Kordell Stewart facts for kids

Kordell Stewart (born October 16, 1972) is a former American football player. He was a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL) for 11 seasons. He played most of his career with the Pittsburgh Steelers. People called him "Slash" because he could play many positions.

Stewart played college football for the Colorado Buffaloes. He became famous in his senior year for a play called the "Miracle at Michigan". This was a special Hail Mary pass that helped his team beat the Michigan Wolverines. The Steelers picked him in the second round of the 1995 NFL draft.

Kordell Stewart played different roles for the Steelers. He became their main quarterback in 1997. He helped the team reach the AFC Championship Game. His best season was in 2001. He led Pittsburgh to be the top team in their conference. They also returned to the conference championship. That year, he was chosen for the Pro Bowl and named AFC Offensive Player of the Year. After 2001, his performance changed. The Steelers released him. He then played one season for the Chicago Bears. He was a backup for two seasons with the Baltimore Ravens. He is one of the top quarterbacks for rushing touchdowns, with 38.

Early Life and High School Years

Kordell Stewart was born in New Orleans, Louisiana. He grew up in Jefferson Parish, Louisiana. He went to John Ehret High School there.

College Football Career

In 1991, Stewart received a scholarship. He went to the University of Colorado Boulder. He played under coach Bill McCartney. Stewart became one of the best quarterbacks in the school's history. He set many records for the Buffaloes. These records included most passes completed, most passing yards, and most touchdown passes.

Stewart led the Buffaloes, who used an option-style offense. His team finished in the top 10 in national polls in 1992 and 1994. They also won the 1993 Aloha Bowl and the 1995 Fiesta Bowl. In his senior year (1994), he was named a second-team All-American. That year, Colorado finished with an 11–1 record and was ranked No. 3 nationally.

One of his most memorable college moments happened early on. On September 5, 1992, Stewart started his first game as a sophomore. Colorado showed off a new passing offense. The 12th-ranked Buffaloes beat their rival, Colorado State, 37–17. Stewart completed 21 of 36 passes. He threw for a school-record 409 yards and four touchdowns in that game.

On September 24, 1994, Stewart made a famous play. He threw a game-winning, 64-yard Hail Mary touchdown pass. It went into the end zone to wide receiver Michael Westbrook. This play helped them beat the Michigan Wolverines in the final seconds.

College Statistics Overview

Professional Football Career

Playing for the Pittsburgh Steelers

Early Years (1995–1996)

Stewart played in a few different ways during his first seasons. In 1995, he ran the ball 15 times and caught 14 passes. He scored two touchdowns. He had an agreement with coach Bill Cowher to try for the quarterback spot. The main quarterback, Neil O'Donnell, was leaving soon.

Stewart threw his first pass against the Cleveland Browns. It was a touchdown! He threw seven passes that year. In the 1996 playoffs, he ran the ball nine times. The Steelers made it to Super Bowl XXX. He even punted the ball 41 yards for a touchback against Buffalo. In the AFC Championship against the Indianapolis Colts, he caught two passes for 18 yards. One catch was a touchdown that gave Pittsburgh a 10–6 lead. They won that game. In the Super Bowl, he ran four times for 15 yards. This was his only trip to the Super Bowl, which they lost to the Dallas Cowboys. He is the only rookie quarterback to play in a Super Bowl. He even made a key play on fourth down.

In 1996, the Steelers started Jim Miller at quarterback. When Miller struggled, Mike Tomczak took over. The team also got Jerome Bettis in a trade. Stewart played quarterback only a little (30 passes). He was used more for catching and running. He rushed 39 times, including an 80-yard touchdown run against Carolina. He caught 17 passes. He scored eight touchdowns in total. In the 1997 playoffs, he ran nine times for 48 yards and two touchdowns against the Colts.

Becoming a Starter (1997)

Stewart became the Steelers' starting quarterback in 1997. In his first year as a starter, he led the team to an 11–5 record. He was the first quarterback ever to throw for 20 touchdowns and run for 10 in one season. The Steelers reached the AFC Championship Game. However, they lost to the Denver Broncos. Stewart threw three interceptions and lost a fumble. These four turnovers contributed to their 24–21 loss.

Challenges (1998–1999)

Before the 1998 season, the Steelers lost their offensive coordinator, Chan Gailey. He became the Cowboys' head coach. Ray Sherman took his place. Also, Stewart's top receiver, Yancey Thigpen, left the team. By the middle of 1998, the Steelers had lost three of their starting offensive linemen. Because of these changes, Stewart and the offense struggled. The team did not make the playoffs in either 1998 or 1999.

