Hall of Fame quarterback Kurt Warner has one of the most inspiring, improbable journeys to a successful NFL career — like something out of a Hollywood script.
Well, in American Underdog: The Kurt Warner Story, Warner’s narrative will play out on the silver screen. Lionsgate released a special look at the film, starring Zachary Levi as Warner, which is due to release on December 10:
Warner signed with the Green Bay Packers as an undrafted free agent out of Northern Iowa in 1994, but got buried on a depth chart headlined by the legendary Brett Favre.
From there, he moved on to star for the Iowa Barnstormers in the Indoor Football League for three seasons, and played for NFL Europe’s Amsterdam Admirals the next year.
Following a successful stint overseas, Warner served as the then-St. Louis Rams’ third-string QB in 1998. When Trent Green suffered a serious injury in the 1999 NFL preseason, suddenly Warner was thrust into the starting role.
That sliver of an opportunity was all Warner needed. He proceeded to be the catalyst for a loaded Rams offense that was dubbed “The Greatest Show on Turf” and won regular-season MVP honors in two of the next three years. Warner was also the MVP of Super Bowl XXXIV, which the Rams won 23-16 over the Tennessee Titans.
Warner had a one-year stint as a bridge quarterback for Eli Manning with the New York Giants, but reignited his career as a member of the Arizona Cardinals, leading them to a Super Bowl XLIII berth.
For his career, Warner threw for 32,344 yards and 208 touchdowns and 128 interceptions, completing 65.5% of his throws for a stellar 93.7 passer rating.