throughout two
thousand and six, from losing fumbles to losing his starting job,
Kurt never lost his signature of faith.
Speaker 7 (18:04):
Always in the back of my mind, I never lost
hope that I still believe I will be the best
quarterback here. I don't know what that means, but every time,
you know, throughout my career, the cream will always rise
to the top. The best player will show himself at
some point, and it will be hard to deny that
person an opportunity to see what they can do. And
(18:25):
that's how I always, you know, went through my entire career.
Speaker 6 (18:29):
And Kurt's career was about to get yet another reboot.
All that changed last offseason, Well more change was coming
in two thousand and seven in more ways than one,
and whether it was a new start or a late start,
because remember Kurt Warner didn't get his first NFL start
(18:52):
until age twenty eight. Kurt handled change in the NFL
like he excelled against a blitzing NFL defense, was at
his best when it was time to read and react.
So in two thousand and seven, with a new coach,
a new offense, a new attitude, and overall a new
culture straight ahead, this was nothing new for Kurt. Heck,
(19:14):
in some ways, change itself was Warner's competitive advantage, and
the more eyes on Kurt, the more he seemed to
separate himself. Because make no mistake, Kurt was a quarterback
who'd been there, done that at the highest level, and
now it was a Cardinals team that needed exactly that
(19:35):
that role model, a team that had talent but needed direction, cohesion,
not necessarily a cheat code, but someone hit the reset
button and what ensued the shock the world Cardinals, or
perhaps the only person that did not shock was the
guy under center, who was at the center of it all.
So when we come back, how would Kurt cope with
(19:57):
another first round pick in his career and how the
end of one season would lead to the postseason. You're
listening to a special Cardinals Folktales edition of The Big
Red Rage Kirk Warner renaissance Man, presented by santan Ford
and Gilbert, and we hope you're enjoying this special Cardinals
(20:19):
Folk Tales edition of The Big Red Rage presented by
santan Ford and Gilbert. I'm Paul calvic Our title. Kurt Warner,
renaissance Man. Went the Hall of Fame quarterback not only
resuscitated his own career, but led a revival of the Cardinals.
Of course, it wasn't easy. Couldn't be easy. Like Kurt's
career itself, there was always a degree of difficulty, whether
(20:44):
it was injury or age, or a first round quarterback
to compete against, or a new coach to convince. And
make no mistake, Kurt had to battle all of the
above going into two thousand and seven, but remember back
in nineteen ninety nine, years after Kurt had made cut
by the Packers after the Rams would then sign him
as a fourth quarterback to compete for the third quarterback spot.
(21:07):
Kurt would start the season opener after a devastating preseason
injury just starter Tran Green, and Kurt would become the
first player in NFL history to throw three touchdown passes
in each of his first three starts, got in a
four win team to a thirteen and three record and
the Super Bowl title. Kurt Warner, the former camp Arm
(21:28):
was NFL MVP, but that was three teams ago and
five years removed from Kurt's last Pro Bowl. So as
we rejoined Cardinals folk tales, it's the off season after
the firing of Cardinals head coach Dennis Green. The new
Cardinals coach in town entering seven put the no into
(21:49):
no nonsense.
Speaker 5 (21:55):
On behalf of the Arizona Cardinals. I want to introduce
our new headfoot well coach Ken wizen Hunt.
Speaker 12 (22:04):
Young quarterbacks that have a bright future like he does,
are hard to find. You know, they don't grow on trees,
so that's an exciting part of this organization.
Speaker 6 (22:13):
Certainly, meet the new boss, same as the old boss,
not exactly new head coach Ken wizon On, a Super
Bowl winning offensive coordinator from the Steelers, where he played
a big part in developing Big Ben young Ben Roethlisberger.
Akin to the Cardinals drafting Matt Liner.
Speaker 12 (22:32):
You've got a high pick in the first round at
a quarterback, and that's always something that has great value
to a team. But I think one of the things
that you always have to be prepared for is who's
your backup, and having a veteran backup, a guy with
the experience of Kurt Warner, it was something that I
felt was a good thing that would be a good
environment for a young quarterback to learn and grow.
Speaker 7 (22:53):
I thought Matt actually played really well his rookie year.
Even though we didn't win any games, he played some
really good football, so you know he was playing well,
but there was just something missing.
Speaker 2 (23:03):
I felt I was that something missing.
Speaker 7 (23:05):
That I had something different that I could lend to
this team to help us get over the top. It
was just a matter of whether I was going to
have the opportunity to show that Kurt would have.
Speaker 6 (23:15):
That opportunity Eventually, Matt Leinert started the two thousand and
seven season opener a three point loss at San Francisco.
Week two at home against Seattle, a three point win
where Liner threw four nearly three hundred yards, Which takes
us to week three, when midway through the second.
Speaker 5 (23:33):
Quarter, we have a quarterback change. We'll confirm whether this
is injury or lated or not. But Matt Lioner's got
his helmet on and he's applauding as Kurt Warner runs
onto the field. Your thoughts on this decision?
Speaker 12 (23:44):
Wolf, Wow, we started running some no huddle offense and
we kind of let Kurt take the reins with that
just because he had more experience. Matt did it, but
you know, obviously checks at the line, communication with players,
you know, those were things that you just want to
put on Matt's play.
Speaker 7 (24:01):
You know, if there's anything that I do, well, let's
drop back and throw the football and be able to,
you know, kind of run the show at the line
of scrimmage. And so they were giving me an opportunity
to show everybody what I was capable of, even if
it was for two minutes here or three minutes there,
or the end of the half or whatever that was.
Speaker 2 (24:17):
I was going in to do what I did.
Speaker 5 (24:19):
Warner back to throw and Hiss passed over the middle
cart boldon forty yard line, forty five midfield and finally
wrapped up with the forty five in Baltimore Territory.
Speaker 1 (24:28):
Oh boy, welcome to the ball game. Kurt Warner lit
up like Jojo the circus boy, and yet stands there
and throws the ball on time.
Speaker 6 (24:38):
That was Kurt's very first play, thirty seven yards day
in kwon Bolden. Kurt was cooking, but there was still
confusion as to why there were two chefs in the
kitchen until we got the scoop down on the sideline.
Let's end some speculation because coach Ken wizen On telling
the sideline reporters at halftime that the appearance of Kurt
Warner was part of a packet. As he called it,
(25:00):
those are his words, he said. If he's similar to
as if you would bring in two tight ends. He
likened it to a two tight end set. It was
by design and it was planned, according to head coach
Ken Wizna. In the third quarter, Liner played almost one
hundred percent of the snaps, bought down twenty three to six.
To start the fourth, Warner checked in and clicked in
to MVP mode.
Speaker 5 (25:21):
Warner takes the snap, drops the throw, pumps, fires over
the middle, touchdown and Kwan Polden and the Cardinals had
their first TV of the game.
Speaker 1 (25:31):
That was a great job by Kurt Warner of looking
off the receiver.
Speaker 5 (25:36):
And credit the Cardinals coaching staffer sticking with right now
the guy that gives him the best chance to move
the ball to Kurt Warner.
Speaker 12 (25:43):
Kurt did really well with that. You know, he was
a naturally, he had the experience, so it really kind
of got your attention. Wow, this guy still got some juice,
you know, and he can help.
Speaker 5 (25:53):
Us the temple. You can tell even though they're going
no huddle is better. Even Warner on his drops quicker
dropping back to thrown in Liner was shotgun snapped to Warner,
three step drough looking firing over the middle. Boldon There
cought ten five folded down. It's a touchdown, Frank quant
Bolden and here come the Cardinals and Kurt Warner.
Speaker 3 (26:14):
Oh, that was a big time throw by Warner.
Speaker 5 (26:17):
Kurt Warner brings the Cardinals back from the dead within
three of Baltimore. Kurt Warner on the last two drives
seven for seven, two touchdowns, both to number eighty one.
Speaker 1 (26:27):
Kurt Warner is a six sixth man. Right now, he
is in the zone.
Speaker 5 (26:31):
Kurt Warner is balling.
Speaker 7 (26:33):
The positive for me was I got to play in
the two minute offense. Like when I went in it
was the no huddle offense, and I got to run
the show.
Speaker 2 (26:41):
And so you know, not only you know.
Speaker 7 (26:44):
Was it probably a little bit unfair to Matt, but
it allowed me to go, Okay, I get to show
you me at my best.
Speaker 6 (26:51):
Cardinals didn't get the win, ultimately falling in Baltimore by
a fuel goal, but did they find the winning formula.
Speaker 3 (26:58):
Anytime your work two quarterbacks into this situation, you know
a change is coming.
Speaker 6 (27:04):
That next week, Warner and Lionerd split time in a
win against Pittsburgh. Next stop Saint Louis. Mid second quarter,
Kurt leads a touchdown drive the next possession, though would
be Linerd's last in two thousand and seven.
Speaker 5 (27:18):
Play fake Lioner did trouble Lionard sack back in the
five yard line. He got drilled by Will Witherspoon, who
came out of delayed blitz and Lionard banged up. He's
gonna have to leave the game. Lioner calling to the
sideline for Kurt Warner and owner's got to find his helmet.
