John Stallworth facts for kids
Stallworth in 2019
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| No. 82 | |||||||
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| Position: | Wide receiver | ||||||
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| Born: | July 15, 1952 Tuscaloosa, Alabama, U.S. |
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| Height: | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | ||||||
| Weight: | 191 lb (87 kg) | ||||||
| Career information | |||||||
| High school: | Tuscaloosa | ||||||
| College: | Alabama A&M (1970–1973) | ||||||
| NFL Draft: | 1974 / Round: 4 / Pick: 82 | ||||||
| Career history | |||||||
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Pro Football Hall of Fame
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Johnny Lee Stallworth (born July 15, 1952) is a famous American football player. He played as a wide receiver for the Pittsburgh Steelers for 14 seasons. He was a key player in the National Football League (NFL).
Stallworth played college football for the Alabama A&M Bulldogs. The Steelers chose him in the fourth round of the 1974 NFL draft. He played in six AFC Championship games. He also went to four Super Bowls and won all of them!
During his career, Stallworth caught 537 passes for 8,723 yards. He also scored 63 touchdowns. He played in three Pro Bowls and was named the Steelers' Most Valuable Player (MVP) twice. In 2002, he was honored by being inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
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College Football Journey
Johnny Stallworth grew up in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. He was a top receiver for Alabama A&M in 1972 and 1973. He was part of the All-Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference team.
Stallworth also focused on his education. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration. He later got an MBA in Finance from Alabama A&M University. In 2014, he was inducted into the Black College Football Hall of Fame.
Playing in the NFL
The Pittsburgh Steelers picked Stallworth as the 82nd player in the 1974 NFL draft. This draft class was special for the Steelers. Four players from that year's draft, including Stallworth, later joined the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Some NFL scouts were not impressed with Stallworth at first. They saw him run on a wet track at Alabama A&M University. But Steelers assistant personnel director Bill Nunn stayed an extra day. He watched Stallworth run much faster on a dry track. Nunn also had the only college game film of Stallworth. It is said that he kept this film from other NFL teams.
After his first year, Stallworth became a starting player. He kept that role for the rest of his 165-game career. He did face some challenges with injuries. He missed 44 regular-season games due to problems with his legs, feet, ankles, knees, and hamstrings.
Super Bowl Wins
Stallworth made some amazing plays in the Super Bowls. In Super Bowl XIII, he caught a 75-yard touchdown pass from Terry Bradshaw. This play was very important in the Steelers' 35–31 win against the Dallas Cowboys. He finished that game with 3 catches for 115 yards and two touchdowns.
One year later, in Super Bowl XIV, the Steelers were behind. Their coach, Chuck Noll, called a special play. With 12 minutes left, Bradshaw threw a long pass to Stallworth. He caught it and ran for a 73-yard touchdown. This helped the Steelers win 31–19 and get their fourth world championship. Sports Illustrated magazine even put Stallworth on its cover because of this catch. In that game, he had three catches for 121 yards.
Stallworth holds Super Bowl records for how many yards he gained per catch. He averaged 24.4 yards per catch in his Super Bowl career. He also averaged 40.33 yards per catch in Super Bowl XIV. He has 12 touchdown catches in playoff games. He also caught a pass in 17 straight playoff games. Stallworth scored a touchdown in eight playoff games in a row (1978–1983), which is an NFL record.
Other Great Moments
In 1984, Stallworth had a fantastic year. He led the AFC with 1,395 receiving yards on 80 catches. He was named the NFL Comeback Player of the Year. He helped the Steelers beat the San Francisco 49ers, which was the 49ers' only loss that season. He also helped the Steelers win a playoff game against the Denver Broncos.
Stallworth was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in August 2002.
Business Life After Football
In 1986, Stallworth started a company called Madison Research Corporation (MRC). He founded it with Samuel Hazelrig. MRC helps government and business clients with engineering and computer services. Under their leadership, MRC grew to have over 650 employees. It also had revenues of $69.5 million in 2003.
MRC had six offices in different cities. These included Huntsville, Alabama, Warner Robins, Georgia, and Orlando, Florida. In 2006, MRC was sold to another company. After the sale, Stallworth decided to explore other interests.
On March 23, 2009, it was announced that Stallworth became a part-owner of his old team, the Pittsburgh Steelers. This happened as the Rooney family, who owned the team, changed their ownership structure.
