Warner’s journey helps son return as Brophy’s QB
Sometimes, it has felt like an eternity waiting to play another game for Brophy Prep junior quarterback Elijah Warner since that first-quarter injury in the first week of the 2020 football season.
No surgery was required on the broken fibula. Warner was a fast healer. And by the final week of the regular season, he was cleared to play for Brophy Prep again. But the game got canceled.
So, he continues to wait to show what he can do, spinning the ball down the field, leading the Broncos on touchdown drives.
“It was a clean break in the fibula, but no surgery and no lingering effects, so I feel good now,” Elijah said. “I came back pretty fast. I feel great. No problems any more.”
The son of Kurt Warner, the Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback and former Arizona Cardinal, Elijah was on the Brophy Prep practice field Monday,
Brophy quarterbacks coach Kurt Warner, left, practices with players on Monday. Brophy quarterback Elijah Warner suffered a broken fibula in the first week of the 2020 season.
working towards his senior season as spring football practices began.
No college coaches can come out to see how much bigger, stronger and more confident 6-foot, 190-pound Elijah Warner has become in a year. The NCAA dead period runs into the end of May because
of COVID-19 protocols.
He’s not bothered by that. Warner just hopes to be the difference maker this fall for Brophy, after struggling through an 0-7 season last year.
He has five college offers, but no Power 5s. And no junior film, which usually is vital for a quarterback to secure scholarship opportunities that are snatched up the fastest.
“I think once people actually see me live, when the dead period is over, I can hopefully get a few more and get some opportunities and figure it out after that,” Elijah said.
He knows the script his dad followed out of high school. Kurt Warner had only one scholarship offer out of Cedar Rapids Regis High School in Iowa. He didn’t start at Northern Iowa until his senior year when he became the Gateway Conference’s Offensive Player of the Year.
“One offer out of high school and he was rookie when he was 28 years old in the NFL,” Elijah said of his dad, who started his professional career in the Arena Football League before moving to the NFL.
“He’s been through this. He’s been under-recruited and slept on. He says, ‘Keep staying patient, keep working. It will come for you.’ “
Warner suffered an injury his freshman year at Scottsdale Desert Mountain, which initially slowed his high school progress. He split time at quarterback his sophomore year at Brophy Prep. And then it was the broken fibula last season.
His father reminds him about his own experience and the need to be patient.
“The biggest thing is that I’ve been through it,” said Kurt Warner, who works with the quarterbacks at Brophy. “Going the long route. And that’s the biggest thing with him. Relax. There’s a place for you to play. You’re going to get your opportunity. When people see you, you’re going to have chances to play.
“But everybody wants every big offer.
They want everything to come their way. And they get frustrated when it doesn’t,” Kurt Warner added. “But the bottom line is, you love the game. So just keep playing. Keep working. Get ready for your senior year. And go have a blast, and ball out.”
That’s what Elijah is doing.
Coach Jason Jewell was excited to see a good turnout for Monday’s first spring practice, knowing there still were a number of athletes not there because they are competing in track and field, baseball and lacrosse.
“At this time last year, nothing was going on,” Jewell said. “We were just doing Zoom meetings.”
With Warner back, junior-to-be Layton Duncan and senior-to-be Tag Hughes can both return to their natural positions at wide receiver. Duncan and Hughes both were called to fill in at quarterback with Warner out last season.
Jewell returns 49 juniors, should provide strong leadership.
He feels Warner has Division I potential
“He’s super smart, not just because of his dad, but because he learned it,” Jewell said. “He studies. He’s got a super quick release. He doesn’t make a lot of mistakes. Super accurate. A lot of good things going for him.”
Kurt Warner says his son is way ahead of where he was at the same stage in high school.
But he realizes nothing come easy.
“He may have to go the Warner route,” Kurt said. “It’s trying to balance out the two. Let’s just go out and have a blast. It’s your last year here. Let things fall as they may and not get hung up on scholarships and the numbers and who’s talking to him.
“It’s your last chance of playing high school. You’re not guaranteed anything. I know if he’s healthy and he’s out here playing, he’s going to have a great year. And that to me is what high school football is all about.”
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