"Three years ago, it looked like Kurt Warner would never be more than a visitor to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio.

Warner had been benched by his third team, the Cardinals, and it appeared he would end his career as the stereotypical savvy veteran backup.

The past three seasons changed all that, and Warner has a good shot of making it to the Hall of Fame in 2015, his first year of eligibility.

Warner, 38, announced his retirement on Friday after 12 seasons in the NFL, including the last five with the Cardinals. Until 2007, however, he had a Hall of Fame story, but not a career.

From grocery bagger to two-time NFL most valuable player, Warner became one of sports greatest stories in leading the Rams to two Super Bowl appearances in three seasons (1999, 2001).

But he was hampered by injuries and team politics over the next five seasons, losing starting jobs with the Rams, Giants and Cardinals.

"I knew deep down I could still play," Warner said. "The hardest thing would have been leaving the game having not had the opportunity to show people what I could still bring to the table. That's what these last two years have meant to me."

In 2007, Warner began his second great NFL comeback. He took over for the injured Matt Leinart in the sixth game and didn't give the job back until he retired on Friday.

In that three-year period, Warner helped the Cardinals win two NFC West titles, make their first Super Bowl appearance and passed for 83 touchdowns. He became the second player in history to throw for at least 100 touchdowns with two organizations and the second quarterback to start for two teams in the Super Bowl.

Just as importantly, it's impossible to write the history of the NFL from 1999 through 2009 without making Warner a featured part of it."