Stewart, Kordell

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Kordell Stewart

1972-

American football player

Star quarterback of the Pittsburgh Steelers, Kordell Stewart led his team to the Super Bowl his very first season in the National Football League (NFL). After seven seasons as a quarterback with the Steelers, Stewart boasted a pass-completion rate of 55.7 percent for a total of 12,173 yards and sixty-four touchdowns. Despite his obvious prowess as a quarterback, Stewart has also seen service as a wide receiver, running back, and punter, making him one of pro football's most versatile players and earning him the nickname "Slash" from head coach Bill Cowher. Of Stewart's importance to the Steelers, Cowher told Sports Illustrated : "No one can exemplify this team's unselfish attitude more than Kordell Stewart. I'm sure he'll never forget some of the things he's had to go through, and I wouldn't wish them upon anyone, but he's buried the hatchet and handled himself like the consummate pro."

Born in New Orleans

Stewart was born in New Orleans on October 16, 1972. The son of Robert (a barber, house painter, and carpenter) and Florence Stewart, he was raised in Marrero, a suburb of New Orleans. It was not an easy childhood for Stewart. As he told Reuters, "my mom passed away when I was eleven, and my dad's been there for me ever since. It's been a rough one for me, but when things like that happen to you, you can either be a person who goes astray or understand that things happen for a reason, and that's the approach that I have taken." As a boy, Stewart managed to stay out of trouble by spending his free time helping his father in the barber shop or various other endeavors

and handling the cooking and laundry chores on the home front.

Because of his responsibilities at home, Stewart didn't really get involved in football until he joined the varsity team at the beginning of his junior year at John Ehret High School in Marrero. Despite his late start, he quickly demonstrated his talents on the gridiron, passing for a total of 1,645 yards and nineteen touchdowns his first season. The following year, Stewart, now a senior, ran an option-attack, throwing for 942 yards and seventeen touchdowns and carrying the ball for a total of 923 yards and twenty-three touchdowns. Stewart's versatile performance powered Ehret to a record of 8-3 and the district championship. Stewart was named Louisiana's Most Valuable Player and New Orleans Player of the Year, making him one of the most sought-after high school option-quarterback prospects in the country.

Accepts Scholarship to Colorado

Heavily recruited by a number of top colleges, Stewart eventually accepted a football scholarship to the University of Colorado. Although he saw limited action on the football field his freshman year, he became Colorado's starting quarterback during his sophomore year. He quickly proved his worth by passing for a new school record of 2,109 yards and tying Colorado's record with twelve touchdown passes. As a junior, he broke his own passing record by throwing for 2,299 yards and starting every game of the season despite a fractured bone in his left hand.

Stewart credits Colorado coach Rich Neuheisel with helping him to improve his game as a quarterback. The summer before his senior season, Stewart worked closely with Neuheisel, as the coach had done with Troy Aikman when Neuheisel coached at UCLA. Stewart later told Sports Illustrated : "If I'd had [Neuheisel as a coach] since my freshman year, I would have gone in the first round [of the NFL draft]. He taught me about coverages and gave me confidence." Stewart's work with the coach paid off, for Colorado enjoyed one of its best seasons ever, finishing with a 11-1 record and going on to beat Notre Dame, 41-24, in the Fiesta Bowl. After the Fiesta Bowl victory, Stewart, who passed for 226 yards and rushed for another 143, was named the game's MVP. For his four years at Colorado, Stewart compiled a brilliant record of 6,481 yards passing for thirty-three touchdowns and 1,289 yards running for another fifteen touchdowns.

Declares for 1995 NFL Draft

Stewart declared for the 1995 NFL draft as a quarterback despite suggestions from pro scouts that he would probably enhance his chances for an early pick if he signaled a willingness to play other positions. Stewart refused to do so and was selected by the Steelers in the second round of the draft. Although he was hopeful of getting a shot as starting quarterback, Stewart was listed as fourth-string quarterback after the end of the exhibition season. After sitting out the first few games of the 1995 season, Stewart was put to work by coach Cowher at three different positions on offense—quarterback, running back, and wide receiver. Cowher's decision to utilize Stewart's versatility paid dividends for the Steelers, who finished the 1995 season with a record of 11-5 and faced off against the Dallas Cowboys in Super Bowl XXX. Despite an impressive performance by Stewart, the Steelers fell to the Cowboys, 27-17.

