Sometimes the saying, “Truth is stranger than fiction,” actually rings true. The story of Kurt Warner fits that bill.

A few years ago, Warner was shelving cans of soup at a Hy-Vee in Cedar Falls.

On Sunday, Warner will be putting footballs in the hands of receivers at the Super Bowl.

On the surface, Warner’s story seems more like fiction than truth. He was a quarterback at Northern Iowa and married his college sweetheart. While that may not seem so impressive, throw in the fact that she already had two kids, one of whom is blind, and you wonder when this guy is going to get his sainthood.

The media spotlight has been burning brightly on Warner, but for once it is gratifying to see sportswriters salivate over someone who actually deserves it.

Warner is an example for all of us to follow. Could a story be more heartwarming? Could a man be more persistent? Could a football star be more humble?

And the fact that Warner is an Iowa native just makes it all the sweeter.

Coming out and saying that students should respect Warner and be happy for his success is a no-brainer, but we feel it is still a sentiment worthy of expressing.

Sports without heroes is akin to life without joy.

If it weren’t for these men and women, sports would just be pointless games holding no meaning to the general public at all.

In a time when sports figures are constantly bickering over contracts and insisting they are not role models, Warner stands above the rest. His heroics go beyond the game.

It is possible that St. Louis might not beat Tennessee on Sunday. It is possible Warner could crack under the pressure in the biggest game of his life.

But even if that happened, it would not diminish the Kurt Warner story.

He is the perfect example of why people should never give up on their dreams.

He is the prototype of a man scratching his way to the top and not taking no for an answer.

He is the definition of grace under fire, a man undaunted by the obstacles in his life.

One can’t help but admire his tenacity, his courage and his strength.

Kurt Warner is probably not perfect, although it would be very difficult to pick out anything he did during the regular season that wasn’t nearly so.

It’s with our fingers crossed and our hearts aglow that we’ll be watching the game on Sunday.

Good luck, Kurt.

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Iowa State Daily Editorial Board: Sara Ziegler, Greg Jerrett, Kate Kompas, Carrie Tett and David Roepke.