Now he comes running out of the field with a
play clock already at twenty five seconds. They're working on
(27:42):
Linerd's left shoulder.
Speaker 1 (27:43):
You know the way Matt Liner came down on that
shoulder too, which is his throwing shoulder. He came down
on that thing hard.
Speaker 5 (27:52):
Yeah, right away he went and grabbed the shoulder as
soon as he was slammed down.
Speaker 1 (27:57):
Boy, you don't like to see that right there.
Speaker 6 (27:59):
The headline is going to read, Kurt Warner back in
Saint Louis. Looks like the rest of this game, maybe
the rest of the foreseeable future. Left collarbone injury on
Matt Liner is the official word return doubtful.
Speaker 12 (28:10):
We missed a pick up on a pressure against the
Rams I think it was, and knocked Matt out. When
that happened, it was, you know, obviously a setback for Matt,
but we felt, well, now we're going to see about
Kurt just in being able to run the offense. Which
you know, that's the reason that you feel comfortable about
having a guy like that is because of his experience.
(28:31):
So when that happened, We were disappointed for Matt, but
you know, obviously we felt good about Kurt.
Speaker 7 (28:39):
I know as well as anybody. I got my opportunity
because somebody got injured, and you never wish that upon anybody.
But obviously, you know, going to Saint Louis and Matt
suffering the separated shoulder, was that opportunity for me to
get back in there and kind of run the show again.
Speaker 6 (28:56):
Of course, it wasn't without its challenges, like the very
next against Carolina and Pro Bowl pass rusher Julius Peppers.
Speaker 5 (29:04):
Back to throat, goes Warner, pressure and bubble the ball,
Pepper sacked him and the balls lose and Peppers has
it at the thirty seven yard line and Peppers fell
on Warner's left arm, and Warner shaking his elbow as
he came off.
Speaker 12 (29:17):
You know, he was convinced that he could still play,
and that's the reason he's in the Hall of Fame
because of that mentality. He believed in himself and you
know he certainly backed it up.
Speaker 6 (29:28):
Just talk to the Cardinals coaches.
Speaker 2 (29:29):
Kurt Warner is.
Speaker 6 (29:30):
The starter today, guys, full go until he shows he
can't handle the pain. Essentially, he is going to do
everything they possibly have in the playbook as if he
was fully healthy until he demonstrates otherwise. In fact, look
for him to hand the ball off exclusively with his
right hand. He'll be backhanding some of the handoffs just
to keep some of the strain off the left arm.
Speaker 3 (29:50):
The number one prerequisite to playing that position, you had
to be tough. You would not be able to play
it well if you are not a tough individual.
Speaker 2 (29:59):
But he was tall.
Speaker 12 (30:00):
There was no way that you were going to get
him out, you know, even with the elbow. And it's
a credit to his toughness and his drive and his competitiveness.
Speaker 1 (30:09):
You got a guy with no tendon in his left elbow,
with tape jobs and braces that he's completing passes.
Speaker 6 (30:16):
Kirk played every game the rest of the way in
seven and finished the last month on fire, throwing three
touchdown passes in each of the final four games.
Speaker 12 (30:25):
In the last half of that two thousand and seven season,
we kind of honed in on what he did well,
what we did well, and we became a lot better
as a team. We finished the year, you know, eight
and eight, which was big for us.
Speaker 7 (30:37):
Things started to change for us that people started to
see me as the player that I was, and people
started to see our team and saying, this team's got
some pieces, this team's got a chance. You know now
that they you know, they're starting to build something that
you know, they could turn the corner and this could
be a different Arizona Cardinal team than we've seen in
(30:58):
the bass. You know, I remember going in and having
a conversation with coach just basically saying, is this at
OVID competition? Is the best player going to play? How
is this you know, really going to play out? I
just want to know for my mindset going in, do
I have a chance to play?
Speaker 2 (31:18):
And he told me yes.
Speaker 12 (31:19):
We thought because of the way we finished the two
thousand and seven season that it was fair to give
him a chance. It was good to see how they
handled it. It was good to see how the competition went.
And you know, in all fairness, Kurt won it.
Speaker 6 (31:31):
And the decisive moment was the all important third preseason
game when Liner threw three picks with a passer rating
of just two point eight, soon after Warner went from
mentor to starter.
Speaker 5 (31:44):
You know, it was a fair chance.
Speaker 10 (31:45):
I believe, I really do believe that, and I think
we both played well and they made a decision with Kurt.
That's as simple as that. And this is my job
to stay focused and to prepare every single day like
I'm the starter. That's what I'm going to do, take
advantage of the reps when I do get it, and
support him one hundred percent.
Speaker 16 (32:00):
Believe that I can bring something to any team that
I'm with. I believe I can do that with this
team here. I think the coaches have seen that, and
with that experience in what we started last year, I
think that probably gave me the leg up over anything up.
Speaker 6 (32:12):
And down would describe the two thousand and eight regular season.
Kurt had a perfect passer rating Week two against the Dolphins.
Cardinals won an ot thriller against the Cowboys on a
block punt in the end zone. Cardinals would clinch the
division title early, but down the stretch there was a
lopside of loss at Philly on Thanksgiving night, a snow game,
(32:32):
jack stomping in New England, leading to that worst playoff
team ever Moniker, but Kurt Warner would finish with the
third best passer rating in the league, loss three one
thousand yard receivers and once the Big Red got to
the postseason. Well, like Ron Wolfley says, hold on to
your butts, it's a playflicker. Warner gonna throw deep near sight,
(32:53):
going for fans. He's in double coverage. It doesn't matter.
He caught it anyway. Touchdown.
Speaker 1 (32:58):
Cardinals owner could throw a twinkie into a toaster. I
mean this guy is on fire.
Speaker 5 (33:06):
Warner with a ton of time throwing right side, fits open, caught.
Speaker 15 (33:09):
In the five, heading for the pylon, and he is
gonna be ruled Eyo cardinal worry Fitzgerald.
Speaker 5 (33:18):
Warner takes back to throw faith left side.
Speaker 15 (33:21):
Fitzgerald kick on it, touchdown, his third of the day.
It's twenty to six Arizona.
Speaker 1 (33:27):
Wow, Kurt Warner isn't in the zone. He is the zone.
Speaker 5 (33:32):
That's it. The Tordles half shot the world.
Speaker 2 (33:35):
It's raight for true. The Cords have done it.
Speaker 5 (33:38):
They're going to Super Bowl forty three.
Speaker 6 (33:41):
The QB, who was supposedly on the down side of
his career, showed the world how much upside there really
was in his game and his team were.
Speaker 13 (33:51):
Nobody else believed in us. We're nobody else believed in me.
You guys did, and we're going to Super Bowl.
Speaker 6 (34:00):
A surreal moment because unlike the Cardinals franchise, Kurt he'd
been to the big game before. It's twice, a fact
not lost on fans, opponents, and most importantly his old
mocker room. They believe like oldlyman Douce Lutui and receiver
Larry Fitzgerald.
Speaker 8 (34:18):
The threat he imposed upon the defense, I mean he
had them on their toes and he saw the magnificence.
I mean he changed the team mentality inside out.
Speaker 17 (34:29):
His experience, his knowledge of the game. He knows exactly
what's going on. It's hard for you to confuse them
because he's seen.
Speaker 5 (34:34):
Every look you can throw at him. He's seen every blitz.
Speaker 17 (34:37):
His demeanors is so I've been there before, I've done this,
and he is really comforting to look in his eyes
and know that he's done this before.
Speaker 2 (34:44):
And you got to do out to go out there and.
Speaker 5 (34:45):
Just make sure you do your job. Warner. The pass
with time fires over the middle of the fens. Caught
it to forty five. Good day, but this loose forty thirdy.
Speaker 15 (34:53):
Goodbye, Marko's lead.
Speaker 5 (34:56):
Put down where.
Speaker 13 (34:58):
It, Ben Gerrol, you gotta be kidding me.
Speaker 2 (35:03):
To the how Larry Fitzgerald.
Speaker 5 (35:07):
A sixty four yard touchdown pass by Warner to mitz
Gerald and the Cardinals lead Super Bowl forty three.
Speaker 6 (35:15):
Of course, that's Kurt defits with just over two and
a half minutes to play. As we know how that
Super Bowl ended, what we did not know was that
Kurt was not done and he'd yet to play maybe
his greatest game ever.
Speaker 5 (35:35):
Here comes one of the greatest quarterbacks in NFL postseason history,
and that's the Cardinals signal caller, Kurt Warner.
Speaker 7 (35:43):
I think about the last game that I played in
State Fum Stadium or University of Phoenix Stadium. You could
argue it was the best football game that I ever played.
Speaker 5 (35:53):
Fires over the middle of hot inside the ten yard
line inside the five touchdown early do set. Warner's got
times deps up, throws over the middle, gets caught by
two set at the ten, spins out of the tackle
the five, and News takes it up with the tuckdown,
throwing over the middle Fifzgerald wide over to the twenty.
