 | Thisbiography of a living personneeds additionalcitations forverification. Please help by addingreliable sources.Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced orpoorly sourcedmust be removed immediately from the article and its talk page, especially if potentiallylibelous. Find sources: "Kordell Stewart" – news ·newspapers ·books ·scholar ·JSTOR(February 2018) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
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| Position: | Quarterback | ||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||
| Born: | (1972-10-16)October 16, 1972 (age 52) Marrero,Louisiana, U.S.[1] | ||||||||||||||||||
| Height: | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | ||||||||||||||||||
| Weight: | 218 lb (99 kg) | ||||||||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||||||||
| High school: | John Ehret (Marrero) | ||||||||||||||||||
| College: | Colorado (1991–1994) | ||||||||||||||||||
| NFL draft: | 1995: 2nd round, 60th pick | ||||||||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||||||||
| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||||||||||
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Kordell Stewart (born October 16, 1972) is an American former professionalfootballquarterback who played in theNational Football League (NFL) for 11 seasons, primarily with thePittsburgh Steelers. Nicknamed "Slash", he playedcollege football for theColorado Buffaloes and achieved recognition as a senior for the "Miracle at Michigan", aHail Mary pass he completed to defeat theMichigan Wolverines. He was selected by the Steelers in the second round of the1995 NFL draft.[2]
Stewart held a variety of roles for the Steelers before becoming their starting quarterback in 1997, which saw him help guide the team to anAFC Championship Game appearance. His most successful season was in 2001 where he led Pittsburgh to the conference's top seed and a return to the conference championship, while earningPro Bowl andAFC Offensive Player of the Year honors. Stewart's performance declined the following year, resulting in him being released by the Steelers. Afterwards, Stewart played one season for theChicago Bears and held a backup role during two seasons with theBaltimore Ravens. He ranks sixth in quarterback rushing touchdowns at 38.[3]
Kordell Stewart was born inNew Orleans,Louisiana. He attendedJohn Ehret High School inJefferson Parish, Louisiana.
In 1991, Stewart received a scholarship to theUniversity of Colorado. Playing under coachBill McCartney, he became one of the most prolific quarterbacks in school history, setting severalBuffaloes records, including most passes completed, most passing yards, and most touchdown passes.[4]
Stewart led theoption-oriented Buffaloes to a pair of top-10 regular-season finishes in theAP andCoaches polls in 1992 and 1994 as well as wins in the 1993Aloha Bowl and 1995Fiesta Bowl.[5] He was selected as a second-team All-American his senior year as nationally ranked No. 3 Colorado finished 11–1 in 1994.
One of his greatest moments for the Colorado Buffaloes occurred in the beginning of his college career. On September 5, 1992, Stewart started his first game as a sophomore as Colorado unveiled a pass-oriented offense that lifted the 12th-ranked Buffaloes past in-state rival Colorado State, 37–17. Stewart connected on 21 of 36 passes for a then school-record 409 yards and four touchdowns in the contest.[6]
On September 24, 1994, Stewart threw thegame-winning, 64-yardHail Mary touchdown pass into the end zone to wide receiverMichael Westbrook in the closing seconds to beat theMichigan Wolverines.[7]
| Colorado Buffaloes | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Passing | Rushing | ||||||||||||
| Cmp | Att | Pct | Yds | TD | Int | Rtg | Att | Yds | Avg | TD | ||||
| 1991 | 1 | 2 | 50.0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 58.4 | 18 | 144 | 8.0 | 1 | |||
| 1992 | 151 | 252 | 59.9 | 2,109 | 12 | 9 | 138.8 | 60 | 418 | 6.9 | 1 | |||
