Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On June 22, 1971, Kurt Warner was born in Burlington. A legendary quarterback for Cedar Rapids Regis, the University of Northern Iowa, the Iowa Barnstormers, and the NFL, Warner’s underdog story continues to inspire Iowans.
After spending his earliest years in Burlington, Warner eventually graduated from Regis High School in Cedar Rapids in 1989. A quarterback at the University of Northern Iowa, Warner wasted away on the bench for three seasons before breaking out to become the Gateway Conference Offensive Player of the Year during his senior season.
After an unsuccessful tryout for the Green Bay Packers, Warner found himself back in Cedar Falls stocking shelves at the local Hy-Vee and working as a graduate assistant with the UNI football team. When NFL teams failed to come calling, Warner tried his luck with the arena league’s Iowa Barnstormers, where he racked up a 183-43 record while leading the team to two ArenaBowl titles.
Earning a futures contract with the St. Louis Rams, Warner headed to Europe, where he played for the Amsterdam Admirals. There, he led NFL Europe in touchdowns and passing yards. When Warner finally got his shot in the NFL in 1999, he made the most of it by going on to lead the Rams to a Superbowl title, capture the NFL MVP twice, and rack up a plethora of accolades over a distinguished career that ended in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. #IowaOTD #IowaHistoryDaily #IowaHistoryCalendar
