“Because this is my time, sir.”
Why it's great
A short, steady answer that turns years of waiting into one claim on the job.
Register
Neutral
Use it yourself
I have done the work, and this is my time for the promotion.
00:00 / 03:14
00:00 / 03:14
Kurt Tells Vermeil This Is His Time, Explained
American Underdog · 2021
Chapter 23 of 27 · 3'14"
Trent Green goes down with a knee injury, and the debate over his backup begins: 'Why not Kurt Warner?' Vermeil calls Kurt in and tells him he's too old to be a rookie, too green to be a pro. Kurt answers respectfully — 'with all due respect, sir, you're wrong' — and makes his case: 'Because this is my time.'
Key moments
Start here, then watch the full scene- 1:56–2:48
❝ Monologue · 9 lines Vermeil Challenges Kurt in His Office
52s
Kurt Tells Vermeil This Is His Time, explained
What happens
Rams quarterback Trent Green is injured on a low hit and leaves the field, putting backup Kurt Warner one snap away. After the game, the pundits argue about him — 'Why not Kurt Warner?' versus 'This ain't the guy.' Vermeil calls Kurt into his office and challenges him, and Kurt answers with the speech that defines the movie: he's earned this, he's finally ready, and this is his time.
What's really going on
The scene is built on a simple fear: that talent is inherited and Kurt's came from the wrong league. The doubters spell it out — 'It's arena football,' 'This ain't the guy' — and Vermeil himself voices the case against him: 'You're too old to be a rookie. You're too green to be a pro.' Kurt's answer never argues the résumé; it argues the person. 'With all due respect, sir, you're wrong,' he says, then stacks his reasons — 'Because I know who I am, and I know why I'm here,' 'Because I've earned it.' Where other speeches reach for confidence, his reaches for readiness: 'I'm finally ready for it. I wasn't before.' The line that lands is the shortest: 'Because this is my time, sir.'
Key lines & what they mean
- “Because this is my time, sir.”
- Kurt's closing reason to Vermeil: after years of waiting and setbacks, he believes this is the moment his career was meant to arrive.
- “And I will not let you down.”
- Kurt turns the job request into a promise, telling Vermeil that trusting him won't be a mistake.
- “You don't have what it takes.”
- Vermeil's blunt verdict: he's telling Kurt that the ability to lead an NFL offense isn't there, the exact doubt Kurt spends the scene answering.
- “Because I know who I am, and I know why I'm here.”
- Kurt's answer isn't about stats but identity — he knows his worth and his purpose, which is why the doubt doesn't shake him.
Theme
- Courage — Kurt tells his own boss he's wrong and asks for the job: 'With all due respect, sir, you're wrong.'
- Dreams — After years of waiting, Kurt says the timing is finally his: 'Because this is my time, sir.'
What this chapter teaches
Teaching points
Review right after watchingMy level4/7
A1–C2 is the CEFR scale. Cards above the level you pick fade, and playback will not auto-pause on them.
Language points
Click a card to jump to its moment in the videoGolden lines
A great line in its own right — why and how to use it“And I will not let you down.”
Why it's great
The promise is plain and unconditional, which is exactly what makes it land.
Register
Neutral
Use it yourself
Give me the account and I will not let you down.
“You don't have what it takes.”
Why it's great
It rejects a person with one fixed phrase, leaving no room to argue about details.
Register
Informal
Use it yourself
Don't tell yourself you don't have what it takes.
“Because I know who I am, and I know why I'm here.”
Why it's great
Two parallel certainties answer a challenge without shouting: this is who I am, this is why I am here.
Register
Neutral
Use it yourself
I know who I am, and I know why I'm here: to do this job.
Monologue
One character carrying the scene — shadow the whole passage❝ Kurt's case to start
Because this is my time, sir. Because I know who I am, and I know why I'm here. Because I've earned it. I've waited for it, I've bled for it. And... I'm finally ready for it. I wasn't before. God knows I wasn't, but I am now. And I will not let you down. You put the ball in my hands, and we will win.
He builds from who he is to what the team will do, turning doubt into an offer.
Up next · 24opportunity of a lifetimeThe scene: Kurt's First NFL StartTakeaways
What you walk away with- This is my time claims the moment as yours
- In the driver's seat means holding control
- Ain't is spoken, never formal writing
- Let you down is a quiet promise, not a boast
People also search
Questions, then the linesWhy does Kurt Warner get his chance?
Trent Green is injured on a low hit, so the backup has to play. But the scene is really about the meeting where Kurt convinces Vermeil he's ready.
What do the pundits say about Kurt Warner?
They doubt him. One asks 'Why not Kurt Warner?', but others call him 'not the guy,' say the Rams should trade for a starter, and warn that sticking with him will make the team a joke.
Why does Vermeil say Kurt is too old and too green?
He's listing the case against trusting an arena-league backup: Kurt is too old to be a rookie yet too inexperienced to be a pro, so he 'doesn't belong here.'
Why does Kurt say 'with all due respect'?
It's his way to disagree politely with his coach: the phrase softens the challenge before he says plainly, 'you're wrong,' and makes his case.
Does Vermeil agree to start Kurt in this scene?
He doesn't say yes. He hears Kurt out and ends the meeting with 'That's all, Kurt,' leaving the decision — and the next game — for later.