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© 2025 COLD WIRE MEDIA. THE COLD WIRE IS A REGISTERED TRADEMARK OF COLD WIRE MEDIA. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. USE OF THIS SITE CONSTITUTES ACCEPTANCE OF OUR TERMS OF USE AND PRIVACY POLICY

Sunday, April 26, 2026

The Life And Career Of Curt Warner

Ben Donahue
By
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The Life And Career Of Curt Warner
(Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)

 

Before Kurt Warner became a household name for his remarkable story and eventual induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, there was Curt Warner.

Unlike Kurt Warner (who was a quarterback), Curt Warner was a talented running back who was a heralded player at Penn State.

After being chosen as an All-American and winning a national title with the Nittany Lions, Warner was picked by the Seattle Seahawks in the first round of the 1983 NFL Draft.

He sustained a serious knee injury during his second season, but was still named the AFC Offensive Player of the Year twice during his career.

Warner also received Pro Bowl accolades three times, but complications from his knee injury chased him from the sport after eight seasons.

Following his retirement, Warner owned a Chevy dealership before transitioning to coaching high school running backs and running his Curt Warner Autism Foundation.

This is the story of Curt Warner.

 

Running Tough in Pineville

Curtis Edward Warner was born on March 18, 1961, in Wyoming, West Virginia.

The family lived in Pineville, West Virginia, just east of Wyoming, and at the time, they were the only Black family in town.

Growing up, Warner might have been slight in stature, but he was an athletic marvel who became well-known in the community.

Suiting up for the Pineville High School (now known as Wyoming East High School) Minutemen (now known as the Warriors), Warner was a warrior himself at running back.

Although the team was small (the high school had an enrollment of roughly 400), Warner played big.

He made enough noise as a freshman and sophomore that his English teacher, Libby McKinney, knew he was destined for greatness.

“Knowing him, knowing what he’s made of, I was sure that Curt could play major college football,” McKinney said in 1985.

In 1977, Warner’s junior year, he led the Minutemen to an undefeated regular season while scoring 160 total points in 10 games, averaging two touchdowns per game.

His total was the best in the state that year.

Additionally, Warner was a first-team All-State selection for football, basketball and baseball, and he was the first recipient of the Harrison H. Kennedy Award as the best football player in the state as well as West Virginia’s Amateur Athlete of the Year, both in 1978.

 

An Assist From Mrs. McKinney

A state scoring title didn’t raise Warner’s major college profile much, and he seemed destined to play at a small school.

That’s when Mrs. McKinney stepped in.

Acting as a volunteer college recruiter, McKinney mailed newspaper stories of Warner’s highlights to many of the major college programs across the country, including Penn State.

When his fantastic junior year ended, McKinney and her husband drove Warner to Charleston, West Virginia, and got him a plane ticket to State College, Pennsylvania, paid for by the McKinneys.

Once he arrived, Warner met with the coaching staff, including Joe Paterno, who was still trying to figure out who the kid was.

“We never had a (Penn State) recruiter call on Curt Warner until Mrs. McKinney brought him to our attention,” Paterno said.

Armed with his newspaper articles and a great visit by Warner, the Nittany Lions staff kept an eye on Warner in his senior year, and recruiting coordinator Tim Curley flew to West Virginia to check out a game in person.

“The first six times Curt touched the football, he scored a touchdown,” Curley said. “Even though he played at a very small high school, I knew this young man had special talents.”

He put on a show by rushing for 2,532 yards and an eye-popping 48 touchdowns as a senior, and Paterno offered him a scholarship.

 

Proving He Belongs

In 1978, Penn State went 11-1 and lost in the Sugar Bowl to Alabama by a single touchdown.

The 1979 roster included Warner and quarterbacks Todd Blackledge and Jeff Hostetler, who were fellow freshmen (although Hostetler would transfer to West Virginia in 1981).

During the Nittany Lions’ 8-4 season, Warner got some playing time behind starter Matt Suhey and rushed for 391 yards and two touchdowns, along with 10 catches for 129 yards and another score.

Warner’s speed was used on special teams, where he returned 17 kicks for 493 yards, 29.0 yards per return, and one kick return for a score (the last three marks led the conference).

