Iowa’s newest home-grown hero has led the St. Louis Rams to a Super Bowl victory, and experts and ISU students expect Kurt Warner’s Cinderella story to attract more attention.

The media made it common knowledge that this year’s National Football League and Super Bowl MVP was stocking shelves at the Cedar Falls Hy-Vee just a few years ago. Quarterback Warner led the Rams to a 23-16 victory over the Tennessee Titans Sunday night.

And now that Warner’s proven himself on the playing field, talk of his being a great role model is continuing.

“There is potential for him being a role model for not only Iowa kids, but also kids across the nation,” said Al Essman, chairman of Essman/Associates, a Des Moines public relations firm.

Not only that, but Iowa is being mentioned on “Late Night with David Letterman” and even the championship podium at the Super Bowl.

Some experts expect Iowa’s public relations value to grow. Essman said he thinks the effects of the media picking up Warner’s rise to fame could be positive for the state. “The [public relations] exposure for Iowa is already happening,” he said.

Sridhar Ramaswami, ISU associate professor of marketing, said the Warner hype reinforces the notion that good people come from the Midwest.

“This is something the state could use in the future,” Ramaswami said. “They could use Kurt Warner for the spokesperson for the state of Iowa.”

Ramaswami said Warner’s alma mater, the University of Northern Iowa, also could use Warner’s fame to its advantage.

“It would be in their best interest for the University of Northern Iowa to promote his name and the association of his name with the university,” he said. “It will increase their visibility nationally and especially the athletic program.”

Walter Niebauer, associate professor of journalism and mass communication and specialist in public relations, agreed that UNI could benefit from capitalizing on Warner’s notoriety.

“This is a small school,” he said. “You can still do big things.”

Eric Tyler, director of Marketing and Promotions for the UNI Athletic Department, said the department is already involved in a few publicity efforts in relation to Warner’s current success.

“I would say our biggest tie as far as using him to promote is a trading card that he has signed,” Tyler said.

The cards are individually signed, and the profits generated are given to an endowed scholarship in Warner’s name for the department.

Tyler said Warner was tied in with other well-known UNI athletes in a statewide commercial shown before the Super Bowl. It will air again during the Pro-Bowl Feb. 6.

“We’re trying to get him back to get him involved with fund-raisers for athletic scholarships,” he said.

Tyler said the college and the surrounding community are supportive of the former UNI Panther.

“It’s not just the student body,” he said. “I think the real community as a whole is really jacked about Warner.”

However, the UNI administration has promised that Warner’s name won’t be exploited.

“We aren’t going to try to disproportionately use it,” said Robert Koob, UNI president.

Koob said university priorities aren’t embedded with athletics.

“He is one of many successful alums,” Koob said. “He was a good student as well as a good athlete.”

Koob added that the UNI Alumni Association will be distributing Warner memorabilia, and students will invite him for a homecoming visit during UNI senior week.