During his second season with the Steelers, Stewart still was used sparingly at quarterback, passing for only 100 yards. He rushed for 171 yards and five touchdowns and was selected as an alternate for the Pro Bowl. Before the 1997 season began, coach Cowher made it clear that Stewart would be starting as quarterback. Stewart proved himself equal to the task, passing for a total of 3,020 yards and 17 touchdowns to lead the Steelers to the AFC Central Division title. Pittsburgh went on to lose narrowly, 24-21, to the Denver Broncos in the AFC Championship game.

Steelers Fare Poorly in 1998, 1999

Despite creditable performances from Stewart in both 1998 and 1999, the Steelers ended those seasons with losing records of 7-9 and 6-10, respectively. Pittsburgh bounced back in 2000 with a season's record of 9-7. In 2001 the Steelers had its best season in several years, ending with a record of 13-3 and making it to the AFC Championship Game, which they lost, 24-17, to the New England Patriots.

Career Statistics

Yr	Team	GP	ATT	COM	YDS	COM%	Y/A	TD	INT
PIT: Pittsburgh Steelers.
1995	PIT	10	7	5	60	71.4	8.6	1	0
1996	PIT	16	30	11	100	36.7	3.3	0	2
1997	PIT	16	440	236	3020	53.6	6.9	21	17
1998	PIT	16	458	252	2560	55.0	5.6	11	18
1999	PIT	16	275	160	1464	58.2	5.3	6	10
2000	PIT	15	289	151	1860	52.2	6.4	11	8
2001	PIT	16	442	266	3109	60.2	7.0	14	11
TOTAL		105	1941	1081	12173	55.7	6.3	4	66

Chronology

1972	Born October 16 in New Orleans
1984	Loses mother to liver cancer
1990	Graduates from John Ehret High School in Marrero, Louisiana
1990-94	Attends University of Colorado
1994	Picked by Pittsburgh Steelers in second round of NFL draft

With two weeks left in the 2002 regular season, the Steelers held first place in the AFC North Division, with a record of 8-5-1, but Stewart spent much of his time on the bench. After a disappointing start to the season, coach Cowher in early October benched Stewart as quarterback in favor of Tommy Maddox, former star of the Arena League and the XFL. Although the move cast his future with the Steelers into doubt, Stewart seemed confident he'd return to the game as a starting quarterback, if not in Pittsburgh than elsewhere in the NFL. "I can't control what other people do," Stewart told the Associated Press. "I've proven myself time and time again, so to express myself and explain myself again, what would that benefit? … If this is the direction they want to go, fine, so be it, but everybody else knows, and this organization knows, what I can do."

Awards and Accomplishments

1990	Named Louisiana's Most Valuable Player in High School Football
1990	New Orleans Player of the Year
1990	Named to Louisiana All-State Football Team
1994	Named to All-American Second Team by Associated Press
1995	Named Most Valuable Rookie by Pittsburgh Steelers teammates
1995	Led Steelers to Super Bowl
1995	Joe Greene Great Performance Award
1996	Voted an alternate to Pro Bowl
1997	Selected as an alternate to Pro Bowl
1998	Led Steelers to AFC Championship Game
2001	Picked to play in the Pro Bowl

CONTACT INFORMATION

Address: Kordell Stewart, c/o Pittsburgh Steelers, 100 Art Rooney Ave., Pittsburgh, PA 15212-5721. Phone: (412) 697-7181.

FURTHER INFORMATION

Books

"Kordell Stewart." Contemporary Black Biography, Volume 21. Detroit: Gale Group, 1999.

"Kordell Stewart." Sports Stars, Series 1-4. U•X•L, 1994-1998.

Periodicals

Pompei, Dan. "Happily Ever After Returns to Slash's Tale." Sporting News (December 10, 2001): 24.

Silver, Michael. "In Control: Kordell Stewart Demanded His Coach's Support and Excelled When He Got It, But Can He Lead the Steelers to a Title?" Sports Illustrated (January 14, 2002): 40.