TEMPE, Ariz. -- The union between the Arizona Cardinals and quarterback Kurt Warner in 2005 could be fairly characterized as one of low expectations.
"A lot of people look at the Cardinal organization and said 'They'll never get to this point,' " Warner said Wednesday. "Everybody was looking at me saying 'He's never getting back to that point,' so I thought it would be a great marriage to come together and try to do something nobody expected us to do."
Warner certainly did that, taking the Cardinals to unprecedented levels amid a career resurgence that left a lasting legacy in Arizona, one that will now be cemented by Warner's induction into the team's Ring of Honor during halftime of their Sept. 8 Monday night game against the Chargers.
Next up: The Pro Football Hall of Fame.
"It's our hope, with this being Kurt's first year of eligibility to be in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, that this starts off the year the right way," Cardinals president Michael Bidwill said.
Whether Warner will join 11 other Ring of Honor members in Canton won't be decided for a while, but the Cardinals have ensured Warner's legacy here by making him the 14th member of the elite group.
Not that his legacy needed cementing. Warner was already regarded as one of the greatest Cardinals ever, both on and off the field. This move simply puts Warner's name in its rightful place next to those of Ernie Nevers, Pat Tillman, Aeneas Williams and others at University of Phoenix Stadium.
"I'm just humbled and honored to be recognized in this way and to go down in the history of the Cardinals organization in this fashion," Warner said. "I'm honored to be part of that history and to have had the opportunity to play here."
There was little doubt Warner would at some point earn this recognition.
After one underwhelming season with the New York Giants that was preceded by a spectacular career with the St. Louis Rams, Warner needed a new start. Few teams were offering the opportunity to a 34-year-old who had played in 19 games over the past three seasons.
"The things I always think about was how the Cardinal organization gave me an opportunity when not many teams out there were going to give me an opportunity," Warner said. "One thing I always said to myself was I want to make sure that when a team invests in me that they get their investment worth."
The return didn't come immediately, as Warner's age 34 and 35 seasons saw the Cardinals go a combined 10-22, but the tide turned when Ken Whisenhunt took over as coach in 2007 and gave Warner the chance to win the starting job over Matt Leinart.
Kurt Warner holds franchise records for completion percentage (65.1), passer rating (91.9), 300-yard passing games (22) and consecutive games with a touchdown pass (22).
"That was huge for me," Warner said. "That rejuvenated me and gave me new life that I felt like if I was the best guy, I could be out there playing again. I felt like I had something to prove, but more importantly something to give."
That something proved to be the franchise's only Super Bowl appearance in 2008 along with back-to-back NFC West titles. In Warner's final three season with the Cardinals before his retirement, the team went 27-21. Warner finished his Cardinals career with 15,843 passing yards and 100 touchdowns.
As much as Warner accomplished on the field in Arizona, he has just as great a legacy in the community. Between his charitable work and dedication to being an accessible star, Warner will be remembered in Arizona as a titan off the field as much as we was a star on it.
"When I got here I knew there was something bigger than just winning football games," Warner said. "You leave an impression on people. That impression is what I think your legacy is.
"All these record that Michael talks about, they're going to be broken. What we accomplished here, somebody will accomplish more. I know all that, but the impression you have on a person, nobody can ever take the place of that."
There's no question Warner is more than deserving of enshrinement among Cardinals legends. The bigger question will be whether Warner's credentials are enough to earn him a place among the game's all-time greats.
Warner knows the biggest argument against his election to the Hall of Fame: He didn't play long enough. Warner didn't play significantly in the NFL until he was 28 years old following his well-documented path through the Arena Football League and NFL Europe.
What little time Warner had, though, he made the most of, and that will likely be the loudest argument in his favor. His production over six years in St. Louis, where he passed for 14,447 yards and 102 touchdowns and won a Super Bowl, and five in Arizona may not match up to that of some of the game's greatest quarterbacks, but it makes for a pretty convincing Hall of Fame case.
"It's hard not to think about it," Warner said of his Hall of Fame prospects. "I've thought about it, and I'm fully content either way."
What makes Warner's story and his latest honor so sweet, he said, was the way it ended. When it looked like his time might be up, one organization decided to take a chance on him. The dividends of that provided a fitting final chapter to his career.
"There were moments where I very much questioned if those last three years or anything like that would happen again," Warner said. "To finish out my career at that level, doing the things we did, I don't know if you could write it much better."
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