Speaker 15 (36:09):
Most of the ten bits is out where legend does
it again.
Speaker 5 (36:13):
In the flyoff, warnerhead ball floats out of their diving
cats anyway by beds in the ends on touchdown. Warner's
got it back to pass, steps up throws over the middle.
Speaker 15 (36:23):
What a catch, Mike Christ touchdown, Arizona boy.
Speaker 1 (36:28):
I'll tell you he has been absolutely on fire, like
I've never seen him on fire.
Speaker 5 (36:35):
Kurt Warner.
Speaker 6 (36:35):
He had more touchdown passes than he did incompletions. Can
you put his performance into perspective?
Speaker 12 (36:41):
One of the best playoff quarterbacks ever, and Kurt was
in a special place and it showed up today. You
know he was on he was on his game. He
was fired up.
Speaker 6 (36:48):
Kurt's last home game one of the greatest playoff performances
ever and maybe his best game ever where the Cardinals
beat the Packers in overtime.
Speaker 7 (37:00):
I think I played as good a football those three
years with the years on the Cardinals as I did
those three years with the Saint Louis Rams.
Speaker 2 (37:09):
And yes, I.
Speaker 7 (37:10):
Went to two Super Bowls and won two MVPs with
the Rams, but I still believed in my mind I
was just as good a quarterback, if not better, with
the Cardinals.
Speaker 6 (37:19):
Those MVPs and Super Bowls led to the Cardinals' Ring
of Honor and the Pro Football Hall of Fame, not
possible without his career revival in the desert.
Speaker 7 (37:30):
I love the way my career played out. Very few
quarterbacks are able to go from place to place to
place and to have winning and to have culture change
followed them.
Speaker 2 (37:42):
That to me is what I hang on to more
than anything else.
Speaker 6 (37:45):
And there you have it. Cardinals Folk Tales presented by
seventy two sold Kurt Warner Renaissance Man Special thanks to
executive producer Jim al Mahandro associate producer Cody Fincher. My
name is Paul Calvic and we'll leave the last word
to Kurt on what stands out the most.
Speaker 7 (38:03):
There is nothing greater in team sports than being able
to be a catalyst for change.
Speaker 5 (38:18):
And to think.
Speaker 6 (38:19):
Kurt admitted later that he considered retirement in two thousand
and six after first round rookie Matt Liner took over
the starting gig. Yet when Kurt did retire after the
nine season, he held the Cardinals franchise records for completion
percentage and passer rating, as well as three hundred yard
games and consecutive games with a touchdown pass twenty two
(38:40):
in a row. In his six Cardinals postseason games, Kurt
Warner threw four to sixteen touchdowns in only four picks,
and yes, Kurt's two thousand and eight Super Bowl season
featured team records in passer rating and touchdown passes and
completion percentage, and all told, Kurt actually threw four more
passing yards in Arizona than he did in Saint Louis.
But Kurt's impact went so far beyond the box score.
(39:04):
As a Cardinal, Kurt earned the NFL's prestigious Walter Payton
Mann of the Year award, deservedly sold for all his
extensive work in the community. But if there was an
award for culture, Kurt's leadership in the locker room. His
impact throughout the Cardinals organization was poignant and pivotal to
the Cardinals' success ever since. Almost a permanent Big Red Reset.
(39:28):
And when we come back, we'll bring back former Cardinals
Pro Bowl a Ron Wolfley, who called every game of
Kurt Warner's Cardinals career. This is a special Cardinals Folktales
edition to the Big Red Rage, presented by Santan Ford
in Gilbert Legacy of Kurt Warner, the Ring of Honor.
(39:54):
Member of the Hall of Famer not only changed the culture,
but he changed the game in so many ways. For
the Arizona Cardinals. It's our very special Cardinals Folk Tales
edition of The Big Red Rage, presented by Santan Ford
and Gilbert Paul kelvic Ron Wolfley. For wrapping it up,
think about a wolf. He was the point man, the
trigger man for the greatest show on turf, and then
(40:17):
he was the trigger man, the catalyst for change. That
was the shock the world.
Speaker 5 (40:21):
Cardinals.
Speaker 6 (40:22):
Kurt Warner didn't just lead to franchises to.
Speaker 5 (40:25):
The Super Bowl.
Speaker 6 (40:26):
He really revolutionized and reset a couple of franchises into
winning ways that were lasting in so many ways.
Speaker 3 (40:36):
He really did Pully. And you know, of course, there
are always when you talk about a football player, tangibles
and there are intangibles, and Kurt had them both. The tangible,
very tangible physical presence that Kurt had because of his
incredible accuracy. He was one of the more accurate quarterbacks
that has ever played in the National Football League. His
(40:58):
release to Paul, that thing would come out quickly from
Kurt Warner in not only that but his brain. Those
were the physical attributes of Kurt, those were the things
he really brought to the football field. But the intangibles
that came with that Paulie. He had one of the
greatest gifts that any quarterback could ever have, and that
(41:20):
was to keep your eyes down the field, regardless of
what it was going on around you. Paul That I'll
never forget that. Just watching Kurt, it was astounding. And
I've said this many times, PAULI, but to see the
pocket collapsing around Kurt Warner and suddenly you thought he
was sacked, and then this arm would come out, and Paul,
(41:42):
You've seen this from the sideline many times. This arm
would come out from the all of these helmets that
were around him and suddenly throw a strike on the
deep end coming into and kwombolden his ability to keep
his eyes downfield. Just second into none ball.
Speaker 6 (42:01):
The pocket would swallow up Kurt Warner and then this
periscope would come out like a submarine, and then the
ball's downfield. The accuracy, the anticipation, the ability to read
and react, all skills honed in the Arena League ultra fast.
You had to be really quick with your mind and
with the release. Think about some of the all time
moments too, not just the biggest moments. We talked about
(42:22):
the five touchdowns and only four incompletions out dueling an
Aaron Rodgers. We talked about that the Super Bowl run,
but don't forget about late fourth quarter playoff opener against Atlanta,
third and sixteen, Roun Wolfleu, when you're looking to seal
the game.
Speaker 3 (42:37):
Incredible, Palie that you bring that up right there, because yes,
this is when I think of Kurt Warner. I think
of this play as well. This was a critical point
in the game. The Cardinals were trying to ice the deal.
They had a third and sixteen. Is that what it was?
Polly again, a third and sixteen, and suddenly they run
(42:58):
Steven Spock the tight end. Now Steven Spock was a
good football player, Okay he was, but man, this was
no This was no juggernaut when it came to receptions
and kwon Bolden, Yes, Larry Fitzgerald, Yes, Steve Breston, Yes,
you know Steven Spock. No, not on a third string
tight end exactly. And yet Kurt Warner hit him down
(43:19):
the scene to ice this game, to put it on
ice for the Cardinals. And that is that is something
that Kurt also did. He would throw the ball to
the open man and did not care. He cared about schemes.
Kurt was all about the scheme and not just the
skulls that were fulfilling the scheme. He cared about the
(43:41):
scheme and he would throw it to the open man.
And because of that, one of the greatest moments in
Cardinal history throwing to Steven Spock on third and sixteen.
Speaker 6 (43:52):
It didn't get set enough. He was almost like a
de facto offensive coordinator. He would work with Todd Haley
in the offensive staff in devising the game plan. They
would wait on a Monday, and then the toughness look
mentally tough, physically tough. I mean he almost got ripped
apart by Julius Peppers and then all of a sudden
he had to learn to hand the ball off with
his throwing arm because his left arm was no longer functional.
(44:14):
So there was the toughness aspect of being a quarterback
as well.
Speaker 3 (44:17):
That is something that nobody talks enough about in regard
to gray Beard as well, and the reason being Paully
is because think of how many hits he took. Now
you know, listen, Kurt's gonna tell you I could run,
Are you kidding me? I could run?
Speaker 2 (44:32):
Right?
Speaker 3 (44:32):
Kurt still in his day says he could have run
the ball a lot more. And you know, but I
don't know about that gray Beard. All I know is
he took a beating many many times inside the pocket
when that arm wouldn't come out.
Speaker 6 (44:46):
And to think his career started in Packers' training camp
nineteen ninety four when his future wife Brenda watched and
heard a fan say, nah, that Kurt Warning guy's just
a camp arm. And then she realized camp arm meant
you're not gonna make the team. And after that he
made the Hall of Fame, and he changed the fortunes
of two franchises, including the Arizona Cardinals. For executive producer
Jim Amhandro, associate producer Cody Fincher, Ron Wolfley on Paul
(45:09):
calveyc this has been a Cardinals Foktales edition of The
Big Red Rage presented by santan Ford in Gilbert.
Speaker 4 (45:21):
You've been listening to The Big Red Rage presented by
santan Ford and Gilbert right on the Price right on
the corner of the Santan two to two Freeway in Balvista.
Speaker 5 (45:33):
The Rage is.
Speaker 4 (45:34):
Brought to you by seat Geek, your ticket to Great Seats,
and by Arizona Cardinals podcasts. Visit azcardinals dot com Slash podcast.
