Kurt Warner 1999 NFL MVP

Lore & Background

Warner played college football for the Northern Iowa Panthers from 1990 to 1993. He went undrafted in the 1994 NFL draft and spent four years without being named to an NFL roster. He was signed by the Green Bay Packers in 1994 but released before the regular season. He then played three seasons for the Iowa Barnstormers of the Arena Football League (AFL). Warner landed his first NFL roster spot in 1998 with the St. Louis Rams, holding a backup position until he became the starter in 1999. During his first season as an NFL starting quarterback, Warner led The Greatest Show on Turf offense to the Rams' first Super Bowl title in Super Bowl XXXIV, earning him league and Super Bowl MVP honors. He won his second league MVP award two years later en route to an appearance in Super Bowl XXXVI. Released from St. Louis in 2004, he spent one season with the New York Giants before revitalizing his career in Arizona. His most successful season with the Cardinals was in 2008 when he led them to the franchise's first Super Bowl appearance in Super Bowl XLIII.

In Their Own Story

The practice field hummed with the late afternoon sun in Tempe. Warner stood on the sideline, towel over his shoulder, watching the young receivers run routes. He wasn't just a coach or an observer; he was the standard they measured themselves against. A rookie quarterback approached him nervously, asking about pressure situations. Warner smiled, recalling the weight of that 1998 season. 'They gave me the ball,' he said softly. 'My job was to trust my preparation.' The MVP trophy sat in a case back home, but here, his legacy lived in every perfect spiral thrown on the grass.

Reader's Guide

Warner is considered the NFL's greatest undrafted player. He is the only undrafted player to be named NFL MVP and Super Bowl MVP and the only undrafted quarterback to lead his team to a Super Bowl victory. He was also the first quarterback to win a Super Bowl during his first season as the primary starter. Warner was inducted to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2017. He is the only player inducted to both the Pro Football Hall of Fame and the Arena Football Hall of Fame.

Did You Know?

• Warner was named the 1999 NFL MVP after leading the Rams to their first playoff berth since 1989 and their first division title since 1985.
• In Super Bowl XXXIV, Warner threw for a then Super Bowl-record 414 passing yards and was named Super Bowl MVP.
• Warner is the last player to win both NFL MVP and Super Bowl MVP in the same year until Patrick Mahomes did so in Super Bowl LVII.