Warner’s jersey retirement Saturday
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CEDAR FALLS -- Kurt Warner, one of Northern Iowa’s most recognizable alumni, will be recognized on Saturday inside the UNI-Dome as the school retires his jersey in a pregame ceremony ahead of the football team’s home opener against Drake.
Warner will be in attendance for the matchup, alongside his family, as he is recognized with a banner bearing his name and No. 13 jersey. Fans are encouraged to arrive early for the pregame ceremony beginning at 12:30 p.m. on Saturday One thousand Warner replica jerseys will be handed out on the north concourse for early-arriving fans.
A Burlington native, Warner came to UNI in 1989, after attending Regis High School in Cedar Rapids. While in high school, Warner played football, basketball and baseball for the Royals. He was named a 3A All-State quarterback his senior season before coming to UNI.
During his first season as the starter in 1993, Warner was named the Gateway Conference’s Offensive Player of the Year and was a First Team All-Conference selection. The 6-foot-2 Warner led the Panthers to the Gateway Conference title and an NCAA Div. I-AA playoff berth.
Warner threw for 2,747 yards and 17 touchdowns, with 173 completions in 12 games as a senior. In the regular season, Warner led the Gateway Conference with a 146.8 passing efficiency and yards with 2,484 yards through the air. Warner passed for a season-high 357 yards and four touchdowns in a 31-27 victory over Eastern Illinois on October 16, 1993.
After going undrafted in the 1994 NFL Draft and a training camp stint with the Green Bay Packers, Warner signed with the Iowa Barnstormers in 1995 – an arena football team based in Des Moines. While prepping for the pros, Warner worked at the Cedar Falls Hy-Vee, stocking shelves at night to focus on football during the day.
Warner was named to the AFL’s All-Arena First Team in 1996 and 1997 after leading the Barnstormers to ArenaBowl appearances in back-to-back seasons. Warner was later inducted into both the Iowa Barnstormers and Arena Football Hall of Fame, and his number 13 retired with the Barnstormers.
Warner signed a futures contract in 1997 with the St. Louis Rams, where he was allocated to NFL Europe, a NFL developmental minor league founded in 1989, to play for the Amsterdam Admirals. Warner led the league in touchdowns and passing yards.
Warner was named the Rams’ starting quarterback ahead of the 1999 season by head coach Dick Vermeil with the quote, “we will rally around Kurt Warner, and we will play good football.” The former Panther threw for 4,353 yards and 41 touchdowns, leading a high-powered Rams offense nicknamed “The Greatest Show on Turf.”
Warner went on to have a 12-year career in the NFL, amassing numerous accolades, including a Super Bowl XXXIV championship and game MVP honors, 1999 and 2001 NFL MVP, 2008 Walter Payton Man of the Year, 1999 and 2001 First Team All-Pro, four Pro Bowl selections, and more. Warner was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2017.
Saturday’s matchup with Drake will begin at 1 p.m., with live coverage on ESPN Plus and the Panther Sports Radio Network. Tickets can be purchased through the UNI Ticket Office, by calling 319-273-4849, or through email at tickets@uni.edu.