| 1993 | 157 | 294 | 53.4 | 2,299 | 11 | 7 | 126.7 | 102 | 524 | 5.1 | 6 | |||
| 1994 | 147 | 237 | 62.0 | 2,071 | 10 | 3 | 146.8 | 122 | 639 | 5.2 | 7 | |||
| Totals | 456 | 785 | 58.1 | 6,481 | 33 | 19 | 136.5 | 302 | 1,725 | 6.3 | 15 | |||
| This section of abiography of a living persondoes notinclude anyreferences or sources. Please help by addingreliable sources. Contentious material about living people that is unsourced or poorly sourcedmust be removed immediately. Find sources: "Kordell Stewart" – news ·newspapers ·books ·scholar ·JSTOR(February 2018) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20-yard shuttle | Vertical jump | Broad jump | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 ft1+1⁄2 in (1.87 m) | 212 lb (96 kg) | 31+1⁄2 in (0.80 m) | 9+1⁄2 in (0.24 m) | 4.52 s | 1.60 s | 2.68 s | 4.13 s | 36.0 in (0.91 m) | 10 ft 5 in (3.18 m) | |||
| All values fromNFL Combine[8][9] | ||||||||||||
Stewart was used sparingly for select plays. In his first season, he had 15 carries with 14 receptions (for a total of two touchdowns) while making a handshake deal withBill Cowher to be given a chance for the quarterback position, asNeil O'Donnell was the incumbent and also slated to be a free agent after the 1995 season was over. After a few games of brief rushes and catches, he got his first pass attempt against theCleveland Browns. The attempt resulted in a touchdown. In total, he threw seven passes that year.[10]
In the 1996 playoffs, he was used for a couple of carries (nine combined) in Pittsburgh's run toSuper Bowl XXX. Against Buffalo, he was used for a punt, which he kicked 41 yards to the endzone for a touchback. In theAFC Championship against theIndianapolis Colts, he caught two passes for 18 yards and a touchdown that gave Pittsburgh a 10–6 lead at halftime in an eventual win. He ran four times for 15 yards in the Super Bowl loss to theDallas Cowboys, which proved to be his only trip to the big game. He is the only rookie in NFL history to take a snap at the quarterback position in a Super Bowl; in which he converted a 4th & 1 on a quarterback sneak.[11]
In 1996, Pittsburgh elected to use third-year backupJim Miller as their week one starter. When he fizzled out in the middle of the game, they went withMike Tomczak (who had been with Pittsburgh since 1993), with the Steelers being bolstered by theiroff-season trade acquisition ofJerome Bettis. Stewart played sparingly at quarterback (30 passes) while being more used for catches and runs. He rushed 39 times (his longest play being an 80-yard touchdown run versus Carolina) and caught 17 passes for a combined total of eight touchdowns.[12] In the 1997 playoffs, he ran nine times for 48 yards against the Colts for two touchdowns.[13]
Stewart was named the starting quarterback for the 1997 season. In his first season as a starting quarterback in the NFL, he led the Steelers to an 11–5 record. He was the first quarterback to throw for twenty touchdowns and run for ten in history. The Steelers went to the AFC Championship Game, which they lost to theDenver Broncos. Stewart threw three interceptions (two of which were made in the opposing Denver end zone), and lost a fumble accounting for all four Steeler turnovers in a 24–21 loss.
Prior to the1998 season, the Steelers lost their offensive coordinator,Chan Gailey as he was signed as the Cowboys head coach. To replace him, the Steelers brought inRay Sherman from the Vikings. In addition, Stewart's leading receiver and Pro BowlerYancey Thigpen also left via free agency after the 1997 season. By mid-season in 1998, the Steelers had lost three of the five starting offensive linemen from the 1997 AFC Championship game and, as a result, Stewart and the Steelers offense struggled and failed to make the playoffs in both seasons.
Coach Bill Cowher namedKent Graham quarterback to start theseason, and the team got off to a 1–3 start. When Graham injured his hip, Stewart was tapped to replace him. Theteam finished 9–7 and missed the playoffs by one game.
