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Warner says Trent Green was most influential teammate of career

Aaron Doster / USA TODAY Sports

It's entirely possible Kurt Warner would've spent his entire career glued to the bench and he was sure to recognize his good fortune Saturday during the Hall of Fame induction ceremony.

Warner became the Rams' starting quarterback when Trent Green tore his ACL during a preseason game in 1999, and never looked back, undergoing one of the more miraculous rises to stardom. That same year, Warner won MVP and steered the Rams to victory over the Tennessee Titans in Super Bowl XXXIV.

Green remained calm despite being usurped out of circumstance and Warner was sure to thank him Saturday:

I would like to recognize one teammate who had a more profound impact on me than any other: Trent Green. You know our paths crossed in the most incredible of ways, and I acknowledge you could easily be the one standing up here tonight. But the class you showed while dealing with the toughest situations is etched in my mind. Your willingness to share your football secrets so I could succeed was incredibly valuable but the character you displayed and the way you modeled the definition of teammate was priceless.

It's a kind gesture from Warner, whose rise from grocery store clerk to Hall of Fame quarterback is part of league lore.

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