The one-and-only Kurt Warner pre-draft scouting report/FSMW

[RamBill]

The one-and-only Kurt Warner pre-draft scouting report
Elisabeth Meinecke
FOX Sports Midwest

MAY 14, 2015 12:13p ET

http://www.foxsports.com/midwest/st...-kurt-warner-pre-draft-scouting-report-051415

After two league MVPs, a Super Bowl MVP, a Super Bowl ring, and multiple Pro Bowls, it's still hard to believe people once overlooked Kurt Warner's NFL potential.

Well, most people.

Back in 1993, when Warner was quarterbacking the Panthers at the University of Northern Iowa, he caught the eye of a guy named Dan Shonka, who worked for National Football Scouting. Shonka liked what he saw, but knew since Warner only started one year in college, he needed more exposure to NFL teams. So Shonka came up with a plan: he'd get Warner a gig at the upcoming combine as a "throwing quarterback," where he'd throw the ball to the actual invitees, such as the running backs and wide receivers, as they ran routes in front of NFL personnel. Shonka planned to do the same for another guy in his area -- Iowa's Paul Burmeister, who's now a sports broadcaster.

But when the verdict came down, the scout learned he'd gone one for two. Burmeister was allowed into the 1994 combine; Warner had been nixed.

"(Burmeister) was the one they said I could bring in, and I couldn't bring in Warner, because nobody else wrote him as a prospect," Shonka recalls.

In the long run, of course, everything worked out -- after a tumultuous journey, the undrafted Warner became the St. Louis Rams' starting quarterback in 1999 and began collecting enough hardware to make plenty of front offices look foolish for passing on him. Shonka, meanwhile, did what he could back in Warner's Panther days to boost interest among NFL teams that were part of National Football Scouting' services.

"I told everybody about him," he says.

Below is Shonka's scouting report on Warner from 1993 (via Ourlads.com, where Shonka currently works). Rams fans will recognize what Shonka highlights as the quarterback's best attribute: arm strength.

 

[Boston Ram]

Pretty cool stuff. Imagine only 1 guy eval'd him. I do wonder sometimes how many other prospects just fall through the cracks

 

[LetsGoRams]

Pretty cool stuff. Imagine only 1 guy eval'd him. I do wonder sometimes how many other prospects just fall through the cracks

Lots fall through the cracks. I always wonder about how many superstars and hall of famers never got a shot because no one gave them a chance.

Kurt's special and eventually someone did give him that chance. Thankfully.

 

[LACHAMP46]

he caught the eye of a guy named Dan Shonka

Who did he like this year?

I do wonder sometimes how many other prospects just fall through the cracks

A whole bunch....You shoulda seen the JuCo and Div III players I saw in 1984-'87...guys that didn't have grades...knuckle heads, like me...When I read the story about how Michael Jordan got cut in high school I about peed my pants...The drive of some average athletes is remarkable when compared to naturally gifted players...Kurt had a lil talent, but his drive to be better, to be great can not really be measured.

 

[Boston Ram]

Lots fall through the cracks. I always wonder about how many superstars and hall of famers never got a shot because no one gave them a chance.

Kurt's special and eventually someone did give him that chance. Thankfully.

Glad it was the Rams!

 

[Boston Ram]

Who did he like this year?
A whole bunch....You shoulda seen the JuCo and Div III players I saw in 1984-'87...guys that didn't have grades...knuckle heads, like me...When I read the story about how Michael Jordan got cut in high school I about peed my pants...The drive of some average athletes is remarkable when compared to naturally gifted players...Kurt had a lil talent, but his drive to be better, to be great can not really be measured.

Agreed. I played DIII before transferring to BC. The DIII kids were incredibly motivated for meaningless New England football games. But even at the DI level there are so many who get lost in the program. When I think back to my time there I would bet more talent was lost due to injury, grades, crime and plain stupidity than actually made it to the field if that makes sense. The players lost at BC during my time there would of probably made a better football team then the ones that actually made it and BC was a pretty bad program when I was there. Sad truth is most the of the guys who left the program were never heard from again. The motivated and less talented players are the ones who eventually emerged. A great deal of the mega talents fell off the face of the earth.