As starting quarterback, Stewart led the2001 Steelers to a 13–3 regular-season record and the top seed in theAFC playoffs. Under the tutelage of new QB coachTom Clements and new offensive coordinatorMike Mularkey, Stewart had his best year as a pro, throwing for over 3,000 yards, completing 60 percent of his passes, and attaining apasser rating of 81.7. He threw for 14 TDs and ran for five more. Stewart was elected to the Pro Bowl and was named the Steelers MVP.
The Steelers easily defeated the then-defending Super Bowl championBaltimore Ravens in the divisional playoffs. The eventualSuper Bowl championNew England Patriots defeated the Steelers in the AFC Championship Game.
Stewart began the 2002 season as the Steelers' starting quarterback, but after throwing an interception into double coverage in the end zone at home against the Cleveland Browns in the third game of the season, he was replaced by increasingly popular backupTommy Maddox, and Stewart was released at the end of the season. Stewart did start two games in place of an injured Maddox to keep the team's playoff hopes alive. Maddox returned, and Stewart never played in Pittsburgh again.
The following season, Stewart signed as a free agent with theChicago Bears and was named the starter. After several poor performances in2003, he was replaced in favor ofChris Chandler. After getting the same results from Chandler, he was reinserted as the starter, before getting benched in favor of rookieRex Grossman after the Bears were eliminated from the playoffs. Stewart was released at the end of the season.
Stewart was signed in2004 by the Ravens to play a backup role toKyle Boller, and later served as a replacement for the injuredAnthony Wright. He did not, however, throw a pass that season. He was unexpectedly successful as an emergency replacement forpunterDave Zastudil, being named NFL Special Teams Player of the Week for his performance. He was released following the 2004 season, but due to an injury to starting quarterback Kyle Boller during Week #1 of the2005 season, the Ravens once again signed Stewart to be a backup toAnthony Wright.
Pittsburgh Steelers color commentatorMyron Cope gave Stewart thenickname "Slash".[14] He chose this name under the presumption that Stewart could play multiple positions—quarterback/receiver/rusher (quarterback "slash" receiver "slash" rusher).
After confining him to many utility roles during the 1995 season, when the Steelers made it toSuper Bowl XXX only to lose to theDallas Cowboys, the team gave Stewart the opportunity to compete for the starting quarterback position in 1996. Following a preseason battle, Bill Cowher namedJim Miller as the Steelers' starting quarterback and kept Stewart in his "Slash" role. Miller struggled at Jacksonville on opening day and was replaced byMike Tomczak for the rest of the season. In a December 1996 game against theCarolina Panthers, Stewart set a then-NFL record for longest touchdown run by a quarterback with an 80-yard rush.[citation needed]
| Year | Team | Games | Passing | Rushing | Receiving | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Record | Cmp | Att | Pct | Yds | TD | Int | Rtg | Att | Yds | Avg | TD | Rec | Yds | Avg | TD | ||
| 1995 | PIT | 10 | 2 | — | 5 | 7 | 71.4 | 60 | 1 | 0 | 136.9 | 15 | 86 | 5.7 | 1 | 14 | 235 | 16.8 | 1 |
| 1996 | PIT | 16 | 2 | — | 11 | 30 | 36.7 | 100 | 0 | 2 | 18.8 | 39 | 171 | 4.4 | 5 | 17 | 293 | 17.2 | 3 |
| 1997 | PIT | 16 | 16 | 11–5 | 236 | 440 | 53.6 | 3,020 | 21 | 17 | 75.2 | 88 | 476 | 5.4 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 |
| 1998 | PIT | 16 | 16 | 7–9 | 252 | 458 | 55.0 | 2,560 | 11 | 18 | 62.9 | 81 | 406 | 5.0 | 2 | 1 | 17 | 17.0 | 0 |
| 1999 | PIT | 16 | 12 | 5–6 | 160 | 275 | 58.2 | 1,464 | 6 | 10 | 64.9 | 56 | 258 | 4.6 | 2 | 9 | 113 | 12.6 | 1 |
