People are pleased for ‘pretty special guy’

Reaction to Kurt Warner's retirement from the NFL was as mixed as the career that carried the Cedar Rapids native from the Iowa Barnstormers to the Super Bowl victory stand.

But everyone agreed the world of sports will not be the same without him.

“I had a double reaction,” said Dick Breitbach, who coached Warner in basketball and football at Cedar Rapids Regis. “I was sorry to see him retire because I enjoyed seeing him play, but I'm glad he retired because I wanted him to be healthy when he got through with football.”

Terry Allen, who coached Warner at the University of Northern Iowa, echoed Breitbach.

“I hate to see him retire,” said Allen, head coach at Missouri State. “I'm extremely proud of him. I know that he is doing the right thing because money isn't an issue to Kurt. It's his well-being and his family. If he's happy, I'm happy.

“I'm sure he weighed things out and I couldn't be more pleased.”

Warner's Arizona Cardinals teammates wanted him to return but also realized he had to do what was best for his family.

“He has had a dominant career. He's a good person,” Cardinals defensive tackle Darnell Dockett said. “He played long enough. He took us to the Super Bowl last year. We had a great season this year. It's a good thing. If you're going to go out, go out on top.”

Arizona Coach Ken Whisenhunt said Warner was one of the best people he's been around, and the team's general manager, Rod Graves, compared Warner to the late Hall of Fame running back Walter Payton.

“I think when you have an extraordinary player and one who is just as extraordinary off the field, then you realize you were in the presence of someone special,” Graves said.

Another person who knew Warner was special is Mike Winker, Xavier High School's athletics director, who was an assistant freshman coach at Regis when Warner was the ninth-grade team quarterback.

“We're all very proud of him here, with the persistence he showed to the success he had,” Winker said. “I'm happy that he's making the decision on his own terms.”

Even though Warner's freshman team went undefeated, Winker said he never saw a future that would include Super Bowls, MVPs and rewriting the NFL's passing records. Still ...

“The way he could run a 2-minute offense as a freshman, it was amazing. As a young coach, he made it seem easy. I found out later that it wasn't as easy as I first thought.”

Those who knew Warner point out he was special not only for his football feats but for his work off the field, whether it was in Iowa or the cities where he hung his helmet in the NFL.

“All the stuff he did for the (Cedar Rapids) community during the floods, you know he's a pretty special guy,” Winker said.

“We all learned great lessons from Kurt's humility, dignity and grace,” Rams owner Chip Rosenbloom said in a statement. “We will forever be thankful for the success he brought us and the unparalleled generosity he has shown the St. Louis community and beyond.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report