 

[GabesHorn]

Kurt may not make HOF this next year as Brett Favre will most likely be a 1st ballot HOF'er. HOF voters hate putting in two players from the same position out of the 5 that make it. It has happened rarely tho.
I see Kurt warner making it in the Hall Of Fame the following year unless JESUS returns first. I love that coach Mooch will be known for cutting a HOF QB from the packers team as qb coach. as he was the one that cut Kurt over Ty Detmer and a couple other twits.

 

[CodeMonkey]

Lots fall through the cracks. I always wonder about how many superstars and hall of famers never got a shot because no one gave them a chance.

Kurt's special and eventually someone did give him that chance. Thankfully.

To be fair, most players after not making an NFL roster, don't join alternative football leagues (such as Arena in Kurt's case) and go on to lead their team to two championships in a row and be named both years to the all-star team of that league. His outstanding performance there gave him another shot. He worked his way up by playing for the Rams in the NFL-Europe. He led the NFL-Europe league in yards and TD's, btw.

The one lucky thing for us Rams is that his second shot at the NFL actually came from the Bears but he was unable to make the tryout because of an injury to his throwing arm caused by a spider bite. The Rams were actually his third NFL Suitor. Note: Green Bay initially signed him as a rookie UDFA and cut him before the regular season.

His first year in the NFL was as a third string QB behind Tony Banks and Steve Bono. His record on the season?... 4/11 39 YDs and a QB rating of 47.2. We all know what happened the next year...1999.

Kurt never gave up on his dream as he was stocking shelves at HyVee for 5.50 an hour. The man is an inspiration.

 

[CodeMonkey]

...I love that coach Mooch will be known for cutting a HOF QB from the packers team as qb coach. as he was the one that cut Kurt over Ty Detmer and a couple other twits.

...Brett Farve and Mark Brunell. Ty Detmer was a Heisman Trophy winner to be fair.

 

[GabesHorn]

...Brett Farve and Mark Brunell. Ty Detmer was a Heisman Trophy winner to be fair.

Do you really want me to post the giant list of college Busts that won the Heisman? Plus there also was another player you are leaving out who Warner was cut over first. Do you not know who? Yes it was camp and Warner was most likely a camp arm but he went to be retired in the Arena Leage HOF and jersey retired as an Iowa Barnstormer. The skills picked up in that league I truly believe added to his skills in the NFL and learning to score everytime you get your offense on the field, along with quicker play reading skills. Went to championship games in Arena and Europes World Bowl on Amsterdam team. All things I'm quite sure you are aware of.

I love the path Warner took to the RAMS World Championship. Thats why his auto-biography has been bought by two producers who are in it to make Kurt Warners life on the big screen. I believe you can even google Kurt warner movie for the most frequent updates. Kurt has even signed papers spreading out the money already and to be earned between his 7 kids. I'll be in Canton on His day for sure. Believe I own the largest Warner card collection in the world and just sold 5 K worth before the HOF announced on e-bay and it was'nt even a tiny dent. Thats just a few rare numbered auto cards.Don't even ask me to estimate what my collections worth. Bonifay Ram was suppose to come over last week but had some minor surgeries that kept him from showing but he will report back on visiting I'm sure.

 

[CodeMonkey]

Do you really want me to post the giant list of college Busts that won the Heisman? Plus there also was another player you are leaving out who Warner was cut over first. Do you not know who? Yes it was camp and Warner was most likely a camp arm but he went to be retired in the Arena Leage HOF and jersey retired as an Iowa Barnstormer. The skills picked up in that league I truly believe added to his skills in the NFL and learning to score everytime you get your offense on the field, along with quicker play reading skills. Went to championship games in Arena and Europes World Bowl on Amsterdam team. All things I'm quite sure you are aware of.

I love the path Warner took to the RAMS World Championship. Thats why his auto-biography has been bought by two producers who are in it to make Kurt Warners life on the big screen. I believe you can even google Kurt warner movie for the most frequent updates. Kurt has even signed papers spreading out the money already and to be earned between his 7 kids. I'll be in Canton on His day for sure. Believe I own the largest Warner card collection in the world and just sold 5 K worth before the HOF announced on e-bay and it was'nt even a tiny dent. Thats just a few rare numbered auto cards.Don't even ask me to estimate what my collections worth. Bonifay Ram was suppose to come over last week but had some minor surgeries that kept him from showing but he will report back on visiting I'm sure.

