Kurt Warner Becomes Finalist For Hall Of Fame

Sep 8, 2014; Glendale, AZ, USA; Arizona Cardinals former quarterback Kurt Warner on the sidelines against the San Diego Chargers at University of Phoenix Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Kurt Warner’s storybook career could soon be etched in Canton.

The former Cardinals quarterback was named as one of 15 finalists for the Hall of Fame, in an announcement made by the NFL on Thursday. The group highlighted by Warner, his teammate Orlando Pace and Junior Seau, will be voted on by the selection committee and announced on the Saturday before the Super Bowl in Phoenix.

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Here’s how the voting process takes place.

"The 15 finalists will be voted on along with seniors committee candidate Mick Tingelhoff and contributors Bill Polian and Ron Wolf, which could make for a maximum class of eight (contributors and seniors are discussed and voted upon separately from modern-era candidates, and need 80 percent of a yes-no vote to be approved).The difficulty of selecting a class of five from the modern-era candidates is underscored by the 11 names which were reduced in the vote from 26 semifinalists."

Warner’s story is well-known among football fans.

Before he even became a star with first the St. Louis Rams and then the Cardinals, Warner went undrafted and spent a couple of years in the Arena Football League. After Rams starting quarterback Trent Green went down with a season-ending injury in 1999, Warner was given a chance to start in St. Louis and he never looked back.

Considering he didn’t become a full-time starter until age 28, Warner’s numbers are remarkable and certainly Hall of Fame worthy.

In 12 seasons, the man of strong Christian faith threw for more than 32,000 yards to go along with a very impressive 208/128 touchdown/interception ratio. Warner always did his best work during the postseason, posting a 9-4 record to go along with a 31/14 touchdown/interception ratio. Not too shabby for a guy who was cut to start his career.

Two MVP’s and a Super Bowl victory later (including two very close losses), Warner is now on the verge of cementing his legendary career with a trip to Canton. With the Super Bowl here in Phoenix and given his impressive resume, it’s hard to see the selection committee not selecting Warner.

If they don’t put him, we may have a mutiny on his hands. Considering what he did with two different franchises though, it’s a no brainer to send Warner to Canton.