Teammates, coaches saw Warner’s leadership early on

Dusty Hoffman remembers his first few days as a sophomore at Regis High School in the fall of 1986.

Hoffman, then 15 years old, had enrolled at Regis after being in the Springville school system. The first new classmate he met was fellow Regis sophomore Kurt Warner.

"He walked right up to me and introduced himself," Hoffman said. "He was the first friend I had at Regis."

The two became fast friends and teammates on Regis football and basketball teams until graduation in 1989. They have remained friends - Hoffman was in Warner's wedding party - and Hoffman is just one of dozens of former high school teammates and coaches who have enjoyed watching Warner's rise to the top of the National Football League.

Warner, who will start at quarterback for the Arizona Cardinals in Sunday's Super Bowl, was an all-state football and basketball player at Regis. The Des Moines Register named Warner its Class 3A first-team all-state quarterback after a senior season when he threw for 1,599 yards and 12 touchdowns and led Coach Gaylord Hauschildt and the Royals to a state playoff berth.

Warner was a standout basketball player for hall of fame Coach Dick Breitbach, and basketball may have been his favorite sport.

"He used to say that all the time, and he continues to play to this day," Breitbach said.

But football proved to be his ticket to the big time, and there were subtle hints of what the future held for Warner during his days at Regis. Most of those hints came from his leadership abilities.

"Kurt for us was the kind of quarterback and teammate that you want to have," Hauschildt said. "He was intense, he was serious and he was kind of a no-nonsense kind of guy. He had the respect of all his teammates.

"He was a quiet, effective kind of leader who understood the job at hand."

Hoffman and Warner were great friends in a group that included Tom Petsche - Warner's favorite receiver - and Scott Mason. They were peers and respected one another.

"There isn't anyone you can speak more highly of than Kurt," Hoffman said. "He was a definite leader. He always pushed us, and was kind of a pain in the butt sometimes because he always wanted to work longer.

"None of us really had girl friends and we weren't out partying, so we'd spend (most) nights at the gym."

Another football teammate was Dan Schirm, a fullback and special teams player. He didn't run in Warner's most intimate circle but knew him well and enjoyed his company.

"We had only 95 kids in our class, so you were pretty much friends with everybody," Schirm said. "He was pretty straight and narrow and he kept everyone close. He was just an upstanding individual. A great leader and great guy to be around."

Warner went on to the University of Northern Iowa, the Arena Football League and NFL Europe before finding a spot in the NFL. He led the St. Louis Rams to two Super Bowls, languished for a season with the New York Giants and is now back on track with the Cardinals.

"The first thing is how proud you are because of the patience and perseverance he's shown," Breitbach said. "I think I'd be lying if I said, ‘Yeah, I knew he'd be back there.' But knowing him and knowing he's as dedicated as he is, it isn't surprising."

Breitbach followed Warner from the Rams to the Giants and now the Cardinals.

"I became a fan of three teams I never thought I would be," he said with a laugh.

"I'm a Kurt Warner fan," Hauschildt said. "He could play for the Lions and I'd root for him. I've followed him all along the way, and it's great to see him have another opportunity. He's a class guy and he has been all the way through."