Bouncing Back (2000–2001)

In 2000, coach Bill Cowher named Kent Graham the starting quarterback. The team started with a 1–3 record. When Graham got hurt, Stewart stepped in. The team finished 9–7. They just missed the playoffs.

In 2001, Stewart was the starting quarterback again. He led the Steelers to a 13–3 record. They were the top team in the AFC playoffs. With new coaches Tom Clements and Mike Mularkey, Stewart had his best year. He threw for over 3,000 yards. He completed 60 percent of his passes. His passer rating was 81.7. He threw 14 touchdowns and ran for five more. Stewart was chosen for the Pro Bowl. He was also named the Steelers' Most Valuable Player.

The Steelers easily beat the Baltimore Ravens in the playoffs. The Ravens were the Super Bowl champions at the time. However, the New England Patriots beat the Steelers in the AFC Championship Game. The Patriots went on to win the Super Bowl.

Final Season with Steelers (2002)

Stewart started the 2002 season as the Steelers' quarterback. In the third game, he threw an interception. He was then replaced by backup Tommy Maddox. Stewart was released by the Steelers at the end of the season. He did start two more games when Maddox was injured. This helped keep the team's playoff hopes alive. But Maddox returned, and Stewart never played for Pittsburgh again.

Time with Other Teams

Chicago Bears (2003)

After leaving the Steelers, Stewart signed with the Chicago Bears in 2003. He was named their starting quarterback. After some difficult games, he was replaced by Chris Chandler. When Chandler also struggled, Stewart became the starter again. He was later benched for rookie Rex Grossman after the Bears were out of the playoffs. Stewart was released by the Bears at the end of the season.

Baltimore Ravens (2004–2005)

In 2004, the Ravens signed Stewart as a backup to Kyle Boller. He also filled in for the injured Anthony Wright. He did not throw any passes that season. However, he was surprisingly good as an emergency punter for Dave Zastudil. He was even named NFL Special Teams Player of the Week for his punting. He was released after the 2004 season. But in 2005, the Ravens signed him again. This happened because their starting quarterback, Kyle Boller, got hurt in Week 1. Stewart became a backup to Anthony Wright once more.

Kordell Stewart's Nickname and Impact

Myron Cope, a Pittsburgh Steelers commentator, gave Stewart the nickname "Slash". He used this name because Stewart could play many positions. He was a quarterback "slash" receiver "slash" rusher.

In 1995, the Steelers used Stewart in many different roles. After the Steelers lost Super Bowl XXX, the team gave Stewart a chance to become the starting quarterback in 1996. After a competition, Jim Miller was named the starter. Stewart stayed in his "Slash" role. Miller struggled, and Mike Tomczak took over for most of the season. In a December 1996 game, Stewart set an NFL record. He had the longest touchdown run by a quarterback, an 80-yard rush against the Carolina Panthers.

During his career, some people criticized Stewart. But now, many sportswriters see his career more positively. Some say Stewart was the first modern dual-threat quarterback. He played this way about 20 years before it became common. While other quarterbacks like Fran Tarkenton, Randall Cunningham, and Steve Young could run, Stewart was one of the first to use running as a planned part of the offense, not just to avoid defenders.

Some local Pittsburgh sports writers, like Mark Madden and John Steigerwald, defended Stewart. They felt he was judged unfairly. Years later, Ron Cook, a writer for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, agreed that Stewart deserved better treatment. Stewart is sometimes ranked as the Steelers' third-best quarterback ever. He is behind Ben Roethlisberger and Terry Bradshaw, and ahead of Hall of Famer Bobby Layne.

NFL Career Statistics Summary

Life After the NFL

After the Ravens released Stewart in November 2005, he did not play in the NFL again. He officially retired from the NFL in 2012.

Stewart has appeared on TV shows like Deal or No Deal and Pros vs. Joes. In 2008, he said he wanted to return to the NFL. He worked out to try a comeback, but no team picked him.

He has also worked as a football analyst. In January 2009, he was an analyst on ESPN's College Football Live. He later appeared on other ESPN shows like NFL Live and Mike and Mike in the Morning. He was also a sideline reporter for the United Football League.

Stewart was the cover athlete for the 1997 video game NFL Blitz. On March 23, 1998, he was on the first-ever cover of ESPN The Magazine. He appeared with Kobe Bryant, Alex Rodriguez, and Eric Lindros. Stewart later wrote an essay for The Players' Tribune. In it, he shared about the challenges he faced as the Steelers' quarterback.

Personal Interests

Kordell Stewart enjoys playing golf. He had a nine handicap when he was an active NFL player.