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Kurt Warner Inducted into Barnstormers Hall of Fame by Randy Snow Originally posted on ArenaFan.com, Saturday, May 22, 2010
When you think of the Iowa
Barnstormers of the Arena Football League, you immediately think of Kurt
Warner. During last night’s weekly AFL game broadcast on the NFL Network, the
two were reunited once again.
It was the first time that Kurt Warner had been in the booth working a game of any kind since he retired from the NFL earlier this year. He did an excellent job for his first time as a broadcaster and showed that he definitely has what it takes to do this for a living, if that’s what he chooses to do. He seemed very comfortable in the booth and his AFL knowledge was second to none. He offered his personal insights on how the game is played and it was clear that he has a real passion and respect for the game. Warner showed that he is a natural in front of the camera and could easily be considered for a studio analyst position for NFL games or even an NFL game broadcaster. But the highlight of the telecast was during halftime, when Warner became the first former player inducted into the new Iowa Barnstormers Hall of Fame. Warner played quarterback for the Barnstormers for thee seasons (1995-1997) prior to signing with the Rams and leading the team to a win in Super Bowl XXXIV in 2000. Warner, along with his wife, Brenda, were brought onto the field during the halftime ceremony and a banner with Warner’s name and number 13 was raised to rafters of the Wells Fargo Arena. A crowd of 9,912 appreciative fans was in attendance. Many of them wore Barnstormers jerseys or T-shirts with the number 13 on them. Others wore Warner’s NFL Arizona Cardinals jersey or his St. Louis Rams jersey. The Warner’s were also presented with a $50,000 check for their First Things First Foundation. The only thing missing from the broadcast was a story showing Warner returning to the Des Moines grocery store where he worked prior to signing to the Barnstormers. All in all, it was great to see Warner and the Barnstormers reunited. The only downer of the evening was the fact that Iowa lost the game 52-48. So, who might be the next person to be inducted into the Barnstormers Hall of Fame? My money is on head coach John Gregory. He was the AFL Coach of the year in 1995 and 1996 and led the team to consecutive ArenaBowl appearances along with Warner. To learn more about Warner’s foundation, visit www.kurtwarner.org.
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