EJ Warner looks to follow in dad Kurt’s footsteps by ‘living’ at Rice football facility and forming escape room group

COLLEGE football star EJ Warner is hoping to get cooking at Rice – in his mission to follow in the footsteps of his legendary dad.

In an improbable story, Kurt Warner had a Pro Football Hall of Fame career with the St. Louis Rams after going undrafted out of college.

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And EJ has now immersed himself into life at Rice – after transferring from Temple – in order to fulfill his NFL ambitions.

Warner had 3,076 passing yards and 23 touchdowns during the 2023 season and departed Temple as one of the best quarterbacks in the program’s history.

He then moved to Rice after entering the transfer portal in December to compete in the more nationally-exposed Atlantic Coast Conference.

“The coaches — they wanted me, they believed in me, and I felt that bond right away,” Warner said, per Underdog Dynasty .

“The players — I got to hang out a little bit on my visit and I saw how everyone interacted.

“I saw how close everyone was and how everybody was so hungry to win, hungry to work, and put in all that work throughout the offseason.

“It was something I wanted to be a part of.”

Warner has earned the praise of his teammates for his dedication to his craft.

“He lives in that facility,” strong safety Gabe Taylor said.

“Once he steps in, he’ll probably be in the facility until 8:30 pm, and it’s consistent.

“I’ll compare him to JT Daniels. Film-wise, studying the playbook, and knowing everything, that’s the matchup where I’ll compare the two.”

To build chemistry and bond with his teammates, Warner has formed a Spikeball group, pickleball group, escape room group, and movie group.

Each group is comprised of several Rice players.

“I just try to build my bonds with my teammates how I can,” Warner said.

College football's 2024 shake-up

Oklahoma and Texas switching from the Big 12 to the SEC is one of the biggest changes to college football in recent times.

And that has set off a chain reaction which has left the Pac-12 conference decimated.

The Pac-12 has lost 10 of its 12 members and is down to just Oregon State and Washington State.

Four of those teams are headed for the Big 12 – Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado and Utah.

Another four are going to the Big 10 – Oregon, UCLA, USC and Washington.

And the other two teams, California and Stanford, will join the ACC conference.

No teams have left the SEC, Big Ten or ACC.

“I’m focused on ball a lot, but those little times off that we can do something fun and be productive and grow that chemistry.”

He believes the groups will foster a competitive spirit and build friendships.

“I love to compete,” Warner said.

“Anything I can do and try to compete versus the guys, but also try to get as many guys as possible, asking everybody, ‘Hey, come on, let’s go do this together so we can have that kind of relationship.’

“I think it really pays off throughout the season and throughout when times get tough, because you got these guys that have your back.”

EJ has big shoes to fill as he looks to follow his dad’s storybook career.

Kurt went undrafted out of college and ended up stacking shelves in a local grocery store after being released by the Green Bay Packers following a tryout in 1994.

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He then played for the Iowa Barnstormers in the Arena League and Amsterdam Admirals in NFL Europe as he tried to make it in the big time.

Kurt finally got his break at 28 when he made the Rams roster in 1999 and first-choice quarterback Trent Green got injured.

He took full advantage of the opportunity, leading the Rams to an improbable Super Bowl and winning the NFL’s MVP award along the way.

The following season he signed a seven-year contract worth $47 million.

Warner won another MVP with the Rams and led the team to another Super Bowl before his career was blighted by injuries.

He went on to play for the New York Giants and Arizona Cardinals but was largely a reserve player.

After retiring in 2010, he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2017.

Kurt and his wife Brenda, who are devout evangelical Christians, have seven children, including EJ.

Another son, Kade, was signed by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers before being cut .

“It’s been huge to have him in my corner, asking questions when I need, but also, being my father too,” EJ said.

“He’s there when I need support outside of football.

“He’s there for me all the time. And that’s why I’m here.”