Before former NFL quarterback Kurt Warner claimed his Super Bowl MVP title in the 1999 season, he spent time bagging groceries and watching football from the sidelines. Warner is widely known for his Cinderella story—which includes numerous stops, starts, setbacks and rejections before landing him on the field as an MVP quarterback.
It was a long road to get to football fame, and Warner struggled to keep his dream alive while meeting the needs of his family. Along the way, he found purpose in God. Warner says he believed all along that God had gifted him to play and that he was determined to keep believing and working hard until given a chance to prove it.
“Living in your passions is what life is all about—doing the things that you believe you were called to do,” he says.
Today, Warner is giving others that second chance through an inspirational reality series called The Moment that premieres on the USA Network on April 11.
Warner, who hosts the show, will encounter hopefuls like Phil Theodorou, who gave up his dream to become an orchestra conductor to support his son, who was born with a learning disorder. Theodorou is one of many who will be given a second chance to pursue their dream job.
But the show isn’t just about creating opportunities, Warner says. It’s about helping people push through the fears that hold them back.
“My hope is that the show, in and of itself, is a knock on the door for a lot of people to wake them up and say, ‘It’s not too late,’” he says.
“We’ve been blessed in an amazing way. Now it’s our chance to pay that forward.”