EJ Warner has lived the quarterback lifestyle since the day he was born.
He's the son of Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback Kurt Warner, and it doesn't take long for those around him to notice his NFL genes.
EJ Warner earned himself a starting spot by week three of his true freshman season at Temple University. By November of that year, his resume already included games of 486 yards, three touchdowns and 527 yards, five touchdowns, completing both passes at over 71 percent. Warner's incredible production continued into his sophomore season, when he threw for 472 yards and five touchdowns in an October game at Lincoln Financial Field.
But when his junior year was spent more than 1,500 miles southwest of Philadelphia, things would change. Warner chose to embrace the change and learned a lot about himself in the process.
From Owl to Owl
When Warner, a two-year starter, entered the transfer portal, many schools expressed interest, but Warner quickly narrowed down his options. The quarterback visited Rice University the day the portal opened and was impressed with the presentation he received from the staff during his visit. It was his only in-person visit during the transfer process, and by December 20, Warner had traded his Temple Owls jersey for a Rice Owls jersey.
“The coaching staff wanted me and believed in me and I felt that connection right away,” Warner said. “I spent some time with the players on my visit and saw how everyone interacted. I saw how close everyone was and how hungry everyone was to win and how hungry everyone was to work and put in the hard work throughout the offseason. I wanted to be a part of that.”
This isn't the first time Rice has brought in a multi-year FBS starting quarterback through the portal. Last offseason, the Owls made waves by landing former five-star player JT Daniels, who was a starter at USC, Georgia and West Virginia before enrolling at the private research university in Houston. One of the attractive traits that Rice can offer a quarterback is the school's signature pro-style offense, which Daniels cited as his motivation for enrolling a year ago. The offense is more complex and formation-rich than most modern college tactics, which is the trait that drew Warner in all-in.
“The offense is big,” Warner said. “I think it suits my skill set. The more complex it is, the more I can cram into my head, the better. I thrive when I can make quick decisions, see the defense and make different checks.”
A leading proponent of a pro-style offense, Warner drew immediate comparisons to Daniels for his talent for analyzing playbooks and game film as if he were studying for the bar exam.
“He lives in that facility,” strong safety Gabe Taylor said. “Once he gets in the facility, he's probably in the facility until 8:30 p.m., and that's consistent. I would compare him to J.T. Daniels. Film-wise, studying the playbook, knowing everything, I would compare the two.”
Rice has a number of players who have been staples on the team throughout the 2020s and who have metaphorical PhDs in the playbook. Though Warner has never played a snap in the blue and gray, teammates have said his system proficiency is exemplary and already on par with the Owls' most seasoned veterans.
“Football-wise, he's the smartest guy I've ever met,” running back Dean Connors said. “I'm really happy we got him. First of all, I've got a friend. He's a really cool guy off the field. Plus, he's great at throwing the ball around and he knows the offense better than anybody.”
EJ Warner comes to Rice after two seasons as a starter at Temple where he passed for 6,104 yards and 41 touchdown passes. Photo by Mitchell Leff/Courtesy of Getty Images
Connors is well aware of Warner's meticulous attention to all things football. From the practice field to the film room, that attention to detail creates a reciprocity throughout the offense, where every position benefits from having a quarterback on campus.
“He coaches the receivers in passing sessions,” Connors said, “and I try to watch as much film as I can. You can't ignore the fact that his father is a Hall of Fame quarterback. He's probably been around football since he was born and he's learned from the best, so it's a big advantage to be able to learn different things from him.”
Foster group friendships and competitive spirit
The aspect of his game Warner was most interested in improving in his new environment wasn't a specific skill. He's never been one to be vocal on the football field, so making progress in the leadership department was top of the mind for the quarterback when he completed his transfer to Rice University. So Warner met with head coach Mike Bloomgren shortly after the transfer to brainstorm ways to accelerate those leadership qualities.
“I think it's an unfamiliar environment for EJ, but he's been spending a lot of time with his teammates,” Bloomgren said. “The biggest challenge I gave him after the spring was to do all the things that go along with life as a quarterback. Get ready quickly, take care of your body. Do more with your teammates. Contribute more for the team. For me, that was organizing lunches and creating opportunities to really deepen those relationships. Not as a transaction. Not just doing it as part of the business of being on the field.”