This has been an exclusive presentation of the Arizona Cardinals
football Club
Strap on the boots and scrape up the knuckles.
Speaker 2 (00:04):
Hold ahead.
Speaker 3 (00:05):
He got jacked.
Speaker 4 (00:06):
This is the Big Red Rage presented by santan Ford
and Gilbert.
Speaker 5 (00:12):
Barry's Gonna score touchdown Slim to the ground by Buddha
Baker Like a torpedo. He came flying into the backfield.
Speaker 4 (00:21):
The rage is brought to you by santan Ford and
Gilbert right on the Price right on the corner of
the Santan two to two Freeway in bal Vista Seek
your Ticket to Great Seats, and by Arizona Cardinals Podcast.
Visit Azycardinals dot Com, Slash Podcast, A.
Speaker 5 (00:40):
Red Seeds Rising Up, Jimp You, Rising Vision, Flurry Rage,
take it over.
Speaker 4 (00:48):
Here's Paul Calvici.
Speaker 5 (00:50):
I'm ready.
Speaker 6 (00:51):
I'm one hundred percent ready.
Speaker 5 (00:52):
I'm telling you I'm ready.
Speaker 2 (00:54):
And Ron Woopley.
Speaker 3 (00:55):
It doesn't get any better than that.
Speaker 6 (00:59):
Fre Kurt Warner isn't just a Cardinals Ring of Honor player,
not just a team record setting quarterback. As if that's
not enough, Kurt Warner stands as his own chapter in
team history. Again, we're not talking about the record books here,
because Kurt set plenty of those. We're talking about if
(01:21):
the book was a Cardinals Big Red Dictionary, and you
looked up the word culture, there'd be a picture of
Kurt Warner, Paul Calvic here, Ron Wolfley there, and wolf
you were there every game of Kurt Warner's career. A
very special Cardinals Folkdales edition of The Big Red Rage,
presented by Santan Ford in Gilbert. What's that old saying?
(01:44):
Be the change you want to see? Kurt Warner was
basically that as a player upon his arrival in Arizona, Old.
Speaker 3 (01:53):
Graybeard Polly, of course everyone, that's what everyone thought he
was when he showed up here from the New York Giants,
and the Giants whatever they did to him, I have
no idea. Kurt has talked about it from time to time,
but the Giants tried to put him in a much
more traditional type offense, I think than what he was
(02:13):
known for, that being the greatest show on turf, and man,
he came here and I'll never forget the buzz of
Old gray Beard Kurt Warner being an Arizona Cardinal. And
then to see where he took it. You want to
talk about a renaissance, Polly, His career was big time renaissance.
Speaker 6 (02:31):
It took a while to figure it out as well.
You know, we'll hear from Denny Green with some all
time colorful sound bites and Wizna reflecting on the greatness
of Kurt Warner. But eventually, when it hit, it took off.
There's no doubt about it. And it's interesting because not
long after his retirement, he did an interview with Dick
Vermal on stage, his old Saint Louis Rams coach. Yeah,
(02:53):
and he actually looked at Dick Vermeal and he said,
you know what, in hindsight, I consider my Cardinal's success
ratifying and rewarding than my Rams career, even though I
want to ring with Saint Louis, just based on the
amount of change that he was responsible for.
Speaker 3 (03:10):
Yeah, Paul, you stop and think about h Iman. Kurt
Warner came in here and he was the fire. He
was the fire, the spark that hit the wood, the
fuel that was here metaphorically speaking, when you think about
it, it was a Kwon Bolden, It was Larry Fitzgerald that
was here. It was Carlos Dansby, Darnell docketed Er, Trian Barry, Paul,
(03:32):
these guys that were great pros. That fuel that was here,
and Kirk came in here, and he was like the
spark that ignited that fire. Just watching him go about
his business too, in the professionalism that he brought, the
poise that he brought to that position. It was like
when he stepped into the huddle, he looked at his
(03:52):
teammates and said, I got this.
Speaker 6 (03:55):
And he brought that accountability which is always a core
part of culture. I can't tell you how many times
as the sideline reporter, especially if you're a young receiver
and you messed it up, you would hear from Kurt
Warner before he even got off the field. How many
times did he have a shouting match with Todd Haley
on the sideline over what was going on with the
game plan or what Kurt was it was not seen,
(04:16):
and they'd scream at each other for ten seconds, and
then ten seconds later they'd be looking over each other's
shoulder at some film clips or some pictures like their
BFFs all over again.
Speaker 3 (04:24):
You had a great relationship. I remember you specifically talking
about that bally being on the sideline and seeing that unfold.
Iron sharpens iron, right, and those two guys sharpened each other.
There's no doubt about that.
Speaker 6 (04:40):
Here's one of my favorite anecdotes. Super Bowl Sunday, super
Bowl forty three. You were on this bus. Well, we
got out of the team hotel, we got on the
bus and you remember us media guys get in the back,
and the tension on that bus. You needed a chainsaw
to cut through it. Yeah, the nerves, guys were so nervous.
You wondered if it was going to be debilitating. You
(05:01):
could hear a guy swallow five rows away and the
last out of board, no joke, Kurt Warner, and he
got on that bus without a care in the world.
And he's fist bumping the bus driver and he's dapping
guys up and he's having Nobody had said a word,
and Kurt Warner was a chatterbox and he's just and
everyone in the bus realized simultaneously, Oh, yeah, we have
(05:21):
a quarterback who's been here and done this twice. We
have a Super Bowl MVP quarterback. He's going to lead us.
And how often I think he was the catalyst of
change without even knowing it. Yeah, because all eyes were
on him at all times.
Speaker 3 (05:36):
Paully, you have no idea what kind of impact that
truly can have on a football team. I've talked about
it many times. When a legend like Kurt Warner, when
he steps into the huddle and he calls the play,
every head snaps up. It's the respect, the inherent respect
that Kurt Warner had that really added to all the
goodness that he brought here.
Speaker 6 (05:58):
And so when we come back, we're gonna hear it
for ourselves. Kurt Warner renaissance man on this very special
Cardinals Folktales edition of The Big Red Rage presented by
santan Ford in Gilbert, Welcome back into our special Cardinals
(06:19):
Folktales edition of The Big Red Rage presented by santan
Ford and Gilbert. I'm Paul Calvic and his current Warner
has always liked to say no one had ever gone
from Aisle seven to the Hall of Fame, meaning there
wasn't a precedent, There wasn't some roadmap that he could
follow for a football player to go from stocking the
(06:40):
shelves at an Iowa grocery store to having your bust
on display in Candon, Ohio. It's why Kurt's life story
literally became a movie script. American Underdog. By the way,
great watch as the Saint also goes some players take
the elevator to the top, and some take the stairs.
(07:00):
Kurt's path involved a few hard right turns, construction detours
to the Arena League, and overseas through NFL Europe. Kurt
k new he could play, but could he convince the
NFL decision makers? And then out of nowhere, it happened
in Saint Louis of the Rams, two time NFL MVP,
Super Bowl MVP, and then in Arizona. But for everything
(07:25):
fans saw of Kurt Warner out on that field and
up on that screen, it was Kurt behind the scenes
who was just as impressive and impactful. In Cardinal's folktales,
we dive into the archives, So let's hit the rewind
button on the renaissance man, Kurt Warner. When the Red
Sea witnessed see change in their football fortunes.
Speaker 7 (07:55):
Very few quarterbacks are able to go from place to
place to place and to have winning and to have
culture change follow them.
Speaker 5 (08:04):
Kurt Warner brings the Cardinals back from the dead.
Speaker 8 (08:07):
I mean he changed the team mentality inside out.
Speaker 7 (08:11):
I don't think there was any doubt in six of
what I could do. The doubt was whether I would
get the opportunity to do it.
Speaker 9 (08:18):
In Arizona, Cardinals select Matt Lioner a quarterback.
Speaker 5 (08:22):
Ussam, you have a quarterback controversy. Who's your starter next
week against Kansas City?
Speaker 6 (08:27):
What do you know about the quarterback situation going forward?
Speaker 5 (08:30):
Now?
Speaker 10 (08:30):
Oh, I don't know anything. I'm just going to be
ready to play whenever I can.
Speaker 11 (08:33):
Matti start next week.
Speaker 2 (08:34):
Matt stunt.
Speaker 7 (08:35):
I was never afraid of competition, but I was always
afraid of unfair competition.
Speaker 5 (08:41):
We have a quarterback change.
Speaker 12 (08:43):
We kind of honed in on what he did well,
what we did well, and we became a lot better.
Speaker 7 (08:48):
As the locker room knows, and oftentimes it's the locker
room that dictates things more than even the organization of
the coaching staff.
Speaker 6 (08:55):
Kurt Warner was the change. Kurt Warner was there. What
Kurt in the locker room knew the rest of the
world would soon find out.
Speaker 2 (09:05):
This is kind of how it's always been for me.
Speaker 8 (09:08):
I mean kind of since there's still a gas in
the tank.
Speaker 5 (09:13):
Kurt Warner looks like the man that won two MVPs.
In a Super Bowl MVP when he was in Saint.
