Word: warner
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...sports, fairy tales are fleeting. Athletes often come out of nowhere, give you a surprising season or two, then take their rightful place back in obscurity. Just three years after his second MVP award, Warner was steaming down this path, and people barely blanched. "Of course," they said to themselves, "a stock boy could never be Brett Favre." Warner started throwing atrocious interceptions, developed a chronic fumbling problem, suffered a bad concussion. Warner was already in his early 30s, that's octogenarian in quarterback years. The Rams dumped him; he signed with the New York Giants in 2004, only...
...first act of Warner's drama began sensationally. But it is his second act, often underappreciated, that will put him in the Hall of Fame. After his career stalled with the Rams, his success was explained away: his receivers were so talented and the Rams offense choreographed so beautifully by the coaches that you or I could have put up the same big numbers. Warner would catch on with the Arizona Cardinals, a joke of a franchise, only to lose his job to another heralded rookie, Matt Leinart. But party-boy Leinart wasn't ready to rescue the team...
...year later, Warner led the Cardinals - yes, those Cardinals - to the Super Bowl, where he would have won another title, and MVP, had the Pittsburgh Steelers not rallied late in the game. This season, Warner's final game wasn't pretty, a lopsided 45-14 loss to the New Orleans Saints two weeks ago. But his penultimate performance will be lauded at his Hall of Fame enshrinement. Warner, who is 38, completed 29 of 33 passes, for 379 yards, in Arizona's 51-45 win over the Green Bay Packers on Jan. 10. He finished the game with more touchdown...
...field, few were better. Warner freely broadcast his deep religious faith, but was never overbearing about it. He is devoted to his seven kids and it's safe to say you will never see Warner caught in any Tiger Woods imbroglio. He is charitable beyond belief. When the Warners go out to eat, they often pick up the tab for a random family sitting nearby...
...Warner walked away at the right time. Though he hasn't implied that injuries drove his decision to retire - Warner will stop playing with a year left on a $23 million contract - he is no doubt thinking about his long-term health. In December, Warner, who has suffered five concussions in his career, held himself out of a game because his head still felt foggy from a prior hit. Football brain injuries are receiving unprecedented attention right now, and Warner set an important example for millions of kids playing the sport. That's no surprise. Since those days chucking candy...