Anyone that left Elmcrest Country Club without Kurt Warner's autograph Monday had only themself to blame.

Warner, the former Cedar Rapids Regis prep who skyrocketed to fame as grocery-clerk-turned-NFL-quarterback and guided the St. Louis Rams to a Super Bowl championship in 1999, was one of the celebrities playing in the Zach Johnson Foundation Classic at Elmcrest.

If you had a Sharpie and something to sign - tickets, programs, caps, photos - Warner was more than willing to accommodate the request, to the detriment of the pace of play but the delight of the crowd.

Warner told the crowd as he came off the 18th green that he appreciated their support of the event and would sign as many autographs as he could.

"This is what it's all about," he said after completing his round. "When you're blessed to have a platform like Zach and myself, a big part of what we believe in is making sure you give back and share the platform.

"It's a blessing to have opportunities to come back and help my old community, that meant so much to me. It's a great excuse to be able to come back and make a difference."

Warner had the youngest of his three sons, Elijah, in tow with him. The 9-year-old even got to swing the club a few times, drawing an ovation from the crowd for a nice shot off the tee at the par-3 eighth hole.

Warner was in town for the briefest of moments. Because of his work with the NFL Network, he had to be in Phoenix on Tuesday to cover the Arizona Cardinals' training camp. So he jetted in from Phoenix Sunday evening and hustled off the course to catch a return flight after Monday's round.

Despite the quick turnaround, Warner said it was important for him to have his son with him.

"I think so much of what we do and what our foundation is all about is making sure our kids understand that a big role when you have success and fame, or make money, is making sure you use that and are a good steward of that," he said. "It was a great opportunity come back, to have a lot of fun, but again to really see what life is all about and to show him an athlete like Zach Johnson that really understands that their platform and success doesn't affect what's really important in life. They continue to focus on the right things.

"It's great to have athletes and role models like that for your kids to look up to."

Warner was a role model during his 12-year NFL career that included three Super Bowl appearances, a Super Bowl MVP award and an NFL MVP award. He also received the NFL's Walter Payton Man of the Year award in 2008 for his work off the field. Included in his charitable works is a time building houses for Habitat for Humanity in Cedar Rapids.

"I think all that stems from our parents, our upbringing, the community here that volunteered and just gave so much to us," he said. "You don't forget the people that impacted you along the way and you say, 'Now that I'm in that position, it's my turn to have a chance and impact other people.'

"When you can do those kind of things and join great organizations like Zach's foundation, or Habitat for Humanity, it becomes easy to say yes every time, and you look forward to the next opportunity to do that."

So, does that mean those that may have forgotten a pen or didn't have a scrap of paper for him to sign Monday will have that opportunity again in the future?

"These are the things that you say, 'If it's at all possible, I'm going to make it work,' because it's that important," Warner said. "I've been fortunate to come two out of three years to help support Zach and it's something that I look forward to doing for years to come. It's one of those things I try to set on my schedule early."