“Obviously, we had some great athletes and football players, obviously you have to hone your skills…but that first practice and the first game, I realized that I can compete,” Warner said in 2010.

One year later, Suhey was in the NFL playing for the Chicago Bears, and Warner became the starting back.

He led the program with 922 yards and six touchdowns with 92 additional yards receiving, and returned 10 kicks for 350 yards and two touchdowns (which led the conference).

Penn State went 10-2, including a 31-19 blowout win against Ohio State in the Fiesta Bowl.

During the contest, Warner bolted for a PSU bowl-record 155 rushing yards, including a 64-yard touchdown gallop in the first quarter, leading to an Offensive MVP nod.

 

All-American

Warner was just picking up steam.

As a junior in 1981, he helped lead the Nittany Lions to a 10-1 regular season on the strength of a program-leading 1,044 yards, eight touchdowns and 106 receiving yards.

During a 41-16 shellacking of Syracuse on October 17, he rushed for a PSU record 256 yards and set another school record with 341 all-purpose yards.

After the regular season, he was selected as a first-team All-American and second-team All-East (for the second year in a row).

Then, the Nittany Lions played in the Fiesta Bowl again, this time matching up against eighth-ranked USC.

While the sports world focused on the Trojans’ recent Heisman winner, running back Marcus Allen, Warner ended up stealing the show.

Penn State’s defense made Allen’s day miserable, holding him to a mere 85 rushing yards.

Meanwhile, Warner bolted for 145 yards and two scores during the Nittany Lions’ 26-10 victory.

For the second year in a row, he was chosen as the game’s Offensive MVP.

 

National Champs

The Nittany Lions fielded one of the best programs in team history in 1982.

Although he didn’t win it, Blackledge was in the running for the Heisman Trophy, but he did receive the Davey O’Brien Trophy as the best quarterback in the nation.

Warner led the team again with 1,041 yards along with eight touchdowns rushing and another five receiving, and was selected as a second-team All-American.

He also received the school’s Hall Award as the program’s senior MVP.

Penn State didn’t lose until October 9 when they fell 42-21 to Alabama, then never lost again that year.

Following a 10-1 regular season, the Nittany Lions were ranked second in the nation and squared off against top-ranked Georgia and running back Herschel Walker (who won the Heisman) in the Sugar Bowl.

The first points of the contest were scored by Warner on a two-yard run in the first quarter.

He scored again in the second quarter on a nine-yard scamper.

Georgia fought back several times, but succumbed to the Nittany Lions, 27-23.

Penn State won the national championship with the help of Warner’s 117-yard day (Walker had 103 yards rushing).

 

Record Setter

During his collegiate career, Warner rushed for 3,398 yards, setting the school record for career rushing yards that wasn’t broken until 2010 by Evan Royster.

He also finished with 24 rushing scores, 56 receptions for 662 yards and six receiving touchdowns.

As a kick returner, Warner had 32 opportunities for 922 yards, a 28.8 yards-per-return average and three touchdowns.

Warner left PSU with no less than 42 program records, including 18 games of 100+ yards rushing and 4,982 all-purpose yards.

In 2009, he was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.

“In all my years at Penn State, we have had a lot of exceptional backs, and he is one of the very best of that distinguished group,” Joe Paterno said.

 

First Round Pick

detailed view of the NFL logo on a football
(Photo by Quinn Harris/Getty Images)

 

The Seattle Seahawks began play in 1976, and as most expansion franchises typically experience, the organization struggled in its first few years.

Head coach Jack Patera got Seattle to nine wins in 1978 and ‘79, but fell to four wins in 1980, followed by six wins in 1981.

Sherman Smith was the Seahawks’ best back during those years and even reached 805 yards in ‘78.

However, two consecutive years of low totals meant the team needed a top-tier running back to have any hope of a playoff appearance.

That’s where Chuck Knox came in.

Before he arrived as the new head coach of the organization in 1983, Knox had led the Buffalo Bills and the LA Rams.

Unlike today’s pass-happy offenses, Knox loved the run game, and his offense was affectionately known as “Ground Chuck.”

When he eyed the upcoming 1983 NFL Draft, the coach salivated over both Warner and SMU back Eric Dickerson.

In order to have a chance at either, Seattle moved up from the ninth spot to the third overall position by trading its first, second and third round selections to the Houston Oilers.