After an argument with Bloomgren, Warner took the lead and subsequently formed four groups.
There's a spikeball group, a pickleball group, an escape room group and even a movie group, where Warner texts Bloomgren a personal review after a screening. Each group is made up of anywhere from a few to a few dozen Rice players who participate in the activities. As a transfer player onto a veteran roster with a number of fourth-, fifth- and sixth-year players, Warner nurtured the idea to strengthen the relationships with the players he'll be competing with on Saturdays this fall.
“I try to bond with my teammates as much as I can,” Warner said. “A lot of the time we're focused on the ball, but when we have some time off we can do something fun and productive and foster teamwork.”
The competition in Spikeball and pickleball sessions escalates to the highest levels and often results in name-calling. Warner claims to be the best on the team at these activities, which has resulted in a friendly rivalry with safety Tyson Flowers, who would make a similar claim about where Spikeball and pickleball rank among Rice football players.
“I love competing,” Warner said, “and you try to do whatever you can to compete with your guys, but also get as many guys together as you can and call out to guys, ‘Hey, let’s do this together, let’s build those relationships.’ I think it really pays off during the season and when the going gets tough, because you have guys that have your back.”
For Warner, that competitive spirit is also evident on the sidelines on game day. He's a simple guy, but hyper-focused on football. He's quiet and very low-maintenance. At Temple, he famously brought just one change of clothes when the team went on the road. But the thought of competition lights a fire in his eyes, whether it's a football game in front of tens of thousands of people or a friendly game of Spikeball on the grass with teammates.
“Off the field, I'm very calm,” Warner said, “but once I'm on the field, I swear, I cheer on my teammates, I get excited. I bring that same passion to other things off the field.”
Hall of Fame Pedigree
EJ's father, Kurt Warner, had an unconventional path to stardom that was recreated in a film titled American Underdog in 2021. The Hall of Famer's unique journey from bagging groceries at Hy-Vee to playing in the Arena Football League and winning MVP and Super Bowl MVP honors may not be replicated anytime soon, but the legacy Kurt built lives on through EJ.
EJ Warner's father, Kurt Warner, played in three Super Bowls and ranks third of the six all-time passing yards in the game's history. Photo by Steven Dunn/Courtesy of Getty Images
EJ has vague memories of attending Super Bowl XLIII and watching his father destroy defenses at the game's highest level, but when Kurt retired after the 2009 NFL season, he became EJ's coach. Of Kurt's seven children, EJ is the only one to follow in his father's footsteps as a quarterback. It was simple backyard throwing drills that honed EJ's throwing skills, and now he's putting them to use on the collegiate stage as a junior at Rice University.
“I'm trying to do my own thing,” EJ said. “I'm trying to write my own story and, obviously, (Kurt) played a big part in that. He coached me from the moment I was born all the way through to when I went to college and still does every night. If you open your phone right now, you'll have texts from him talking about different things and different plays.”
EJ isn't the first NFL veteran to commit to Rice University. The Owls recently sent wide receiver Luke McCaffrey (brother of NFL Offensive Player of the Year Christian McCaffrey) to the league with a third-round draft pick. Rice also has Gabe Taylor, brother of the late All-Pro safety Sean Taylor, on its defense.
How will Rice continue to recruit players who will carry on the legendary tradition? Rice's pro-style approach is clearly popular in the NFL and had a major impact on EJ's recruiting process. Bloomgren joined a Zoom call with Kurt, flipping through the playbook before the son of the former St. Louis Rams and Arizona Cardinals star made his move to his new home.
“That speaks to the NFL curriculum,” Bloomgren said. “Those who played in the NFL feel comfortable seeing and understanding how we call things. On offense, we use the West Coast terminology that I'm familiar with, and (offensive coordinator) Marques Tuiasosopo played for Jon Gruden, but I was able to talk to Kurt on Zoom and say, 'This is this, this is this, we're calling it like this, it's similar to this,' and Kurt felt comfortable saying, 'This might be a good fit for my son.'”
But Kurt's role as a lifelong coach is only a small part of the positive impact he has: Kurt is also a father, and has given EJ unwavering and invaluable support since day one of his life.
“Having him there to ask questions when I need them but also be a father and have my back is huge,” EJ said. “When I need support outside of football he's there. He's always there for me and that's why I'm here.”
