Warner no one-season wonder

Warner seems destined to be an NFL all-time great

BBC Sport Online's American reporter Kevin Asseo profiles 2001 NFL MVP Kurt Warner, the rags-to-riches quarterback of hot Super Bowl favourites St Louis Rams.

There is little doubt Kurt Warner has the most diverse CV in the NFL.

He has playing experience in NFL Europe, the Arena Football League and the NFL, as well as a stint as a shelf stocker in a supermarket in Cedar Falls, Iowa.

Victory over the New England Patriots in New Orleans on Sunday will add a second Super Bowl win to the list.

A second NFL Most Valuable Player of the season award is already in bag - an achievement very few players before him can match.

Even John Elway and Dan Marino, both superstar quarterbacks in their playing days, never won multiple MVP honours.

Once the unlikeliest of NFL players, Warner has now solidified his position as one of the league's biggest stars.

After playing college football at Northern Iowa University - not known as a football powerhouse, Warner briefly attended Green Bay's NFL training camp in 1994 before the Packers released him.

At the time, it appeared Warner's football career was over.

Humbling

When no other NFL teams expressed interest in him, he returned to his home state of Iowa and took the stocking job in a Cedar Falls supermarket.

"It was difficult and a humbling experience," Warner said. "But I think it really helped me to keep things in perspective and not allow me to get all caught up with the football things."

Man of the moment: Warner after the Rams 2000 Super Bowl win

Not ready to call it quits on football yet, Warner joined the Iowa Barnstormers of the Arena Football League and quickly won the starting quarterback job.

Playing arena football is a bit like playing soccer on a basketball court.

The object is the same as its parent sport, but it is played on a field that is far smaller, making for a quicker, more hectic game.

Warner flourished in the AFL and would later credit his experience with preparing him for the speed at which NFL football is played.

But after three years with the Barnstormers, there were still no NFL teams knocking on Warner's door.

Seeking to catch the eye of NFL scouts, Warner left the Arena league in 1998 and moved to the Amsterdam Admirals of NFL Europe.

Dismay

The move worked. Warner had a superb season in Amsterdam and the St Louis Rams signed him to play backup to their high-priced starting quarterback, Trent Green.

It was during the 1999 NFL pre-season that fate finally smiled on Warner as Green suffered a season-ending knee injury in an exhibition game.

Warner was thrust into the starting role, much to the dismay of Rams supporters, who expected very little from the unknown 28-year-old back-up.

Warner's wife Brenda is his biggest fan

But in the next few months, Warner would turn the league on its ear while enjoying one of the greatest seasons ever by an NFL quarterback.

He was simply sensational in 1999, setting eight team records, winning his first MVP award and leading the Rams to their first Super Bowl victory.

Warner's success seemed impossible. How could such a good player go unnoticed for so long? The answer remains a mystery.

But one thing is absolutely certain - Kurt Warner is no fluke.

His performance in 2001 is proof of that, as he topped the league in touchdown passes, yards, completions, and completion percentage.

In just his third year in the NFL, the humble man from Iowa has already joined the ranks of the league's all-time elite quarterbacks and has a second Super Bowl victory in his sights.

Not bad for someone who was stocking shelves in Cedar Falls just seven years ago.