After the Baltimore Colts selected quarterback John Elway (and later shipped him to Denver) and the Rams took Dickerson, the Seahawks grabbed Warner.

 

AFC Offensive Player of the Year

American Football Field

 

There wasn’t much roster competition for the rookie, and he started immediately.

Against Kansas City in Week 1, Warner took his first handoff as a pro and sprinted for 60 yards.

Seattle lost, but he ended the day with 165 total yards.

Warner would continue torching defenses all year to the tune of 1,449 yards (the first rookie back in team history to reach 1,000 yards) and 13 touchdowns while adding 42 catches for 325 yards and one rushing score.

Warner’s rushing total led the AFC Conference (Seattle moved to the NFC in 2002), and he received the AFC Offensive Player of the Year award following the season.

Additional accolades included his first trip to the Pro Bowl, second-team All-Pro, and inclusion in the PFWA All-Rookie Team.

The Seahawks benefited from Warner’s talent as well as steady play from quarterbacks Jim Zorn and Dave Krieg, and receiver Steve Largent.

For the first time in the franchise’s young history, Seattle advanced to the postseason with a 9-7 record.

“The fans wanted it so badly; they had never been to the playoffs,” Warner said. “People were very appreciative of us playing some good football, and I’m glad we were able to deliver.”

Then, Seattle blew out Denver in the wild-card round and outpointed the Dolphins in Miami in the divisional round thanks to two Warner touchdowns.

A week later, the hometown LA Raiders ended the Seahawks’ year in the AFC Championship Game, 30-14.

 

Knee Injury

Ending 1983 a game short of the Super Bowl gave Seattle incentive to reach the title game in 1984.

In Week 1 against Cleveland, Warner took a pitch in the second quarter, ran clear of the defense, planted his right leg, and blew out his ACL.

Just like that, his season was done.

“The one awful year of my life,” he said in 1985.

Even without Warner, the Seahawks maintained their potent offense by winning eight straight games after a 4-2 start, and finished the year 12-4, the most wins in a season in team history at that point.

In the wild-card game, Seattle got some revenge from the previous year’s AFC title game by beating the Raiders, 13-7.

Unfortunately, in the divisional round, Miami got its own revenge from the year before by blowing out the Seahawks, 31-10.

 

Comeback Player of the Year

When the news of Warner’s injury reached the public, his former high school English teacher, Libby McKinney, was devastated.

Then, she remembered what kind of person her former student was.

“I cried the day I heard about Curt’s injury–but not for long,” McKinney said. “I knew that if it’s humanly possible for anyone to come back from a thing like that, he’d be back.”

Sure enough, instead of sulking, the running back attacked rehab in order to return in time for the 1985 season.

At one point during the summer, Seahawks assistant coach Chick Harris happened across Warner working vigorously on a treadmill.

“Sweat was popping off Curt’s forehead like popcorn. If the Good Lord’s up there, he’s got to reward a running back who attacks rehabilitation the way he attacks defenses,” said Harris in awe.

For many high-performing athletes, a comeback from a major injury can be overwhelming, and sometimes all the hard work doesn’t seem worth it.

Warner was no exception, but he kept at it.

“I was uncertain about whether I’d ever get back to what I’d been,” Warner said. “But then I thought about my dad working 40 years in those coal mines of West Virginia, and that inspired me. He would never give up.”

His diligent rehab paid off, and Warner started every game in 1985, rushing for 1,094 yards and eight touchdowns, and catching 47 passes for 307 yards and a score.

Seattle missed the playoffs at 8-8, but Warner was chosen by Sports Illustrated as its Comeback Player of the Year.

 

Solid Production

The Seahawks won 10 games in 1986, yet missed the postseason again due to tiebreakers.

Warner, on the other hand, led the AFC with 1,481 yards (a career-best) along with 13 touchdowns (which tied a career-high).

He was chosen for the second time as the AFC Offensive Player of the Year, picked for his second Pro Bowl, and a second-team All-Pro nod.

Seattle finally broke through in 1987 with a 9-6 record during a strike-shortened season, and went to the playoffs, where they lost to the Houston Oilers in the wild-card round.