Speaker 8 (09:19):
Louis, Kurt ended up taking over and he saw the magnificence.
Speaker 3 (09:23):
He still got that MVP form.
Speaker 12 (09:26):
It really kind of got your attention. Wow, this guy
still got some juice.
Speaker 7 (09:30):
Could I do enough in a short period of time
to convince people if we just ride this out, we've
got a chance.
Speaker 1 (09:38):
Well, gray Beard showing that his beard isn't quite as
gray as most people think.
Speaker 6 (09:43):
And think differently is what Kurt Warner forced people to do.
He changed minds both about his own career and the
state of the franchises he played for. Welcome in to
Cardinals Folk Tales Renaissance Man presented by seventy two sold
where we go in depth into Cardinals history, all time
(10:03):
anecdotes through the recollections and memories of those who lived
it or, in my case, those who covered it. My
name is Paul Calvic, Cardinals sideline reporter. Kurt Warner was
done more than once until he wasn't until he earned
one more chance and delivered.
Speaker 5 (10:19):
He did.
Speaker 7 (10:20):
There is nothing greater in team sports than being able
to be a catalyst for change.
Speaker 13 (10:25):
We're nobody else believed in us. We're nobody else believed
in me. You guys did, and we're going to the
Super Bowl.
Speaker 3 (10:35):
Give them that gold jacket they get when they go
to the Hall of Fame.
Speaker 14 (10:48):
I hope to have another chapter here that can weigh
evenly with what I did in Saint Louis. And that's
really the objective and why I came here, had to
do all about the Arizona Cardinals and what they're trying
to do here.
Speaker 6 (11:00):
In March of two thousand and five, the only one
who truly believed Kurt Warner would come anywhere close to
his Saint Louis Rams glory was Kurt himself. He inked
a one year, four million dollar deal at age thirty three,
his third team in three years. Kurt was fresh off
losing his job in New York to rookie Eli Manning.
(11:20):
In fact, his last game as a starter was against
the Cardinals, where Kurt was sacked how many times at
Sun Devil Stadium.
Speaker 5 (11:28):
It comes a blitz and Warner is sacked again by Berry.
Four sacks for pertrand Berry six for the Cardinals.
Speaker 6 (11:36):
Today, wellp if you can't beat them, join them. Kirk
played in ten games in two thousand and five. The
Cardinals went to and eight in those games. During a
five and eleven season, Kurt throwing for eleven touchdowns nine
picks before his season was cut short by injury. Former
Cardinals head coach Dennis Green.
Speaker 11 (11:55):
Well, he got MCL ligament early in the game. That's
the type of injury that's four to six weeks, maybe
without an operation, or sometimes it has to be operating
on also, so he'll basically be out for the rest
of the season.
Speaker 6 (12:08):
Before the knee injury, though, there were moments where Kurt
was surgical, especially when throwing to his two Pro Bowl
wide receivers Larry Fitzgerald and Ankwan Bolden back to throw
one er.
Speaker 5 (12:19):
A screen to Bolton over the middle, cut it a
ten bolding to the five, breaks a tack about the
two head Bolden's in touchdown.
Speaker 6 (12:25):
Warner with a five step drop lobs over the middle.
Speaker 5 (12:28):
Fitzgerald leaps got it touchdown. Cardinals.
Speaker 6 (12:31):
Both Fits and Ankwan had one hundred plus catches and
over fourteen hundred yards receiving a piece, so Kurt's expectations
were high for the two thousand and six season until
April rolled around.
Speaker 9 (12:44):
With the tenth choice in the two thousand and six
NFL Draft, the Arizona Cardinals select Matt Liner quarterback Ussam.
Speaker 7 (12:54):
When we drafted Matt. That was the first thing that
went through my mind, is like, is this it for me?
You know, will I even get a chance to compete
moving forward? And if I don't compete here, you know,
what are the chances that, you know, somebody else picks
me up and I get another opportunity.
Speaker 6 (13:11):
Kurt got his chance, his opportunity to stay the starter.
Week one, two thousand and six was game one in
the history of State Farm Stadium, and Kurt played so
well he was named NFC Offensive Player of the Week.
Alas it did not last Week two in Seattle, sacked
five times plus four Kurt fumbles, even though he didn't
(13:32):
lose any. Then back home Week three against Saint Louis,
Kurt was picked three times.
Speaker 5 (13:38):
Warner takes back to throw, has time, fires over the middle,
tipped and it is going to be intercepted at the
five yard line by a Toadway sends it over the
middle and it is going to be picked off at
the forty five yard line. Great diving interception. Warner in
the pocket, fires over the middle, picked off, intercepted in
the ends on by the Rams Dexter Cochley. He takes
(13:58):
a knee and the Ram we'll have the football at
their twenty yard line. Third pick of the day by
Kurt Warner. A nightmare game that just kept getting worse.
Warner under center and he fumbled the ball.
Speaker 15 (14:12):
They fumbled a snap and the Rams have it at
the seventeen.
Speaker 5 (14:16):
Will Witherspoon comes up with it for Saint Louis. Do
you believe that?
Speaker 3 (14:21):
Boy? This is one of those games where it's gonna
leave a mark.
Speaker 6 (14:25):
A faithful fumble that looked bad and sounded worse when
Kurt heard it from the Red Sea.
Speaker 2 (14:34):
I got boot out of stadium.
Speaker 6 (14:35):
Kurt Warner the final fumble there, What did you see
from where you were at?
Speaker 11 (14:38):
Just bumbled it quarterback in the center. We're not together,
you know, and it's hard to say why. We had
a couple of miscues in warm up, which you know,
sent me off my rocker to a certain extent, and
I yelled at the guys a little bit.
Speaker 3 (14:50):
I remember that play and it was the left guard
pulling that actually knocked the ball out of Kurt Warner's hands.
Kurt Warner never told anybody about that, and everyone was
asking in the media, why why did you say anything
about that? And Kurt said, remember it's always the quarterback's fault.
Speaker 6 (15:10):
That's Cardinal's longtime radio analyst Ron Wolfoy and quarterbacks. No,
there's truth to that old saying that QB's get too
much credit and too much Blaine, And in my postgame
interview with the head coach, it was about to be
the latter. Is there anything in particular going on you
think with Kurt?
Speaker 11 (15:27):
I don't know. I mean, I hope not. I mean
I think that we've just gone out and played. Here's
some things that took place that were very well and
some things that didn't. So obviously we're not all on
the same page.
Speaker 6 (15:36):
Foreshadowing because by the next game at Atlanta, Danny Green
was ready to turn the page.
Speaker 5 (15:46):
Warner takes the snap, seven steps straight, drop pressure coming,
Warner rolling right, sack of the ball's loose at the
twenty five and at Lanta recovers in the twenty one
Michael Bowley stripped it and Rob Pullman recovers that another
fumba by Kurt Warner is ten in the last three
games and Atlanta tanks over.
Speaker 6 (16:06):
The ball came out and so did Warner. Q the
Heisman Trophy winner the.
Speaker 5 (16:11):
Matt Lionert era about to begin, Liner ready to take
his first NFL snap.
Speaker 6 (16:16):
Cardinals still lose thirty two to ten, as Liner didn't
fare much better than Warner.
Speaker 5 (16:22):
But let there be a QB question. You have a
quarterback controversy. Who's your starter next week against Kansas City.
Speaker 6 (16:30):
Well, in the postgame locker room, we asked Liner live
on air, what do you know about the quarterback situation
going forward?
Speaker 2 (16:37):
Now?
Speaker 10 (16:38):
Oh, I don't know anything. I'm just gonna be ready
to play whenever I can.
Speaker 11 (16:41):
Matt a start next week.
Speaker 5 (16:42):
Matt stun You heard that right.
Speaker 6 (16:44):
The head coach bum rushed our interview just outside his
office in the Georgia Dome, grabbed the mic and name
Matt the starter on live radio.
Speaker 7 (16:55):
You know as much and as disappointing as that kind
of scenario is. At the same time, you say to yourself,
but I signed up be a part of the Arizona Cardinals,
and my job is not to just be a good
teammates and to help this team win. If I'm starting,
my job is to do whatever I can as a
teammate and an Arizona Cardinal to help this team win, no
(17:15):
matter what my role is.
Speaker 6 (17:17):
And Warner, the mentor was all too familiar with that role.
Speaker 7 (17:21):
You know, I'd been there before, you know, Mark Roger
in Saint Louis, Eli Manning in New York, now, Matt
Leonard in Arizona.
Speaker 2 (17:29):
I knew how to do that. As hard as it was,
that became my role.
Speaker 11 (17:34):
I think he's done a good job, as well as
you can do. I mean, I think that there are
a few veterans Kurt, you know, Bled so, a few
other guys that have been around the league a long
time have been major contributors to the National Football League,
and we're, you know, put in a situation where they
became backups. And Kurt's got a great attitude. He's a
tremendous guy, and I thought he handled it well.
Speaker 6 (17:53):
So even in the face of NonStop change throughout two
thousand and six, from losing fumbles to losing his starting job,
Kurt never lost his signature of faith.
