Delhomme, Warner have many things in common

CHARLOTTE -- There were times when Jake Delhomme wasn't sure if he would ever be a starting quarterback in the NFL, let alone a Pro Bowler who would lead his team to the Super Bowl.

There were times when Kurt Warner wasn't sure if he would ever be a starting quarterback in the NFL, let alone a Pro Bowler who would lead his team to the Super Bowl.

One of those times came in the spring of 1998, when the two were teammates trying to make a name for themselves with the Amsterdam Admirals in NFL Europe.

They have been friends ever since, even when they have competed against each other. And that won't change when Delhomme leads the Carolina Panthers against Warner and the Arizona Cardinals on Saturday night in the second round of the playoffs.

It's a fascinating story of two over-achievers who seized opportunities when they came.

Warner signed with the St. Louis Rams in December of 1997 and was allocated to Amsterdam before ever playing a down for the Rams. Two seasons later he was the NFL's Most Valuable Player, leading the Rams to victory in Super Bowl XXXIV. He has gone on to pass for more than 28,000 yards in his 11-season career, with a second league MVP honor coming in 2001.

Delhomme floundered a bit longer after his stint in Amsterdam, going back to NFL Europe in 1999 with Frankfurt and spending five seasons as a backup with the New Orleans Saints. He came to the Panthers in 2003, promptly led them to Super Bowl XXXVIII and has been the starter ever since.

"We developed a great friendship when we were over there in Amsterdam," Warner said in a teleconference with Charlotte-area media earlier this week. "That's the great thing because we were competitive for a position while over there, but at the same time we grew really close. He's just a tremendous individual. He's one of those guys that you love being around. He enjoys life, he enjoys the game, and he is a tremendous competitor. It was great to get to know him over there and build that friendship and to see how he's blossomed in this league and the success he's had.

"We're fortunate. We share the same agent, and so we have continued to stay in touch over the years -- sometimes more than others because we are busy with our families and doing the things that we enjoy. But at the same time, I'm always watching from afar and cheering for Jake and hoping he does well and always looking forward to the next opportunity where I get to sit down and talk to him."

The two opposed each other for the first time as starting quarterbacks earlier this season, when the Panthers beat the Cardinals 27-23 at Bank of America Stadium.

That's when the reminiscing started.

Warner was 26 when he and Delhomme, 23, arrived in Amsterdam. Warner had been released after a brief stint with the Green Bay Packers in 1994 and had spent the previous three years playing in the Arena Football League with the Iowa Barnstormers.

His career was clearly at a crossroads.

"He and Brenda had two kids and he was starting to get up (in age), so this was it for him," Delhomme said. "If he didn't make it, it was back to the Arena League for him."

Warner won the starting job over Delhomme and passed for 2,101 yards and 15 touchdowns in a 10-game season. That won him a backup job with the Rams in 1998, and then the next year his career took off as he directed the "Greatest Show on Turf."

"I don't think there's any question Jake had the stronger arm, he moved better, could make the big throws and big plays a lot better than I could," Warner said. "All I was hoping, no offense to Jake, was that he would make a few more mistakes than me so that the coaches would give me a chance. If you just looked at it in black and white, you'd probably take a guy like Jake. He was a young kid and he was going to get another opportunity, but I was never going to get that opportunity. I just knew at that point in time that was my last chance."

At the same time, Delhomme was wondering where his career was headed. He had spent the 1997 season on the Saints' practice squad and figured he needed to play well in NFL Europe to make a bigger impression. Instead, he was Warner's backup.

Delhomme played sparingly, and poorly, completing 15 of 47 passes for 247 yards and four interceptions.

"Here I am backing up a 26-year-old Arena quarterback from the Iowa Barnstormers," Delhomme said. "How am I going to play in the NFL if I can't beat out an Arena quarterback?"

The experience proved to be inspirational to Delhomme later, though, after Warner went on to be the NFL's MVP and the MVP of the Super Bowl two seasons later. Delhomme was still floundering on the Saints' bench at the time, but he had come to realize how quickly things could change.

"It gave me great confidence whenever he takes St. Louis over and takes the NFL by storm," Delhomme said. "Hey, maybe I can play in this league, also."

The two insist that they always thought the other could make it in the NFL with the right breaks.

"I remember, I would talk to people back home and they would be like, ‘Well, how is the other guy?' " Delhomme said. "I would say, ‘Not bad. He has a quick release and he's very accurate with the football. He's pretty good, really.' We only played 10 games together, but just watching his demeanor, not too many things faze him."

Warner saw Delhomme's trademark competitiveness all along.

"What I saw was an amazing competitor," Warner said. "Not a lot of times at this position do you see a guy that just competes and a guy that wants to be great and is a leader. I remember thinking to myself that this guy definitely has a chance. Did I know that he was going to get an opportunity or how it was going to develop? No, I didn't know that. But there were definitely signs of things that stood out and made you say, ‘If someone gives him the opportunity, I can really see him doing well in the NFL' "

■ John Delong can be reached at jdelong@wsjournal.com.