They say you should save the best for last.
In a speech at the ceremony for his induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame over the weekend, Kurt Warner did just that. The two-time National Football League “Most Valuable Player” (MVP) and winner of Super Bowl XXXIV made his career playing 12 seasons in the NFL for the St. Louis Rams, New York Giants and Arizona Cardinals—but those achievements are not where this all-star athlete’s identity is rooted.
He closed out the night with a “thank you” to Jesus saying, “the one whom, without a doubt, has left the deepest mark and has become the cornerstone of my life.”
Warner added, “His final moment was for me, mine is for him.”
Watch Warner’s heartwarming tribute to His Lord and Savior, and read the full transcript of his powerful message below:
“I’m going to conclude with one last moment and one last ‘Thank you.’ To the one whom, without a doubt, has left the deepest mark and has become the cornerstone of my life. In the early stage of my career, I had a chance to stand at a podium similar to this, in front of millions of people after Super Bowl XXXIV.
In that moment I made sure the first thing I did was say “Thank you” to this person for what they had done for me. Now many felt I was thanking him for orchestrating a Super Bowl win, or making my passes fly straighter or causing my opponents to make more mistakes.
But those people had it all wrong.The gesture was my way of acknowledging how fortunate I considered myself for the moments he had given me. Thanking him for the trials which prepared me for this platform. For showing me that, with him, the impossible becomes possible. And for choosing me as the lead in this once-in-a-lifetime role.”
Now, love it or hate it, that opening scene captured the imagination of the sports world, and the words became the heart of my story. The rest, as they say, is history. Bringing us to this: the famous last words. And the only place this extraordinary journey can end. His final moment was for me, mine is for him. Thank you Jesus.”