Speaker 7 (18:04):
Always in the back of my mind, I never lost
hope that I still believe I will be the best
quarterback here. I don't know what that means, but every time,
you know, throughout my career, the cream will always rise
to the top. The best player will show himself at
some point, and it will be hard to deny that
person an opportunity to see what they can do. And
(18:25):
that's how I always, you know, went through my entire career.
Speaker 6 (18:29):
And Kurt's career was about to get yet another reboot.
All that changed last offseason, Well more change was coming
in two thousand and seven in more ways than one,
and whether it was a new start or a late start,
because remember Kurt Warner didn't get his first NFL start
(18:52):
until age twenty eight. Kurt handled change in the NFL
like he excelled against a blitzing NFL defense, was at
his best when it was time to read and react.
So in two thousand and seven, with a new coach,
a new offense, a new attitude, and overall a new
culture straight ahead, this was nothing new for Kurt. Heck,
(19:14):
in some ways, change itself was Warner's competitive advantage, and
the more eyes on Kurt, the more he seemed to
separate himself. Because make no mistake, Kurt was a quarterback
who'd been there, done that at the highest level, and
now it was a Cardinals team that needed exactly that
(19:35):
that role model, a team that had talent but needed direction, cohesion,
not necessarily a cheat code, but someone hit the reset
button and what ensued the shock the world Cardinals, or
perhaps the only person that did not shock was the
guy under center, who was at the center of it all.
So when we come back, how would Kurt cope with
(19:57):
another first round pick in his career and how the
end of one season would lead to the postseason. You're
listening to a special Cardinals Folktales edition of The Big
Red Rage Kirk Warner renaissance Man, presented by santan Ford
and Gilbert, and we hope you're enjoying this special Cardinals
(20:19):
Folk Tales edition of The Big Red Rage presented by
santan Ford and Gilbert. I'm Paul calvic Our title. Kurt Warner,
renaissance Man. Went the Hall of Fame quarterback not only
resuscitated his own career, but led a revival of the Cardinals.
Of course, it wasn't easy. Couldn't be easy. Like Kurt's
career itself, there was always a degree of difficulty, whether
(20:44):
it was injury or age, or a first round quarterback
to compete against, or a new coach to convince. And
make no mistake, Kurt had to battle all of the
above going into two thousand and seven, but remember back
in nineteen ninety nine, years after Kurt had made cut
by the Packers after the Rams would then sign him
as a fourth quarterback to compete for the third quarterback spot.
(21:07):
Kurt would start the season opener after a devastating preseason
injury just starter Tran Green, and Kurt would become the
first player in NFL history to throw three touchdown passes
in each of his first three starts, got in a
four win team to a thirteen and three record and
the Super Bowl title. Kurt Warner, the former camp Arm
(21:28):
was NFL MVP, but that was three teams ago and
five years removed from Kurt's last Pro Bowl. So as
we rejoined Cardinals folk tales, it's the off season after
the firing of Cardinals head coach Dennis Green. The new
Cardinals coach in town entering seven put the no into
(21:49):
no nonsense.
Speaker 5 (21:55):
On behalf of the Arizona Cardinals. I want to introduce
our new headfoot well coach Ken wizen Hunt.
Speaker 12 (22:04):
Young quarterbacks that have a bright future like he does,
are hard to find. You know, they don't grow on trees,
so that's an exciting part of this organization.
Speaker 6 (22:13):
Certainly, meet the new boss, same as the old boss,
not exactly new head coach Ken wizon On, a Super
Bowl winning offensive coordinator from the Steelers, where he played
a big part in developing Big Ben young Ben Roethlisberger.
Akin to the Cardinals drafting Matt Liner.
Speaker 12 (22:32):
You've got a high pick in the first round at
a quarterback, and that's always something that has great value
to a team. But I think one of the things
that you always have to be prepared for is who's
your backup, and having a veteran backup, a guy with
the experience of Kurt Warner, it was something that I
felt was a good thing that would be a good
environment for a young quarterback to learn and grow.
Speaker 7 (22:53):
I thought Matt actually played really well his rookie year.
Even though we didn't win any games, he played some
really good football, so you know he was playing well,
but there was just something missing.
Speaker 2 (23:03):
I felt I was that something missing.
Speaker 7 (23:05):
That I had something different that I could lend to
this team to help us get over the top. It
was just a matter of whether I was going to
have the opportunity to show that Kurt would have.
Speaker 6 (23:15):
That opportunity Eventually, Matt Leinert started the two thousand and
seven season opener a three point loss at San Francisco.
Week two at home against Seattle, a three point win
where Liner threw four nearly three hundred yards, Which takes
us to week three, when midway through the second.
Speaker 5 (23:33):
Quarter, we have a quarterback change. We'll confirm whether this
is injury or lated or not. But Matt Lioner's got
his helmet on and he's applauding as Kurt Warner runs
onto the field. Your thoughts on this decision?
Speaker 12 (23:44):
Wolf, Wow, we started running some no huddle offense and
we kind of let Kurt take the reins with that
just because he had more experience. Matt did it, but
you know, obviously checks at the line, communication with players,
you know, those were things that you just want to
put on Matt's play.
Speaker 7 (24:01):
You know, if there's anything that I do, well, let's
drop back and throw the football and be able to,
you know, kind of run the show at the line
of scrimmage. And so they were giving me an opportunity
to show everybody what I was capable of, even if
it was for two minutes here or three minutes there,
or the end of the half or whatever that was.
Speaker 2 (24:17):
I was going in to do what I did.
Speaker 5 (24:19):
Warner back to throw and Hiss passed over the middle
cart boldon forty yard line, forty five midfield and finally
wrapped up with the forty five in Baltimore Territory.
Speaker 1 (24:28):
Oh boy, welcome to the ball game. Kurt Warner lit
up like Jojo the circus boy, and yet stands there
and throws the ball on time.
Speaker 6 (24:38):
That was Kurt's very first play, thirty seven yards day
in kwon Bolden. Kurt was cooking, but there was still
confusion as to why there were two chefs in the
kitchen until we got the scoop down on the sideline.
Let's end some speculation because coach Ken wizen On telling
the sideline reporters at halftime that the appearance of Kurt
Warner was part of a packet. As he called it,
(25:00):
those are his words, he said. If he's similar to
as if you would bring in two tight ends. He
likened it to a two tight end set. It was
by design and it was planned, according to head coach
Ken Wizna. In the third quarter, Liner played almost one
hundred percent of the snaps, bought down twenty three to six.
To start the fourth, Warner checked in and clicked in
to MVP mode.
Speaker 5 (25:21):
Warner takes the snap, drops the throw, pumps, fires over
the middle, touchdown and Kwan Polden and the Cardinals had
their first TV of the game.
Speaker 1 (25:31):
That was a great job by Kurt Warner of looking
off the receiver.
Speaker 5 (25:36):
And credit the Cardinals coaching staffer sticking with right now
the guy that gives him the best chance to move
the ball to Kurt Warner.
Speaker 12 (25:43):
Kurt did really well with that. You know, he was
a naturally, he had the experience, so it really kind
of got your attention. Wow, this guy still got some juice,
you know, and he can help.
Speaker 5 (25:53):
Us the temple. You can tell even though they're going
no huddle is better. Even Warner on his drops quicker
dropping back to thrown in Liner was shotgun snapped to Warner,
three step drough looking firing over the middle. Boldon There
cought ten five folded down. It's a touchdown, Frank quant
Bolden and here come the Cardinals and Kurt Warner.
Speaker 3 (26:14):
Oh, that was a big time throw by Warner.
Speaker 5 (26:17):
Kurt Warner brings the Cardinals back from the dead within
three of Baltimore. Kurt Warner on the last two drives
seven for seven, two touchdowns, both to number eighty one.
Speaker 1 (26:27):
Kurt Warner is a six sixth man. Right now, he
is in the zone.
Speaker 5 (26:31):
Kurt Warner is balling.
Speaker 7 (26:33):
The positive for me was I got to play in
the two minute offense. Like when I went in it
was the no huddle offense, and I got to run
the show.
Speaker 2 (26:41):
And so you know, not only you know.
Speaker 7 (26:44):
Was it probably a little bit unfair to Matt, but
it allowed me to go, Okay, I get to show
you me at my best.
Speaker 6 (26:51):
Cardinals didn't get the win, ultimately falling in Baltimore by
a fuel goal, but did they find the winning formula.
Speaker 3 (26:58):
Anytime your work two quarterbacks into this situation, you know
a change is coming.
Speaker 6 (27:04):
That next week, Warner and Lionerd split time in a
win against Pittsburgh. Next stop Saint Louis. Mid second quarter,
Kurt leads a touchdown drive the next possession, though would
be Linerd's last in two thousand and seven.
Speaker 5 (27:18):
Play fake Lioner did trouble Lionard sack back in the
five yard line. He got drilled by Will Witherspoon, who
came out of delayed blitz and Lionard banged up. He's
gonna have to leave the game. Lioner calling to the
sideline for Kurt Warner and owner's got to find his helmet.