Who is that?

WRT Mooch though I agree with you that it's fair to say that Kurt improved quite a lot from 94 especially that super fast read and release that was his hallmark. He wasnt the same guy then that we saw in 99. Detmer was no Danny Marino but he wasnt the worst ever and did kick around the league for a number of years. Mooch is a dick though either way. I'm just pointing out that the qb competition on that team was rather stiff. And besides, sitting behind Brett Favre he wasnt going to see the light of day anyway.

That souds like an amazing collection, man. Would love to see it!

 

[fearsomefour]

Awesome.
Thanks for posting this.

 

[FRO]

I'm not sure Warner would have been as great had he not had to go through what he went through. The arena league helped his game immensely.

 

[Ballhawk]

Kurt's biggest strengths were his touch and timing. Tony Banks could only dream of throwing a touch pass over the top of a defender, in fact he always tried to throw the ball through defenders like they weren't there!
Kurt was the best QB on the roster in 98.

 

[LetsGoRams]

Who did he like this year?
A whole bunch....You shoulda seen the JuCo and Div III players I saw in 1984-'87...guys that didn't have grades...knuckle heads, like me...When I read the story about how Michael Jordan got cut in high school I about peed my pants...The drive of some average athletes is remarkable when compared to naturally gifted players...Kurt had a lil talent, but his drive to be better, to be great can not really be measured.

Yep - I know what you mean. I've known and played with some of those knuckleheads myself!

Still wonder to this day if we would ever know Kurt Warner if Trent Green hadn't gotten hurt...

 

[blue4]

Yep - I know what you mean. I've known and played with some of those knuckleheads myself!

Still wonder to this day if we would ever know Kurt Warner if Trent Green hadn't gotten hurt...

I've always loved Warners story. But I've also always felt bad for Green. I don't know if we would have won the SB with him, I think we would have, but he had a lot of the same positives Warner had. On the one hand you had the arena league hero who did the impossible, on the other you had the 7th or 8th (I think they still did 8 rounds then) who took a devastating injury just on the cusp of earning his shot at glory. On the same freaking team. And they both handled being demoted due to injury with class and bearing. We were lucky back then.

 

[LACHAMP46]

Still wonder to this day if we would ever know Kurt Warner if Trent Green hadn't gotten hurt...

Nope....Trent was really rolling that pre-season too....and he could sling it a bit...I think after his injury he was never the same...or he didn't look as good at KC....
I'll correct this, Kurt would have made it somewhere...kinda like a Rich Gannon type player...but may have never won a SB. And he wouldn't be revered as a Ram (even though he kinda gives it to us in the media)....I think Trent woulda won that year too...That defense was awesome....And that offense was still GSOT ready..

 

[blue4]

Nope....Trent was really rolling that pre-season too....and he could sling it a bit...I think after his injury he was never the same...or he didn't look as good at KC....
I'll correct this, Kurt would have made it somewhere...kinda like a Rich Gannon type player...but may have never won a SB. And he wouldn't be revered as a Ram (even though he kinda gives it to us in the media)....I think Trent woulda won that year too...That defense was awesome....And that offense was still GSOT ready..

I didn't like his WRs in KC either. They tried to be GSOT, though.

 

[LetsGoRams]

I've always loved Warners story. But I've also always felt bad for Green. I don't know if we would have won the SB with him, I think we would have, but he had a lot of the same positives Warner had. On the one hand you had the arena league hero who did the impossible, on the other you had the 7th or 8th (I think they still did 8 rounds then) who took a devastating injury just on the cusp of earning his shot at glory. On the same freaking team. And they both handled being demoted due to injury with class and bearing. We were lucky back then.

Absolutely. Couldn't have said it better myself. Trent grew up here in STL and his sister was actually in my sister-in-law's class in high school. .. he's just an all-around good guy.