For the second year in a row, Warner was picked for the Pro Bowl and added to the second-team All-Pro list on the strength of his 985 yards and 10 combined rushing and receiving scores.

In 1988, both Warner and fullback John L. Williams shared rushing duties, and number 28 had 1,025 yards (his fourth 1,000-yard rushing season) and 12 combined scores while Williams had 877 yards of his own.

The 9-7 Seahawks played in the divisional round and lost to Cincinnati, 21-13.

 

Leaving Seattle

St. Louis Rams helmet sits on the bench
(Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

 

Warner’s production dipped in 1989 despite playing in all 16 games and starting 15.

Once again, he shared carries with Williams and ended his seventh season with 631 yards and three touchdowns, along with 153 receiving yards and another score.

Then, shortly after the year ended, Warner wasn’t feeling the love in Seattle any longer and decided to leave via free agency.

Seattle didn’t protect him during the Plan B free agency period, and he was quickly snatched up by the LA Rams.

Unfortunately, the Rams had a loaded running back room, and Warner had to share time with Cleveland Gary, Gaston Green and even Marcus Dupree, who returned to pro football after a five-year absence.

During the 1990 season, Warner had all of 139 yards and one touchdown for 5-11 LA.

When the season ended, he decided to call it quits, primarily because of sustained issues with his 1984 knee injury.

“It wasn’t just that knee. I had a total of six surgeries, three ankle surgeries,” he said. “I got horse-collared and rolled up on in Kansas City one year, and I just wasn’t the same. When you can’t produce, you get replaced by somebody who can.”

 

Career Stats

American Football on Field

 

In his eight-year career, Warner had 6,844 yards and 56 touchdowns rushing, 193 receptions, 1,467 yards and seven touchdowns through the air.

He was a three-time Pro Bowler, three-time All-Pro, a member of the PFWA All-Rookie Team, and was twice the AFC rushing champion.

Warner’s career rushing total for Seattle is good for third-best all-time in franchise history, and his 55 rushing touchdowns are also good for third on Seattle’s all-time list.

“Curt would have been one of the all-time great NFL running backs if he hadn’t gotten hurt,” said John Nordstrom, of the original Seahawks owners group. “He was the Russell Wilson of his day, great in every regard – in the community, in the locker room, on the field. He had it all.”

A few years after his retirement, Warner was added to the Seahawks’ Ring of Honor in 1994 and chosen as one of Seattle’s Top 50 players in 2025.

 

Adjusting to Life With Autism

When he left the NFL as a player, Warner didn’t sit still for long and became an owner of a Chevy dealership in Vancouver, Washington, before selling it in 2010.

He also worked in insurance and coached running backs at Camas High School in Camas, Washington.

However, probably the hardest job Warner and his wife, Ana, undertook was raising their twin autistic sons, Christian and Austin.

As the boys grew, they were at times destructive and could be prone to self-injury.

The Warners withdrew from the public to focus on raising their boys and kept a level head while doing so.

“I was with Curt when he went back into the room where they had all his trophies and game balls and everything,” neighbor Don Lovell said in 2019. “And everything was melted and ruined or burned. And, you know, he didn’t blink an eye … he was just happy that everybody was OK.”

Parenting kids with autism led the Warners to start a program called the Curt Warner Autism Foundation, and the couple also co-wrote a book, The Warner Boys: Our Family’s Story of Autism and Hope.

Although his NFL stats won’t lead to induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Ana Warner believes her husband is still HoF material.

“He’s a Hall of Fame husband,” Ana said. “He was always there, always convincing me we were going to be OK. He always had my back. Always. And he’s still solid as a rock. Yes, he’s a Hall of Fame husband and father. He absolutely is.”

 

References

https://www.fresnobee.com

https://www.tampabay.com

https://www.spokesman.com

newspapers.com

latimes.com

pennlive.com

pennlive.com

seahawks.com

gopsusports.com

https://www.psu.edu

https://www.sports-reference.com

https://www.seahawks.com

https://footballfoundation.org

https://50.seahawks.com

https://www.pro-football-reference.com

NEXT:  The Life And Career Of Eugene Robinson

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Pro Football History Staff
Ben Donahue
Contributor at Pro Football History
Over 25 years of experience in sports including coach, athletic director, game day operations, media relations, football operations, and scout. He is [...]

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