Now he comes running out of the field with a
play clock already at twenty five seconds. They're working on
(27:42):
Linerd's left shoulder.
Speaker 1 (27:43):
You know the way Matt Liner came down on that
shoulder too, which is his throwing shoulder. He came down
on that thing hard.
Speaker 5 (27:52):
Yeah, right away he went and grabbed the shoulder as
soon as he was slammed down.
Speaker 1 (27:57):
Boy, you don't like to see that right there.
Speaker 6 (27:59):
The headline is going to read, Kurt Warner back in
Saint Louis. Looks like the rest of this game, maybe
the rest of the foreseeable future. Left collarbone injury on
Matt Liner is the official word return doubtful.
Speaker 12 (28:10):
We missed a pick up on a pressure against the
Rams I think it was, and knocked Matt out. When
that happened, it was, you know, obviously a setback for Matt,
but we felt, well, now we're going to see about
Kurt just in being able to run the offense. Which
you know, that's the reason that you feel comfortable about
having a guy like that is because of his experience.
(28:31):
So when that happened, We were disappointed for Matt, but
you know, obviously we felt good about Kurt.
Speaker 7 (28:39):
I know as well as anybody. I got my opportunity
because somebody got injured, and you never wish that upon anybody.
But obviously, you know, going to Saint Louis and Matt
suffering the separated shoulder, was that opportunity for me to
get back in there and kind of run the show again.
Speaker 6 (28:56):
Of course, it wasn't without its challenges, like the very
next against Carolina and Pro Bowl pass rusher Julius Peppers.
Speaker 5 (29:04):
Back to throat, goes Warner, pressure and bubble the ball,
Pepper sacked him and the balls lose and Peppers has
it at the thirty seven yard line and Peppers fell
on Warner's left arm, and Warner shaking his elbow as
he came off.
Speaker 12 (29:17):
You know, he was convinced that he could still play,
and that's the reason he's in the Hall of Fame
because of that mentality. He believed in himself and you
know he certainly backed it up.
Speaker 6 (29:28):
Just talk to the Cardinals coaches.
Speaker 2 (29:29):
Kurt Warner is.
Speaker 6 (29:30):
The starter today, guys, full go until he shows he
can't handle the pain. Essentially, he is going to do
everything they possibly have in the playbook as if he
was fully healthy until he demonstrates otherwise. In fact, look
for him to hand the ball off exclusively with his
right hand. He'll be backhanding some of the handoffs just
to keep some of the strain off the left arm.
Speaker 3 (29:50):
The number one prerequisite to playing that position, you had
to be tough. You would not be able to play
it well if you are not a tough individual.
Speaker 2 (29:59):
But he was tall.
Speaker 12 (30:00):
There was no way that you were going to get
him out, you know, even with the elbow. And it's
a credit to his toughness and his drive and his competitiveness.
Speaker 1 (30:09):
You got a guy with no tendon in his left elbow,
with tape jobs and braces that he's completing passes.
Speaker 6 (30:16):
Kirk played every game the rest of the way in
seven and finished the last month on fire, throwing three
touchdown passes in each of the final four games.
Speaker 12 (30:25):
In the last half of that two thousand and seven season,
we kind of honed in on what he did well,
what we did well, and we became a lot better
as a team. We finished the year, you know, eight
and eight, which was big for us.
Speaker 7 (30:37):
Things started to change for us that people started to
see me as the player that I was, and people
started to see our team and saying, this team's got
some pieces, this team's got a chance. You know now
that they you know, they're starting to build something that
you know, they could turn the corner and this could
be a different Arizona Cardinal team than we've seen in
(30:58):
the bass. You know, I remember going in and having
a conversation with coach just basically saying, is this at
OVID competition? Is the best player going to play? How
is this you know, really going to play out? I
just want to know for my mindset going in, do
I have a chance to play?
Speaker 2 (31:18):
And he told me yes.
Speaker 12 (31:19):
We thought because of the way we finished the two
thousand and seven season that it was fair to give
him a chance. It was good to see how they
handled it. It was good to see how the competition went.
And you know, in all fairness, Kurt won it.
Speaker 6 (31:31):
And the decisive moment was the all important third preseason
game when Liner threw three picks with a passer rating
of just two point eight, soon after Warner went from
mentor to starter.
Speaker 5 (31:44):
You know, it was a fair chance.
Speaker 10 (31:45):
I believe, I really do believe that, and I think
we both played well and they made a decision with Kurt.
That's as simple as that. And this is my job
to stay focused and to prepare every single day like
I'm the starter. That's what I'm going to do, take
advantage of the reps when I do get it, and
support him one hundred percent.
Speaker 16 (32:00):
Believe that I can bring something to any team that
I'm with. I believe I can do that with this
team here. I think the coaches have seen that, and
with that experience in what we started last year, I
think that probably gave me the leg up over anything up.
Speaker 6 (32:12):
And down would describe the two thousand and eight regular season.
Kurt had a perfect passer rating Week two against the Dolphins.
Cardinals won an ot thriller against the Cowboys on a
block punt in the end zone. Cardinals would clinch the
division title early, but down the stretch there was a
lopside of loss at Philly on Thanksgiving night, a snow game,
(32:32):
jack stomping in New England, leading to that worst playoff
team ever Moniker, but Kurt Warner would finish with the
third best passer rating in the league, loss three one
thousand yard receivers and once the Big Red got to
the postseason. Well, like Ron Wolfley says, hold on to
your butts, it's a playflicker. Warner gonna throw deep near sight,
(32:53):
going for fans. He's in double coverage. It doesn't matter.
He caught it anyway. Touchdown.
Speaker 1 (32:58):
Cardinals owner could throw a twinkie into a toaster. I
mean this guy is on fire.
Speaker 5 (33:06):
Warner with a ton of time throwing right side, fits open, caught.
Speaker 15 (33:09):
In the five, heading for the pylon, and he is
gonna be ruled Eyo cardinal worry Fitzgerald.
Speaker 5 (33:18):
Warner takes back to throw faith left side.
Speaker 15 (33:21):
Fitzgerald kick on it, touchdown, his third of the day.
It's twenty to six Arizona.
Speaker 1 (33:27):
Wow, Kurt Warner isn't in the zone. He is the zone.
Speaker 5 (33:32):
That's it. The Tordles half shot the world.
Speaker 2 (33:35):
It's raight for true. The Cords have done it.
Speaker 5 (33:38):
They're going to Super Bowl forty three.
Speaker 6 (33:41):
The QB, who was supposedly on the down side of
his career, showed the world how much upside there really
was in his game and his team were.
Speaker 13 (33:51):
Nobody else believed in us. We're nobody else believed in me.
You guys did, and we're going to Super Bowl.
Speaker 6 (34:00):
A surreal moment because unlike the Cardinals franchise, Kurt he'd
been to the big game before. It's twice, a fact
not lost on fans, opponents, and most importantly his old
mocker room. They believe like oldlyman Douce Lutui and receiver
Larry Fitzgerald.
Speaker 8 (34:18):
The threat he imposed upon the defense, I mean he
had them on their toes and he saw the magnificence.
I mean he changed the team mentality inside out.
Speaker 17 (34:29):
His experience, his knowledge of the game. He knows exactly
what's going on. It's hard for you to confuse them
because he's seen.
Speaker 5 (34:34):
Every look you can throw at him. He's seen every blitz.
Speaker 17 (34:37):
His demeanors is so I've been there before, I've done this,
and he is really comforting to look in his eyes
and know that he's done this before.
Speaker 2 (34:44):
And you got to do out to go out there and.
Speaker 5 (34:45):
Just make sure you do your job. Warner. The pass
with time fires over the middle of the fens. Caught
it to forty five. Good day, but this loose forty thirdy.
Speaker 15 (34:53):
Goodbye, Marko's lead.
Speaker 5 (34:56):
Put down where.
Speaker 13 (34:58):
It, Ben Gerrol, you gotta be kidding me.
Speaker 2 (35:03):
To the how Larry Fitzgerald.
Speaker 5 (35:07):
A sixty four yard touchdown pass by Warner to mitz
Gerald and the Cardinals lead Super Bowl forty three.
Speaker 6 (35:15):
Of course, that's Kurt defits with just over two and
a half minutes to play. As we know how that
Super Bowl ended, what we did not know was that
Kurt was not done and he'd yet to play maybe
his greatest game ever.
Speaker 5 (35:35):
Here comes one of the greatest quarterbacks in NFL postseason history,
and that's the Cardinals signal caller, Kurt Warner.
Speaker 7 (35:43):
I think about the last game that I played in
State Fum Stadium or University of Phoenix Stadium. You could
argue it was the best football game that I ever played.
Speaker 5 (35:53):
Fires over the middle of hot inside the ten yard
line inside the five touchdown early do set. Warner's got
times deps up, throws over the middle, gets caught by
two set at the ten, spins out of the tackle
the five, and News takes it up with the tuckdown,
throwing over the middle Fifzgerald wide over to the twenty.
Speaker 15 (36:09):
Most of the ten bits is out where legend does
it again.