| 2000 | PIT | 16 | 11 | 7–4 | 151 | 289 | 52.2 | 1,860 | 11 | 8 | 73.6 | 78 | 436 | 5.6 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 |
| 2001 | PIT | 16 | 16 | 13–3 | 266 | 442 | 60.2 | 3,109 | 14 | 11 | 81.7 | 96 | 537 | 5.6 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 |
| 2002 | PIT | 7 | 5 | 3–2 | 109 | 166 | 65.7 | 1,155 | 6 | 6 | 82.8 | 43 | 191 | 4.4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 |
| 2003 | CHI | 9 | 7 | 2–5 | 126 | 251 | 50.2 | 1,418 | 7 | 12 | 56.8 | 59 | 290 | 4.9 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 |
| 2004 | BAL | 2 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 1 | −1 | −1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 |
| 2005 | BAL | 1 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 4 | 24 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 |
| Totals | 125 | 87 | 48–34 | 1,316 | 2,358 | 55.8 | 14,746 | 77 | 84 | 70.7 | 560 | 2,874 | 5.1 | 38 | 41 | 658 | 16.0 | 5 | |
Following Boller's reactivation on November 9, 2005, the Ravens cut Stewart instead of keeping him as a third-string player, activating running backMusa Smith instead. Stewart had no comment following the announcement he had been cut from the team.[citation needed]
Stewart made guest appearances on the TV showsDeal or No Deal[15] andPros vs. Joes.[16][17]
On April 29, 2008, in an interview on theWCNN "680 The Fan", Stewart expressed interest in returning to the NFL. Also, according toESPN2'sFirst Take on July 28, 2008, Stewart had not officially retired and had been working out at his home, to attempt a comeback following pre-season. He later was put intofree agency but was never selected by a team.[citation needed]
He appeared in January 2009 as an analyst onESPN'sCollege Football Live, and then later appeared again in July during the show's "50 States Tour" for the show's episode regarding Colorado athletics.
Stewart was also a sideline reporter for theUnited Football League[citation needed] and is currently[when?] an analyst on various ESPN shows such asNFL Live,[citation needed]NFL 32,[citation needed]Take 2,[citation needed] andMike and Mike in the Morning.[citation needed]
Stewart officially retired from the NFL in 2012.[18]
Stewart has a son, Syre, with his ex-girlfriend Tania Richardson.[19]Stewart metPorsha Williams in 2009 at downtown Atlanta's Luckie Lounge.[20] On May 21, 2011, they married in a lavish ceremony that was featured onWE tv'sPlatinum Weddings.[21] Stewart appeared as himself alongside Williams onBravo'sThe Real Housewives of Atlanta season 5 and 6.[22] Stewart filed for divorce from Williams on March 22, 2013, on the grounds that the marriage was irretrievably broken. Initial reports stated he was unwilling to pay any spousal support.[23]
In March 2017, Kordell won a $3 million lawsuit against internet personality Andrew Chad Caldwell, who made headlines in 2014 in front of a St. Louis church stating that he was delivered from homosexuality. Andrew Caldwell claimed to have a gay relationship with Kordell. Since the lawsuit, Kordell has still not been paid by Andrew Caldwell. In 2021 on an episode ofTamron Hall, Kordell referenced the incident, which led to Andrew Caldwell going to social media threatening to file a lawsuit against both Tamron Hall and Kordell for mentioning the issue that Andrew Caldwell denies despite evidence that proved he made up the false accusations.[24]
Stewart is an avid golfer and carried a ninehandicap when he was an active NFL player.[25][26]
Stewart was the cover athlete for the 1997 video gameNFL Blitz.
On March 23, 1998, Stewart appeared on the first-ever cover ofESPN The Magazine alongsideKobe Bryant,Alex Rodriguez andEric Lindros.[27]
Stewart later published an essay onThe Players' Tribune, detailing the racism and false rumors of homosexuality hefaced as the Steelers' quarterback.[28]
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