Kurt Warner Interview

Q.  September 11^th is a day that everyone will always remember where they were and what they were doing.  Describe where you were and what you were doing when that happened.

A.  It was a Tuesday and I remember waking up to a message from a family member who was in a different time zone and told us what they had seen.  We turned the television on and caught a glimpse of the 2^nd tower being hit.  I remember sitting in front of the T.V. all day at my house just trying to figure out the whole scenario like everyone else across the country.

Kurt Warner

Q.  What kind of emotions were you going through and your wife Brenda who had previously served in the Marine Corps?

A.  I think the emotions were like most people; the awe of what had taken place even without knowing the ramifications of why and what it was all about.  I just couldn’t believe that it happened.  You start thinking about those who were injured and affected by it.  Then it wasn’t until obviously later that we found out it was a terrorist attack and the towers fell.  And again the gamut of emotions start to hit you on who was effected and obviously there were moments of anger and feeling so many different things.  My heart just went out to everybody that was directly affected by it and the lives that were changed or lost.

Q.  You met your wife Brenda when she was out of the Marines, what do you think the Marine Corps did to her as far as giving her any life skills in to the civilian world, your relationship and her role as a mother?

A.  I think there are so many different things that she learned.  She gained worth and direction from her time in the military especially from stepping into the military at age 18.  You can just see how she grew and the confidence she came out of the military with.  Her intentions were to stay in the military and be a lifer but unfortunately our son was injured and she got a discharge to take care of him.  You see the strength she has approached life with and been able to use to overcome a lot of struggles and difficulties in her life.  You see the direction and the drive when she wants to do something.  You see the discipline when it comes to being a mother with our kids.  I see all those things weaving in and out of her life.  A big fabric of who she is developed when she was in the Marine Corps and it gave her a distinct confidence and direction.

Q.  Have you had any other family members that have served in the military?

A.  My grandfather, who I believe was in the Army.

Q.  I know you weren’t with the Cardinals at the time but did you know Pat Tillman?

A.  I didn’t get the good fortune of meeting Pat but I know a number of people that did know him and continually talk about his character, seeing the sacrifice he made and the choice to leave the game of football when everyone knows what comes with that, choosing to put aside the rewards and accolades and the fame and the money and  going to serve his country in the way he did speaks volumes about his character and who he is.  I think it is a very rare thing to be that unselfish to choose to do that for his country.  I think what we know of him from the outside looking in very much lines up with what people say who knew him closely.

Q.  Some players have recently taken USO tours such as Larry Fitzgerald and Jared Allen, have you ever wanted to participate in one yourself?

A.  That is something we have wanted to do for a long time.  We have been in contact with the NFL 2 or 3 times about taking the trips, both my wife and I.  It is something I want to do and something she has the heart for obviously because of her background.  It unfortunately has not worked out yet because my wife had some back problems and couldn’t travel during the time when one of the USO tours was going on.  It is definitely something we want to do, no question about it.  We had the opportunity to go over to Indonesia after the Tsunami hit and take part in some of the programs and also got a chance to hang with our troops.  That is the only thing we have been fortunate enough to do internationally but definitely something that if the NFL or somebody comes to us with the opportunity, we are very open and would love if it finally worked.

Q.  In closing, is there any message you would like to give to our troops that are in harm’s way right now on behalf of you and your family?

A.  The first thing would be thank you.  Thank you for the sacrifices you make and all you are doing to protect us and this world from the evil things out there.  We appreciate the freedoms we have on a daily basis and every time I think about the troops I think about what they have afforded us by making those sacrifices and giving their lives for us.  We thank them for that and just tell them we are praying for them and we believe in what they are doing. We are praying that each and every one of them can do what needs to be done and come home to their families safely.