Speaker 5 (36:13):
In the flyoff, warnerhead ball floats out of their diving
cats anyway by beds in the ends on touchdown. Warner's
got it back to pass, steps up throws over the middle.
Speaker 15 (36:23):
What a catch, Mike Christ touchdown, Arizona boy.
Speaker 1 (36:28):
I'll tell you he has been absolutely on fire, like
I've never seen him on fire.
Speaker 5 (36:35):
Kurt Warner.
Speaker 6 (36:35):
He had more touchdown passes than he did incompletions. Can
you put his performance into perspective?
Speaker 12 (36:41):
One of the best playoff quarterbacks ever, and Kurt was
in a special place and it showed up today. You
know he was on he was on his game. He
was fired up.
Speaker 6 (36:48):
Kurt's last home game one of the greatest playoff performances
ever and maybe his best game ever where the Cardinals
beat the Packers in overtime.
Speaker 7 (37:00):
I think I played as good a football those three
years with the years on the Cardinals as I did
those three years with the Saint Louis Rams.
Speaker 2 (37:09):
And yes, I.
Speaker 7 (37:10):
Went to two Super Bowls and won two MVPs with
the Rams, but I still believed in my mind I
was just as good a quarterback, if not better, with
the Cardinals.
Speaker 6 (37:19):
Those MVPs and Super Bowls led to the Cardinals' Ring
of Honor and the Pro Football Hall of Fame, not
possible without his career revival in the desert.
Speaker 7 (37:30):
I love the way my career played out. Very few
quarterbacks are able to go from place to place to
place and to have winning and to have culture change
followed them.
Speaker 2 (37:42):
That to me is what I hang on to more
than anything else.
Speaker 6 (37:45):
And there you have it. Cardinals Folk Tales presented by
seventy two sold Kurt Warner Renaissance Man Special thanks to
executive producer Jim al Mahandro associate producer Cody Fincher. My
name is Paul Calvic and we'll leave the last word
to Kurt on what stands out the most.
Speaker 7 (38:03):
There is nothing greater in team sports than being able
to be a catalyst for change.
Speaker 5 (38:18):
And to think.
Speaker 6 (38:19):
Kurt admitted later that he considered retirement in two thousand
and six after first round rookie Matt Liner took over
the starting gig. Yet when Kurt did retire after the
nine season, he held the Cardinals franchise records for completion
percentage and passer rating, as well as three hundred yard
games and consecutive games with a touchdown pass twenty two
(38:40):
in a row. In his six Cardinals postseason games, Kurt
Warner threw four to sixteen touchdowns in only four picks,
and yes, Kurt's two thousand and eight Super Bowl season
featured team records in passer rating and touchdown passes and
completion percentage, and all told, Kurt actually threw four more
passing yards in Arizona than he did in Saint Louis.
But Kurt's impact went so far beyond the box score.
(39:04):
As a Cardinal, Kurt earned the NFL's prestigious Walter Payton
Mann of the Year award, deservedly sold for all his
extensive work in the community. But if there was an
award for culture, Kurt's leadership in the locker room. His
impact throughout the Cardinals organization was poignant and pivotal to
the Cardinals' success ever since. Almost a permanent Big Red Reset.
(39:28):
And when we come back, we'll bring back former Cardinals
Pro Bowl a Ron Wolfley, who called every game of
Kurt Warner's Cardinals career. This is a special Cardinals Folktales
edition to the Big Red Rage, presented by Santan Ford
in Gilbert Legacy of Kurt Warner, the Ring of Honor.
(39:54):
Member of the Hall of Famer not only changed the culture,
but he changed the game in so many ways. For
the Arizona Cardinals. It's our very special Cardinals Folk Tales
edition of The Big Red Rage, presented by Santan Ford
and Gilbert Paul kelvic Ron Wolfley. For wrapping it up,
think about a wolf. He was the point man, the
trigger man for the greatest show on turf, and then
(40:17):
he was the trigger man, the catalyst for change. That
was the shock the world.
Speaker 5 (40:21):
Cardinals.
Speaker 6 (40:22):
Kurt Warner didn't just lead to franchises to.
Speaker 5 (40:25):
The Super Bowl.
Speaker 6 (40:26):
He really revolutionized and reset a couple of franchises into
winning ways that were lasting in so many ways.
Speaker 3 (40:36):
He really did Pully. And you know, of course, there
are always when you talk about a football player, tangibles
and there are intangibles, and Kurt had them both. The tangible,
very tangible physical presence that Kurt had because of his
incredible accuracy. He was one of the more accurate quarterbacks
that has ever played in the National Football League. His
(40:58):
release to Paul, that thing would come out quickly from
Kurt Warner in not only that but his brain. Those
were the physical attributes of Kurt, those were the things
he really brought to the football field. But the intangibles
that came with that Paulie. He had one of the
greatest gifts that any quarterback could ever have, and that
(41:20):
was to keep your eyes down the field, regardless of
what it was going on around you. Paul That I'll
never forget that. Just watching Kurt, it was astounding. And
I've said this many times, PAULI, but to see the
pocket collapsing around Kurt Warner and suddenly you thought he
was sacked, and then this arm would come out, and Paul,
(41:42):
You've seen this from the sideline many times. This arm
would come out from the all of these helmets that
were around him and suddenly throw a strike on the
deep end coming into and kwombolden his ability to keep
his eyes downfield. Just second into none ball.
Speaker 6 (42:01):
The pocket would swallow up Kurt Warner and then this
periscope would come out like a submarine, and then the
ball's downfield. The accuracy, the anticipation, the ability to read
and react, all skills honed in the Arena League ultra fast.
You had to be really quick with your mind and
with the release. Think about some of the all time
moments too, not just the biggest moments. We talked about
(42:22):
the five touchdowns and only four incompletions out dueling an
Aaron Rodgers. We talked about that the Super Bowl run,
but don't forget about late fourth quarter playoff opener against Atlanta,
third and sixteen, Roun Wolfleu, when you're looking to seal
the game.
Speaker 3 (42:37):
Incredible, Palie that you bring that up right there, because yes,
this is when I think of Kurt Warner. I think
of this play as well. This was a critical point
in the game. The Cardinals were trying to ice the deal.
They had a third and sixteen. Is that what it was?
Polly again, a third and sixteen, and suddenly they run
(42:58):
Steven Spock the tight end. Now Steven Spock was a
good football player, Okay he was, but man, this was
no This was no juggernaut when it came to receptions
and kwon Bolden, Yes, Larry Fitzgerald, Yes, Steve Breston, Yes,
you know Steven Spock. No, not on a third string
tight end exactly. And yet Kurt Warner hit him down
(43:19):
the scene to ice this game, to put it on
ice for the Cardinals. And that is that is something
that Kurt also did. He would throw the ball to
the open man and did not care. He cared about schemes.
Kurt was all about the scheme and not just the
skulls that were fulfilling the scheme. He cared about the
(43:41):
scheme and he would throw it to the open man.
And because of that, one of the greatest moments in
Cardinal history throwing to Steven Spock on third and sixteen.
Speaker 6 (43:52):
It didn't get set enough. He was almost like a
de facto offensive coordinator. He would work with Todd Haley
in the offensive staff in devising the game plan. They
would wait on a Monday, and then the toughness look
mentally tough, physically tough. I mean he almost got ripped
apart by Julius Peppers and then all of a sudden
he had to learn to hand the ball off with
his throwing arm because his left arm was no longer functional.
(44:14):
So there was the toughness aspect of being a quarterback
as well.
Speaker 3 (44:17):
That is something that nobody talks enough about in regard
to gray Beard as well, and the reason being Paully
is because think of how many hits he took. Now
you know, listen, Kurt's gonna tell you I could run,
Are you kidding me? I could run?
Speaker 2 (44:32):
Right?
Speaker 3 (44:32):
Kurt still in his day says he could have run
the ball a lot more. And you know, but I
don't know about that gray Beard. All I know is
he took a beating many many times inside the pocket
when that arm wouldn't come out.
Speaker 6 (44:46):
And to think his career started in Packers' training camp
nineteen ninety four when his future wife Brenda watched and
heard a fan say, nah, that Kurt Warning guy's just
a camp arm. And then she realized camp arm meant
you're not gonna make the team. And after that he
made the Hall of Fame, and he changed the fortunes
of two franchises, including the Arizona Cardinals. For executive producer
Jim Amhandro, associate producer Cody Fincher, Ron Wolfley on Paul
(45:09):
calveyc this has been a Cardinals Foktales edition of The
Big Red Rage presented by santan Ford in Gilbert.
Speaker 4 (45:21):
You've been listening to The Big Red Rage presented by
santan Ford and Gilbert right on the Price right on
the corner of the Santan two to two Freeway in Balvista.
Speaker 5 (45:33):
The Rage is.
Speaker 4 (45:34):
Brought to you by seat Geek, your ticket to Great Seats,
and by Arizona Cardinals podcasts. Visit azcardinals dot com Slash podcast.
This has been an exclusive presentation of the Arizona Cardinals
football Club
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
24/7 News: The Latest
The latest news in 4 minutes updated every hour, every day.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com